Click! Then, he locked the door.

Raegan, trapped, chose not to face him, sitting with her back to him, blood and tears marking her once serene face.

Yet, she clung to the remnants of her dignity.

Then, Raegan heard Mitchel's voice, tense with frustration, from behind her, “Why are you so determined to save Henley? Don't you remember who you are? You're a married woman now."

Upon his words, Raegan trembled and burst into tears.

At that moment, she felt reduced to nothing more than an object at Mitchel's disposal, valued only for her utility.

Mitchel, relenting, turned her around and dressed her in a black shirt, meticulously fastening each button.

As Mitchel fastened the last few buttons, his grip suddenly tightened.

He spoke coldly. “Have I been too lenient with you, or do you prefer being treated this way?"

Raegan's face was a mask of indifference at his words.

The man before her felt like a stranger, and her heart sank in disappointment.

In the distance, the sound of sirens filled the air as fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene.

Raegan felt a wave of relief at the sight.

She responded with a detached tone, "If that's how you see me, perhaps it's time to end our agreement prematurely."

Their mutual disdain seemed reason enough to sever ties.

"End our agreement?" Mitchel's voice was laced with a dark tone.

The scene of Henley and Raegan together in the car moments earlier flashed through Mitchel's mind. Gripping her chin forcefully, he spat out, “Who do you think you are to speak to me Like that?"

His face and tone dripped with arrogance and disdain.

Raegan, struggling to breathe, clutched the hem of the shirt.

Pain overwhelmed her, a deep, pervasive ache that felt unbearable.