“Really?” Janey's excitement was evident, her face beaming with joy as she looked back at Raegan. “Mommy, is it okay if Daddy Mitchel takes me to school?"

Raegan, not wanting to upset Janey, gave a hesitant nod of approval.

“Woo hoo! Daddy, my mommy said yes!" Janey exclaimed Mitchel locked eyes with Raegan and, with a smile, said, "Dad's also happy."

While Janey was looking elsewhere, Raegan gave Mitchel a look. After everything she had said to him yesterday, he acted as if nothing had happened. Worse, he proposed driving Janey to and from school, well aware that she couldn't bring herself to decline him in front of Janey. He was clearly doing this on purpose.

The car door swung open, and before Raegan knew it, she was ushered into the backseat by Janey.

Raegan and Mitchel flanked Janey. Mitchel had decked out the car with everything a child would need, including a car safety seat designed for little ones.

Throughout the ride, Janey and Mitchel filled the air with laughter, sharing stories from the past that kept boredom at bay.

After a teacher welcomed Janey into her kindergarten class, Raegan's facade of amusement faded, and she turned to Mitchel with a frosty question. “Mitchel, what's your angle?"

Her cold inquiry made his heart stumble, yet he managed to steady his voice. "Raegan, Janey is also my daughter. I've missed too much of her life. I can't let her grow up without me anymore."

Raegan sensed an intrusion looming over their lives, her irritation boiling over. “Mitchel, can't you see? We've managed without you. We always will."

Mitchel's complexion went ashen as her words cut deep. Nonetheless, he masked his hurt, his voice strained. "Raegan, you might not need me, but have you thought about Janey? Don't you think she needs me?"

Mitchel's words struck a chord. Raegan knew Janey was not just innocent but deeply sensitive. Despite overcoming her childhood introversion, Janey's psychologist had once advised that a father figure could play a crucial role in her emotional development.

Noticing Raegan's uncertainty, Mitchel gently persisted, "Raegan, I won't fight with you over Janey's custody. I'm her dad, and I mean her no harm. I just want her to experience the love of a father.”

His plea was soft and earnest. "Please, let me be a part of her life."

Raegan was torn. Mitchel was right. She couldn't make such a decision for Janey. Mitchel was, after all, her biological father. And he had shown nothing but love for Janey, even when he remained oblivious to Janey being his biological daughter. If Mitchel's presence could bring any joy or improvement to Janey's life, denying him that chance seemed unjust.

Raegan took a moment to consider and then laid out her conditions.

“You can see Janey, but there are going to be rules.”

Mitchel's face lit up with hope. “Whatever you say, I'll follow."

“The first rule is you can't tell anyone Janey is your daughter."

Raegan's stance was firm, borne out of a protective instinct. The Dixon family had always disliked her, and the news of Janey being Mitchel's biological daughter could either be a boon or a bane.