Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1420

Lizetta had heard Remington mention this theory before, but to have it confirmed as the absolute truth was chilling.

She drew in a sharp breath. "He actually sacrificed his own daughter just to clear his name?"

Remington shook his head. "No. Stella's kidnapping was a genuine accident. Martin never anticipated that Stella would wear my coat that day. The kidnappers snatched her, thinking she was me. When they realized they had the wrong kid, they panicked and came back to grab me to fix their mistake. They had no idea the girl they accidentally took was their boss's daughter. By the time Martin realized his daughter was missing, it was too late to stop it."

Nelson let out a dark scoff. "Karma at its finest. It's just a shame the child had to pay the price."

"But then what?" Lizetta asked. "When he realized Stella was gone, why didn't he just contact the kidnappers and get her back immediately?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how foolish the question was.

The news of both children being abducted had already exploded. The police and the Dashiell family were already hunting them down.

If Stella suddenly returned unharmed, it would be a flashing neon sign proving Martin had orchestrated the whole thing.

"To avoid suspicion, Martin was forced to play along. He probably intended to wait for the heat to die down and invent a believable rescue story to bring her back safely. But he was too arrogant. He thought he controlled the board, but he vastly underestimated the Dashiell family and the police. The kidnappers were hunted like animals. Paranoia set in, they turned on each other, and the situation completely spiraled out of Martin's control. By the time he finally tried to secure her release, they had gone totally off the grid."

"Then Stella..."

Lizetta curled her fingers tightly, already anticipating the horrific conclusion.

A heavy veil of sorrow passed through Remington's eyes.

"Back then, the police, the Dashiells, and the Wests were all searching the mountains. But Martin had a direct line to the kidnapper, so his men found her first. Without proper medical treatment for her amputated finger, Stella had developed a severe infection and a lethal fever. In those harsh conditions, she didn't survive long enough for Martin to reach her. Knowing Martin would butcher him, the kidnapper tried to flee, but he didn't make it far. The autopsy confirmed he was beaten to death. Martin buried both of them deep in the mountains and wiped the site clean, burying the truth for years."

As Remington finished, even Nelson—a man who had lived through decades of ruthless corporate warfare—was visibly disturbed by the sheer depravity of Martin's actions.

"He did all of that... just to chain you to the West family for the rest of your life," Nelson said grimly.

Lizetta leaned over, wrapping her arms securely around Remington.

As the saying goes, a clean break is always better than a lingering nightmare.