"It''s not like that!" Lizetta pressed herself closer into Remington''s embrace; her small face nuzzled


    against his chest as she continued. "I''m a selfish person, Rem. All I want is for you to always take care


    of yourself! And isn''t that what everyone should do anyway? How could that be wrong?


    I also believe that if Ste had a better shot at escaping that day, you would''ve given her that chance


    without a second thought, right?"


    Lizetta sniffed, while tightening her arms around Remington''s waist.


    "I don''t care about anything else; if you hadn''t escaped back then, I wouldn''t have you with me now!


    And that''s just not eptable!" Listening to Lizetta''s somewhat childish reasoning, Remington felt a


    deep stir within him.


    When he was found and brought back, the West family, of course, said nothing.


    Even if they didn''t me him out loud, they did in their hearts.


    Even his father, Nathan, felt guilty towards the West family, probably thinking he, as a boy, should not


    have left Ste behind.


    As for his mother, Hanna, who loved Ste as if she were her own daughter, probably wished it was


    Ste who hade back, not him.


    And Fiona, standing in such a position, couldn''t voice such selfish thoughts to defend him either.


    So, after all these years, it was the first time someone told him he did nothing wrong.


    He should have saved himself.


    "Alright, I get it," Remington said softly, his chin gently brushing the top of Lizetta''s soft hair.


    Lizetta''s eyes were rimmed with red. Despite her words, the thought of that dreadful situation still


    weighed heavily on her heart.


    The desperate kidnappers, the girl with a severed thumb, Ste not receiving timely medical help.


    After all these years of searching with no sign of her, the odds were grim.


    No wonder Barbara cried herself blind.


    "Four months ago, I found Eileen, who was missing her right thumb and had lost her memory. Her


    appearance and age were so simr to Ste''s. She was the closest I''ve evere to finding Ste; I


    was so hopeful, and I immediately called Quinn.


    Quinn rushed over, but got into a car ident from driving while exhausted. He held on just long


    enough in the hospital to hear the DNA results, but I had found the wrong person, and just like that,


    another life from the West family was lost.


    Quinn didn''t find his sister. He didn''t want his mom to carry this regret to her grave, so he asked me to


    bring Eileen back. If Barbara couldn''t hold on, we would tell her we found Ste, even if it was a lie. You


    know the rest."


    These were the burdens that weighed heaviest on Remington''s heart.


    Too heavy.


    Remington had never wanted to share these deep, painful secrets with anyone. Revealing them was


    like reopening wounds every time.


    He especially didn''t want to burden Lizetta, to have her carry this weight with him.


    That wasn''t her burden to bear.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Barbara''s health was failing, and he had nned to wait until Barbara had passed for Eileen to leave.


    He hadn''t seen the need to tell Lizetta any of this, but he hadn''t anticipated Lizetta discovering Eileen


    and forming her own conclusions.


    "Do you still me me?" Remington asked quietly, his gaze falling on Lizetta.