Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

She felt a pang of guilt; today was supposed to be the day she visited Thaddeus at the hospital.

If she had known, she would have rescheduled her dinner with Remington to be by the hospital sooner.

She couldn't help but wonder if her brother, waking up to no familiar faces, felt scared or alone.

After asking a few more questions and thanking the doctor, the medical staff finished their checks and left.

Once they were gone, Lizetta could no longer contain her excitement.

She spun around, grabbed Remington by the arms, and started hopping up and down like an overjoyed child.

"My brother's awake! This is just the best news ever!"

Remington, ever the stoic, gently freed his arms from Lizetta's grip and, in the next instant, wrapped her up in a big bear hug.

Lizetta, caught up in her whirlwind of excitement and relief, didn't even register what was happening at first.

She hugged him back, sharing her joy without a second thought.

It wasn't until Remington's arms tightened, making it impossible for her to jump around anymore, that she realized she was trapped in his familiar embrace, her nose filled with his signature woodsy scent, his heartbeat thumping in her ear.

And she was hugging him back.

In a panic, Lizetta tried to pull away, but then she remembered how Remington had saved Thaddeus, and... well, hadn't she been the one to hug him first in her excitement?

So, she froze, too embarrassed to just push him away.

Meanwhile, Remington, holding Lizetta close, brushed his chin gently against her soft hair.

Her scent filled his senses, momentarily making him forget where he was.

He felt her happiness, her gratitude.

For Thaddeus, waking up after so long must have felt like being given a second chance at life, a miracle.

While Remington was happy for him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness and longing too.

He thought, if only their Daisy could have such a miracle too.

He'd give anything for that.

"Boss... I... I'm so sorry, I'll just get out of here!"

Cedric,

ace intying a bunch of stuff,

burst into the room. Catching the et

scene, his eyes widened in shock,

Elle het

he turned to leave in

Lizetta snapped back to reality and gently pushed Remington away, whispering.

"Let me go, please."

Remington tightened his grip for a moment, as if he couldn't bear to let go, but then suddenly released her.

It was as if that moment of holding on was just an instinctive reaction.

But that brief tightening made Lizetta's heart skip a beat.

She looked up, avoiding Remington's gaze, focusing instead on his sharp nose.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Then, turning to Cedric to alleviate the awkwardness, she asked, "Cedric, what did you bring for my brother?"

Trying to divert the conversation, she approached Cedric, who hurriedly showed her the items.

"Just some nutritional stuff he might

need, though I'll have to check with the doctor if it's all okay. Plus, L brought the freshest bouquet of flowers I could find, for good luck and celebration. Let me set it up."

Lizetta smiled, "I'll do it."

She reached for the bouquet, and as Cedric handed it over, he suddenly leaned in, lowering his voice.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Ma'am, did you get the rose

Remington made for you? Between you and me, craftwork is definitely not his strong suit. He spent hours with Una trying to get it right..."