Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

But Thaddeus had just confided to her that in his memory, their first encounter traced back even earlier than she remembered. Before Lizetta even had a thread of memory to cling to, he had already etched her into his heart.

The melody meandered through the quiet of the hospital room, swelling Lizetta's chest with an indescribable mix of emotions. It was as though the pieces of herself she'd discarded were being gingerly collected by him, piece by piece.

As though their roles had reversed, with him patiently waiting for her to turn back.

After a long moment, she finally approached and sat beside the hospital bed. Looking at Thaddeus lying there, Lizetta's cheeks flushed with a bashful smile. "Big brother, did you hear all of that? I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

"You must be teasing me, still such a crybaby even after becoming a mom."

"Big brother, what should I do? I think I still love him. Should I trust him again?"

In the car.

Remington wore an expression of cold detachment, sitting in the back seat, and instructed his driver Ray in a grave tone.

"Any anomalies found with Hans' case?"

Ray shook his head, glancing at the man in the rearview mirror before quickly averting his gaze.

Despite Remington's stoic facade, Ray couldn't shake the feeling that Mr. Dashiell was in a foul mood. But that seemed odd, considering he had just had a lengthy private meeting with his wife.

"No anomalies detected. The scaffold collapse incident two months ago appears to be an accident, with no evidence of tampering. It's been fourteen years, and most of the prison guards and the warden from Hans' case have been transferred.

The new warden, who transferred from Tranquil Meadows last year, is unaware of Hans' connection to you. And Bard, who is familiar with Hans' situation, recently had a flare-up of an old injury and is recuperating at home, which is why the information didn't reach you sooner.

The day before yesterday, the new warden called to apologize for the oversight, hoping to invite you for a meal to personally apologize when you're available..."

As Ray reported, it seemed Hans had been fortunate, with no abnormalities found.

"Should we continue the investigation?"

Remington closed his eyes, his voice icy.

"No need. Hans forged a paternity test, so what he did to Liz wasn't just domestic abuse. Let's proceed with legalaction; make sure he stays behind bars this time."

Evidence of Hans' abuse towards Lizetta, including photographs, medical assessments, and witness statements, had all been meticulously preserved by Remington.

Given the leniency typically granted in domestic abuse cases, Remington had engineered a different trap to incarcerate Hans.

Now that it was clear Hans wasn't Lizetta's biological father, his actions were not merely domestic abuse but premeditated assault and child endangerment.

Remington intended to ensure Hans paid for his crimes anew.

"Understood, I'll take care of it personally," Ray responded promptly.

Remington opened his eyes. "Before you send him off, interrogate him thoroughly. And look into Liz's background."

"The hospital where Mrs. Dashiell was born closed down eight years ago, and the medical staff have long since dispersed. It might take some time."NôvelDrama.Org content.

Ray responded, and Remington rubbed his temples, sighing.

"Let's keep this from my wife for now."

He hoped to locate Lizetta's biological family first, assess the situation, and then decide whether to share the news with her.

Having suffered enough in both the

Hawthorne and Gardenia families,

Remington didn't want Lizetta to face any more pain if her own family turned out to be another source of heartache.

Ray acknowledged the instruction and dropped Remington off at his office before setting out to deal with Hans.

What was anticipated to be a

straightforward task-given the surveillance detail previously assigned to Hans-turned

complicated when Ray arrived.net

find the bodyguard unconscious and Hans nowhere to be found.