Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1008

Liz opened the bathroom door and peered out. Remington was nowhere to be seen in the room. On the large bed, Ron lay quietly, a tiny bundle. Remington had even arranged a pile of pillows and cushions around the child to prevent him from rolling off the bed. It was clear Ron was asleep, and Remington had likely gone to another room to wash up. Feeling reassured, Liz stepped out of the bathroom. Her phone was in her purse, which was still on the sofa. She tiptoed, afraid of waking Ron. Taking her phone out, she saw several missed calls—all from Jerome, and two from Thaddeus Gardenia. Liz's eyes filled with remorse and guilt; she had been so absorbed in taking care of Ron that she had neglected everything else. Grabbing her phone, she hastily turned around, thinking she should call Thaddeus back first to see if anything had happened. Then, she switched to WhatsApp, planning to send Jerome a message to let him know she was safe. But just as she turned around, she bumped into a solid wall of muscle. The man's familiar scent of deep woods enveloped her, bringing with it an aggressive and dangerous presence. At the same time, his familiar voice sounded directly above her. "Brother? I'm right here. Who are you sending a WhatsApp message to?" The man lowered his voice. His already deep, magnetic tone sounded even huskier, brushing against her ear like sandpaper. Startled, Liz looked up. Worried he might wake Ron, she instinctively clamped her hand over his mouth. But at that same moment, Remington reached out and plucked the phone right out of her palm. He raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the WhatsApp screen. Jerome's WhatsApp background was a group photo. In the picture, four people stood on a mountain peak bathed in bright morning light. In the center were two elderly people with snow-white hair, each supported by a younger man and woman. The elderly pair gazed out at the distant, misty mountains, while the younger pair looked at each other across the elders. The morning light blurred their faces, but the soft outlines showed they were smiling. The elderly couple were, of course, Nelson Madden and Mrs. Bernice Madden, and the young man and woman were naturally Jerome and Liz. The photo was so warm that anyone who saw it would remark what a happy family they were. Remington wished he could use his gaze to gouge the photo out of the screen and rip it to shreds. He had only let her leave Zion City for four months. How could he feel like he had missed so much, allowing her to experience so many things with another man? Moreover, this "Brother" nickname on WhatsApp used to belong to him. Remington shot Liz a glance. Liz blinked, feeling a bit guilty. She had changed the nickname for Jerome when she was in Tranquil Meadows. Later, the way she addressed Jerome had changed, but she kept forgetting to update the WhatsApp contact name. Remington withdrew his gaze, his long fingers swiping across the screen to find his own contact. Perfect. Not only was he not on her special focus list, nor pinned to the top of her chats, but his contact name was just three dry words. Remington Dashiell. Remington let out a low chuckle. Even with Liz covering his mouth, the endless chill hidden within that brief laugh was unmistakable. The breath against her fingers was warm, but a shiver ran down Liz's spine. Before she could react, the man wrapped his large hand around her waist, pulling her toward the doorway and pressing her against the wall. The corner was dim, with only the cold white light from the phone illuminating the man's striking, cold profile. His brow lowered, carrying an intense, oppressive, and seductive weight. "Ms. Madden, being your boyfriend doesn't feel very secure."