Raegan was trying to convince herself that her persistence had merit.
“I have already given you the truth.” His response was measured, crushing Raegan’s hopes. “But you only accept the words that fit your beliefs. Continue to deceive yourself if you must.”
Mitchel picked up his jacket from the edge of the sofa and began to put it on. As he was about to leave, he paused and turned to Look at her. “Besides, self-deception is a sort of illness. I recommend you consult a competent psychologist.”
Raegan’s face turned ashen, her heart felt as though it was being ripped apart, the pain seeping deep into her bones. He was leaving his own office because she was here.
Raegan clenched her fists, unable to suppress her question. “If your feelings are as fleeting as you claim, then why did you risk your life for me by driving that explosives-laden car without a second thought?”
Raegan fixed Mitchel with a stern look, emotion trembling in her voice. “Why would you take a knife for me up on that mountain? And jump with me into that chasm during the landslide? Weren’t you ready to die alongside me then?” Her voice broke as he walked away. “If not love, what do you call this? What on earth could it be?”
At that moment, Raegan seemed wild with passion, and she was indifferent to it. If Mitchel hadn’t repeatedly been her savior, valuing her well-being above his own, would she have found the strength to look at him now after he had turned her away?
Silence fell heavy in the room.
Mitchel broke the stillness at last, his tone weighed down with sorrow. “Once, I was driven to win your admiration, but now…”
Without regard for the color draining from Raegan’s face, Mitchel stated coldly, “That’s no longer the case.”
His dismissive words negated all that he had expressed before.
“Pestering only leads to annoyance. It’s best if you just leave me alone.” Mitchel didn’t linger for her response and walked out of the lounge. The door closed with a resounding thud.
Raegan curled up on the couch in the vast space of the lounge, feeling forsaken. He had departed with no backward glance, indifferent to her safety as she would have to make her way home alone. A chill settled in her heart as she realized he no longer held any affection for her.
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After some time, Raegan descended the stairs. Her entry point had been the underground garage. It stood as her sole pathway out now.
The vehicle that had brought Raegan here had long gone, and she had no choice but to walk toward the garage’s exit by herself.
As darkness enveloped her, the heavens opened, soaking her through.
Raegan stepped out into the torrential rain, unprotected and without an umbrella. She had not thought to arrange for a ride home. As Raegan moved through the rain, it felt like icy blades were piercing her shoes, making her shiver uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a barrage of angry honks broke the quiet.
Raegan tried to dodge out of the way, but her feet betrayed her, causing her to fall forward. Desperate, she thrust out her elbows to cushion the fall, but the ruthless gravel below tore at her skin, sending sharp pains shooting through her.
The driver of the car behind her lowered his window, yelling, “Are you blind? Think this road belongs to you?”
Raegan had been on the crosswalk, yet now the hurried driver seemed intent on blaming her. A deep pain in her belly sapped her will to respond. She held her stomach and sank down into a flower bed beside the road.
In the distance, beneath the cover of a camphor tree, stood Mitchel, imposing in his neat suit, shielded from the rain by an aide with an umbrella.
Mitchel’s eyes turned into narrow beams, ablaze with anger. “I want every detail on that car,” he commanded. “The driver ignored pedestrian rights, crossed on red, and was on the phone while driving. Penalize him for every infraction and fine him heavily. No mercy.”
“Understood, sir.” The new assistant, stepping in for the well-known Matteo, gave a compliant nod. He promptly pulled out his phone, taking notes with serious focus.