Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

"Are you trying to tell me you tipped off Cassius?"

The moment Remington showed up, Yolanda was whisked away by Cassius, and now Lizetta couldn't help but suspect every man in sight.

With a click of his tongue, Remington flicked Lizetta's forehead lightly.

"Have you lost your marbles? If I had known Yolanda was here on a blind date, why would I have been in such a hurry earlier?"

Right, he had no idea Yolanda was here. How could he have possibly tipped off Cassius?

Lizetta realized her thoughts were becoming muddled in her panic.

"Sorry..."

She said, frowning almost instinctively.

But before she could finish, the light dimmed as a gentle breeze passed by - it was Remington leaning in, his breath a whisper before his lips grazed hers, nibbling lightly in a fleeting kiss.

Straightening up, Remington left Lizetta to snap out of her stunned state.

Annoyed, she glared at Remington. "Really? Now's the time for this?"

Remington just smirked, a smug look on his handsome face. "A comfort kiss."

Lizetta rolled her eyes. His excuses for kissing her were endless.

"Don't worry. Even if Cassius took Yolanda, it's nothing serious. Just some lovebirds' affair. Why the fuss?"

Remington, trying to avoid getting her more ruffled and secretly hoping for another kiss, tried to soothe her.

But Lizetta's worry lines deepened. "But what if it wasn't Cassius who took Yoli?"

Remington had a point. Even if Cassius was a bit of a player, having been friends with Remington for years, he probably wouldn't harm a woman.

If Cassius had indeed taken Yolanda, she was probably safe.

But what if that wasn't the case?

Lizetta hadn't forgotten their recent fallout with Margaret - a woman who seemed petty, vindictive, and cruel.

Being friends with Stella, she was no angel either.

"Broad daylight, in a busy restaurant, no one would dare seek revenge here. Calm down for now."

Remington ruffled Lizetta's hair, his heart going out to her anxious look, yet he couldn't help but wonder would she worry about him the same way if he were in danger?

Oblivious to Remington's baseless jealousy, Lizetta speculated.

"Could it be that Timothy also saw Yoli and sent Cassius a photo? I should ask him."

As Lizetta reached for her phone to call Timothy, Remington swiftly took it from

her.

"No need for that. Let's check the surveillance footage. It'll be quicker."

Lizetta nodded, trusting Remington's presence would ensure they weren't brushed

off by the restaurant staff or denied access to the footage.

Sure enough, after a brief call from Remington, they were not only led to the surveillance room but also offered warm tea. The footage from when they entered the restaurant was already queued up.

On the screen, Yolanda could be seen walking into the restroom and then re- emerging a few minutes later, fixing her hair.

Just as she neared the main hall, a door to one of the private rooms swung open, and a clearly masculine arm reached out, snatching Yolanda by the waist and pulling her side in the blink of an eye.

Lizetta gasped, but before she could say anything, Remington sternly asked the manager standing by.

"Who was in that room? Are they still here?"noveldrama

"Mr. Dashiell, that room was booked by a film crew, and they left about ten minutes ago. There were quite a few of them, I'd need to check who exactly was there..."

As the manager turned to leave, Remington asked.

"Was Cassius among them?"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Sterling did leave with a lady in tow."

Remington turned to Lizetta, raising an eyebrow. "Do we need to keep watching, or are you satisfied?"