Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1232

At the time, he just wanted a small keepsake.

Later, when Lizetta left Zion City, he gathered all the stray hairs from her pillow, plucked a few of his own, and tied the three of them together into a bundle. He folded it into the handkerchief and carried it with him always.

He never expected it would serve a purpose like this today.

Remington lowered his head, his gaze locked on the ultrasound scan laid out before him, little Joy's face clearly visible on the paper.

He reached out to touch it, his voice completely raw.

"Joy, you have to be alive. Mom and Dad miss you so, so much. Don't let Dad's hopes be in vain, okay?"

At the police station.

Eartha had eventually been beaten into unconsciousness, discovered by the guarding officers, and transferred to the infirmary.

When she regained consciousness, agonizing pain racked her entire body. It felt as though dense rows of nails had been hammered into her very bones.

She barely let out a groan before a freezing voice pierced the air in front of her.

"You swapped Joy out. He's alive."

The tone was terrifyingly cold and absolute.

Eartha's mind was still in a fog, her thoughts entirely scrambled.

Hearing this, shock seized her chest, and her eyes snapped open in pure reflex.

For a split second, her gaze screamed blatant disbelief, confusion, panic, and dread.

She even blurted out, "How did you..."

But as her vision cleared and she recognized she was in the police infirmary—and saw Remington standing just a few feet away, glaring down at her with lethal intent—all her memories came rushing back.

Her expression immediately stiffened, and her words died in her throat.

"Mr. Dashiell truly is resourceful. Cough, cough... To beat me half to death and still stroll into a police station like you own the place."

Eartha sneered in mockery.

She refused to cave easily, convinced that Remington wasn't completely sure yet and was only bluffing.

She knew perfectly well that bait had to be reeled out bit by bit to maximize its leverage.

Besides, she needed to stall for time.

Remington took a step closer, a dark curve pulling at his lips.

"Is that so? Because the DNA results have already told me the truth."

Eartha froze. "Wasn't that child cremated and buried ages ago?"

Even though Remington was already highly certain, hearing Eartha say that still made his chest tighten painfully.

Eartha had called him 'that child'. If the dead infant was truly Joy, she wouldn't have used 'that child' to refer to him; she would have just said Joy.

Remington let out a long, slow breath, his clenched fists uncurling as if a colossal weight had been lifted off his shoulders.