Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

In the lobby, a middle-aged man curiously glanced at Cedric, who stumbled out of the elevator. His gaze then shifted to the imposing man inside the elevator, cloaked in an aura of cold hostility. Intimidated by the sight, he hesitated to step inside.

As the elevator doors closed again, Cedric rubbed his backside, offering an awkward smile towards the bystander. He was about to say something when a commanding voice echoed from behind him. "Cedric? What are you doing here?"

Turning around, Cedric found himself face to face with Nathan Dashiell and Mr. Dashiell.

Shirley Dashiell had been brought to the family chapel by Ray and others, forced to kneel in penance. Although she hadn't managed the full twelve hours, her knees had swollen badly. The next day, she was carried out, and soon after, she developed a high fever and was now admitted to the Dashiell family hospital.

Nathan had come to visit Shirley, having just offered an apology on behalf of Remington to Mr. Dashiell and the family.

"Good to see you, Chairman Dashiell. I... I have a relative being treated here, just came to visit them. I was about to leave."

Cedric carefully avoided mentioning Lizetta or Remington.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

He was aware of the strained relationship between Nathan and Lizetta, and with Hanna Evert Dashiell still not brought back home, Nathan's displeasure was evident.

Cedric feared that mentioning Lizetta, especially in Mr. Dashiell's presence, could spark further conflict. After all, Mr. Dashiell, Shirley's father, had his own grievances against Lizetta.

Nathan gave a slight nod, and Cedric quickly added, "If there's nothing else you need, Chairman Dashiell, I'll be on my way."

With a dismissive gesture from Nathan, Cedric left, and Nathan was escorted into the elevator by Mr. Dashiell.

Back in the hospital room, Mr. Dashiell, Ethan Dashiell, mentioned his brief encounter with Cedric to Mrs. Dashiell, who immediately expressed her frustration.

"Cedric is here to visit someone and didn't even bother to check on our Shirley. After all she's been through, his indifference just shows how heartless he really is."

Hearing this, Shirley burst into tears again.

"Remi used to be so good to me, it's all Lizetta's fault! Ever since she came, Remi stopped caring for me!"

Shirley remembered how Remington used to dote on her, his cousin, defending her from any harm. She was the cherished young lady of the Dashiell family, the apple of Remington's eye.

But then Lizetta arrived, winning

over everyone with her pretense of innocence and charm. Even Shirley's grandmother was swayed by her, leaving Shirley feeling abandoned and resentful.

The more Shirley thought about it, the angrier she became, her swollen knees throbbing with pain.

"It doesn't make sense, though," Shirley mused bitterly. "Cedric's supposed to be Remi's right-hand man, and it's a workday. Why would he be here by himself? I remember hearing that Lizetta's brother was staying in our family hospital. Could it be that Lizetta herself has come here?"

Alerted by Shirley's suspicion, Mrs. Dashiell stood up decisively. "I'll find out."

It didn't take long for Mrs. Dashiell to confirm that Remington indeed had accompanied Lizetta to the hospital.

Just as Lizetta had finished wiping Thaddeus's face with a basin of water, Mrs. Dashiell, flanked by two servants, approached with clear hostility.

Lizetta, sensing the tension, placed

the towel back into the basin, intending to carry it to the bathroom. “Let's talk outside, Mrs. Dashiell," she suggested calmly, aiming to dispose of the water without disturbing Thaddeus's rest.

However, Mrs. Dashiell, with her servants in tow, blocked Lizetta's path, and with a forceful slap, she hit the basin Lizetta was holding, causing water to splash all over the floor.