Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Remington shifted his gaze downward, noticing the baby immediately gripping his finger tightly after a gentle pat. Those tear-filled eyes were locked onto him, as though fearing he might leave as well. It was a peculiar feeling, but the baby's clear and dependent eyesText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

reminded Remington of Lizetta when she first arrived at the Dashiell household. The resemblance in their gazes and eye shapes was striking.

He turned to Stella, his voice serious. "What time was Ron born?"

Stella, assuming he was just showing concern for Ron, smiled softly and sat down by the hospital bed, leaning in closer to Ron. "Ron was born around 10:30 p.m. Evelina was rushed into surgery for a C-section as soon as we got to the hospital. Luckily, even though he was premature, Ron's a resilient little fighter..."

As Stella continued, moving subtly closer to Remington, he did the mental math. At that time, Lizetta was still en route to the hospital, and the two hospitals were over an hour's drive apart. The memory of laying Daisy to rest flashed in his mind-the small, bruised, and lifeless form.

Remington abruptly withdrew his hand from the baby's grasp, discarding the unrealistic thoughts. Only then did he realize how close Stella had gotten, practically seated beside him, her skirt touching his black dress pants.

With a faint frown, he stood up sharply. "Remington?" Stella looked up, surprised and hurt by his sudden action.

The baby, feeling neglected, began to cry again. Remington's stern gaze focused on Stella, his voice warning. "Stella, this child is your brother's legacy. He died searching for you. If you have any conscience, you should take good care of this child!" Stella bit her lip. "Remington, you misunderstand me..."

"He's crying!" Remington interrupted her, his tone firm.

Stella's face turned pale as she hurriedly picked up the baby, trying to comfort him. However, the baby was having none of it, flailing and scratching at Stella, making a mess of her hair. Normally, she would have lost her temper and handed the child off to Anna, but with Remington watching, she forced herself to calm the baby.

Thankfully, the sick and exhausted baby eventually fell asleep with tear-streaked cheeks. Stella sighed in relief, her back aching from the effort. Just as she was about to lay the baby down, Remington spoke sternly. "He's feeling insecure. He might wake up if you put him down."

Stella froze, and Anna quickly offered to take over. However, noticing Remington's stern profile, Stella forced a smile towards Anna. "It's okay, I'll hold him. We don't want to wake him by passing him around."

Eager to prove herself, Stella

adjusted her posture, trying to balance elegance with tenderness.lt was exhausting. She gently patted the baby and kissed his forehead; then glanced at Remington, expecting to see a look of approval. Instead, her hopeful smile froze as she met his unyielding gaze.