Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Early in the morning, when Liz found out that Mr. Winters had gone to Glory Media to deliver a contract, she quickly had all the information gathered and sent out a whistleblower email.

Now, with Mr. Winters suspended and under investigation, she felt like she had successfully rooted out a mole for the Starlight Group.

Remington really owed her one.

Sometimes, it's like the universe is listening; just as Liz was thinking about Remington, her phone buzzed with a new message.

She picked it up to see a WhatsApp message from Remington himself.

Opening it, Liz was surprised to find a selfie from him.

In the photo, he was in the backseat of a car, sunlight streaming through the window, his shirt slightly unbuttoned to reveal a distinct collarbone.

A ray of sunlight, carrying both light and shadow, brushed right past the edge of his sharp Adam's apple, nestling in the hollow of his neck.

The man's handsome face was relaxed and content, his eyebrows stretched, and his profile was resting against the big head of a creamy teddy bear.

His deep eyes stared at the screen, perhaps influenced by the dark, dull eyes beside him, losing their usual deep and sharp look, and instead, there was a hint of a pitiful shine.

And soon after, he texted her.

[Just a heads-up, Ms. Madden, you've left me and it behind. Feeling wronged.jpg]

He even attached a crying cat emoji.

Liz couldn't help but smile as she read his text and glanced back at the photo, her lips curving up.

She quickly typed a reply.

[Mr. Dashiell, men in their thirties shouldn't be acting cute.]

His response came almost instantly, as if he had been waiting by his phone.

[I'm not acting cute!]

Liz raised an eyebrow, about to reply, when she saw his follow-up.

[I'm just being affectionate.]

If it weren't for the fact that she had personally unblocked him on WhatsApp, she might have doubted this was really Remington.

She fought to keep her smile in check.

[Men in their thirties shouldn't be whining either!]

[I'm not yet thirty, and besides, Grandma taught me...]

He left his sentence hanging, and Liz was curious.

What had Fiona Dashiell taught him?

Could it be some secret tips on wooing a wife?

Driven by curiosity, even though she could I tell he was baiting her into

askine

she slowly typed a

mark. noeine

[Grandma said, a man who whines is a man who's loved, and they lead the best lives.]

Liz couldn't help but laugh softly; that did sound like something Fiona Dashiell would say.

She pressed her lips together to suppress her smile before replying.

[Such a good grandson.]

In the

Remingseat of a Bentley,

lay lazily against a soft

teddy bear, the scattered documents on his lap no longer of any interest.

His long fingers tapped on his phone,

finding the typing indicator

as ng for her reply, almost

Seeing Liz's intentionally brief praise, Remington let out a few amused huffs of dissatisfaction.

The little brat was getting cheekier by the day, not taking her "big brother" seriously anymore.

But this light and cheerful atmosphere was truly nostalgic. Remington silently noted this moment in his heart, replying with a smile.noveldrama

[I'll pick you up for lunch, we can eat together, and I'll bring it along.]

He watched the chat eagerly, but Liz's rejection was blunt.

[I'm busy at noon. Keep the bear, it seems to match you quite well.] Remington turned to glance at the silly bear, his face full of distaste.

A lunch he couldn't secure, a bear of no use - how did it match him at all!