Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1416

Stella's words successfully threw another wrench into the gears.

She hammered home the point that her kidnapping wasn't completely unrelated to Remington—she was taken because of him.

She also played up the angle that he had been her sole emotional anchor all those years of suffering.

Painting herself as a tragically devoted victim was the oldest trick in the book for farming sympathy.

"What does she mean? Was Ms. West kidnapped because of Mr. Dashiell?"

A reporter immediately caught the scent of fresh blood and shoved a microphone in Stella's face.

Through theatrical sobs, Stella wailed, "Yes! The kidnappers only wanted Remington. They took me by mistake because I was wearing his coat! I shouldn't be saying this, but my dad is the only family I have left! I can't watch him suffer because he thought he was protecting me. For years, I couldn't be a good daughter, and my parents broke their hearts searching for me. My brother... my brother died in a car crash on his way to look for me because he got a call from Remington! I'm a curse on my family! I can't ruin my dad too..."

Stella put on a masterful performance of filial piety, acting as if she were sacrificing all her dignity just to save Martin.

Yet, she casually fed the media the explosive detail that Quentin West's death was also tied to Remington.

Lizetta stared at Stella, her brows knitting tightly together. This woman was like a leech—impossible to shake off.

Absolutely disgusting.

But something bothered Lizetta. The bond between Martin and Stella had never seemed particularly strong.

Given Stella's incredibly selfish nature, why was she genuinely breaking her back to save Martin?

Normally, with the West family empire crumbling, a person like Stella would be frantically grabbing whatever money and assets she could before the ship sank.

Lizetta felt a headache forming amid her confusion. Some things just couldn't be logically explained to the public.

There would always be self-righteous moral police eager to pass judgment.

But when she met a gaze that looked at her with the utter disdain one reserves for an insect, an icy chill shot up her spine.

Before she could process the meaning behind his look, Remington spoke directly to the cameras.

"It's not the truth."

Stella frowned. These were undeniable facts. The police files from the kidnapping were still on record. Remington denying this would easily be proven a lie.

Why would he say that? Stella sensed something was horribly wrong, but she kept crying.

"I'm not lying! I swear I'm not lying! If you don't believe me, go ask the police! The records from the case are all there..."

Remington cut her off smoothly. "Oh? But the mastermind behind the kidnapping was someone else entirely. The case is currently being retried, and Martin West is the prime suspect. Since you and your father have such a deep, unbreakable bond... did he really forget to mention that to you?"