Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

“I’ll have a warm glass of milk.”

The server was on the ball and quickly brought over the warm milk.

Lucian grabbed it and handed it straight to Lizetta, “Stomach acting up just now? How come I didn’t know you had a bad stomach?”

Lizetta took the milk and sipped it. All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

With the warm milk hitting her empty stomach, she felt a lot better.

She turned to Lucian with a grin that reached her eyes, “Lucian, look at you all grown up and caring for others. When did that happen?”

Lucian was barely two years older than Lizetta and they had gone to the same school from elementary through high school.

Back in middle school Lizetta skipped a grade and they even shared a class. By high school, she became Lucian’s senior, but their relationship was always pretty rocky.

They couldn’t stand each other as kids, and Lucian often bullied Lizetta on the sly.

The ice only broke between them in the half–year before Lucian went abroad; they got closer back then because they’ve grown more mature and also due to some incidents.

The Lucian in Lizetta’s memory was self–centered and wouldn’t bother to care for anyone.

“Underestimating me, huh? I’m now a ladies‘ man with fans all over the globe. Think I haven’t changed?”

Lizetta raised an eyebrow and clinked her glass against his.

“Milk instead of booze, here’s to you, Lucian, for chasing your dreams!”

There was genuine happiness in Lizetta’s eyes, but also a touch of melancholy. Her dream of dancing was cut short four years ago.

After her affair with Remington, Hanna was so ashamed that she hardly let Lizetta step out of the house for two

years.

After she married Remington, the idea of dancing in public was even more out of the question.

Lucian smirked, ruffling Lizetta’s hair playfully.

“You can dow

too.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late.”

“Chasing dreams is never too late. Trust me, believe in Lucian.”

He downed his drink in one go, and Lizetta laughed again.

The two of them chatted away in a cozy and affectionate manner.

Remington leaned over to grab a cigarette case from the table, and leaned back lazily against the leather chair.

He licked the bottom of the case, knocking out a cigarette which he pinched elegantly between his fingers and tossing the case back on the table with a clatter that briefly stilled the atmosphere around them.

But the pair engrossed in conversation didn’t even look up.

Remington let out a cold snort; he was about to look for a lighter when Evelina, by his side, already had a flame ready, “Remi, let me.”

Remington’s cool gaze fixed on her, and from up close, the man’s stunningly handsome face was mesmerizing.

His indifferent eyes seemed to look through you, but were never really seeing you.

But the desire to conquer isn’t unique to men, and such men are fatally attractive to women.

Evelina’s heart raced, and her fingers holding the flame trembled slightly. Just when she thought Remington would refuse, he leaned in towards the light and took a deep drag.

His cheeks were hollowed slightly, sharpening the already chiseled lines of his face, making him even more strikingly handsome.

Evelina blushed: her heart was burning hot..

But in the next second, she saw Remington casually adjust his tie and turned his head slightly as he exhaled

with a look of distaste.

The exposed part of his neck revealed a deep kiss mark.

Evelina’s heart, once hot, felt doused with cold water, and her expression soured instantly.

She didn’t have to guess who left that mark, and it wasn’t there before, so they must have been passionately kissing just while they were outside?

Evelina glanced at Lizetta instinctively, who was wearing a white V–neck T–shirt with a noticeable hickey on her swan–like neck.

Evelina was close to exploding with anger and jealousy.

When Lizetta looked up, she caught the scene of Evelina lighting Remington’s cigarette; for a moment they were

so close to each other.

From her angle, it seemed like Evelina was about to kiss Remington.

The comfort Lizetta had felt in her stomach turned to discomfort again.

Their eyes met, and the man’s thin lips exhaled a swirling cloud of smoke, blurring his gaze but not hiding the faint sneer on his lips.

Lizetta looked away, out of sight, out of mind. But someone wasn’t willing to let her be.

“Ms. Gardenia, Ms. Hawthorne, why so quiet? Let’s play a game, shall we?”

It was Lulu, who had planned to wow everyone with her singing, only to be upstaged by Lizetta.

“Sure! How do we play?” Evelina chimed in eagerly.

“Let’s keep it simple, roll the dice. Whoever gets the lowest number loses. Losers drink or answer a question.”

Lizetta thought it was boring, not to say that Evelina was pregnant and couldn’t drink anyway.

She figured Evelina would decline, but to her surprise. Evelina agreed without hesitation and even threw at challenging look at Lizetta.

“Liz, you’re not chickening out, are you?”