Shattered Illusions Love Lies and Redemption (Lizetta and Remington) novel Chapter 1043

Remington's grip on his phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. The person having lunch with Jerome Madden wasn't Lizetta at all. Then who on earth was she eating with? And why wasn't she answering her phone? A sudden, inexplicable wave of panic washed over him. He dialed her number again. Meanwhile, Lizetta had already driven the sports car out of the residential area. The road leaving the Belmont Estate was an incredibly long downhill stretch. As she drove, the cool wind blew against her burning cheeks, bringing a stinging, numb sensation. She rolled the convertible's roof up. Just then, her phone rang. Lizetta went to slow down to answer it, but a sudden realization hit her—something was horribly wrong. The brakes had completely failed. There was no sign of deceleration; in fact, the car was gaining speed rapidly due to the steep descent. A chill gripped Lizetta's heart, and a cold sweat broke out down her spine. She immediately yanked the electronic parking brake to trigger the emergency stop protocol, but it was completely useless. Lizetta hit the hazard lights and steered toward the edge of the road, her eyes frantically scanning her surroundings. The phone stopped ringing for a brief second, only to start blaring again. Following an instinctive urge, Lizetta gripped the steering wheel with one hand and quickly swiped the screen to answer. She realized that if she were truly about to die, the one person she desperately wanted to contact, the voice she yearned to hear most, was still his. The moment the call connected, the man's teasing, magnetic voice came through the speaker. "My dearest girlfriend, you're not playing by the rules. I'll give you one more chance to report your itinerary." Hearing that familiar, deep voice, all the fear Lizetta had been holding back suddenly surged to the surface. Just a moment ago, she hadn't been that afraid of dying, but now, she was utterly terrified. She had only just reconciled with him; she didn't want to be torn apart like this. "Remi, I..." Lizetta started, only to realize her voice was already choking with sobs. The car was entirely out of control. It could collide, flip, or explode at any second. The playful smile on Remington's face vanished the instant he heard her broken voice. He gripped his phone tightly, instantly knowing something was wrong. Breaking into a sprint toward the parking lot, he demanded, "Lizetta, what happened? Don't be afraid. Tell me." His voice possessed a natural, grounding quality that worked like magic on her. Lizetta took a deep breath, slowly forcing herself to calm down. "I just left Conrad West's Belmont Estate. The brakes failed." Dead silence reigned on the other end for two or three agonizing seconds before Remington's deep, steady voice returned. "Stay calm, Lizetta. Share your location with me right now. It's going to be okay. I'm here. We'll fix this together. Nothing is going to happen to you. Trust me." Remington repeated those words over and over, partly to soothe Lizetta, but mostly to convince himself. His voice remained unwavering as he slid into his own car, flooring the gas pedal and speeding toward the Belmont area. His expression was a mask of cold composure, but the bulging veins on the hands gripping the steering wheel betrayed the violent turmoil within. "Okay," Lizetta replied, her voice hoarse but steady. She quickly shared her live location with him. "Good girl. You're doing great," Remington praised softly. He immediately opened the GPS tracker, confirming her exact coordinates. His brilliant mind rapidly calculated her estimated speed, the upcoming hazards, and the best possible escape route. "Listen to me, Lizetta. There's an intersection coming up. Take the east turn and head straight for the outskirts." "Got it." Right as she agreed, the intersection appeared. Without hesitation, Lizetta followed his instructions, wrenching the wheel and rocketing toward the eastern suburbs.