Once Nicole heard the woman's story, she asked the woman to look after newborn Austin.

This arrangement continued for years, with the woman always treating Austin as if he were her own child.

Raegan got maids for the woman, recruiting more trustworthy bodyguards for Austin. She also arranged for the woman to speak with Nicole on the phone.

Once everything was in place, Raegan shared a ride back with Judd.

Stefan had to rush off because of school commitments.

Inside the car, Raegan set up the new phone Judd had given her and put in her SIM card.

The moment it turned on, Raegan saw several missed calls from a number she recognized, which made her smile. Just as she had expected, Mitchel cared for her.

But as she checked the messages, her smile slowly disappeared.

The missed calls had all come before their midnight talk. There had been no attempt from Mitchel to reach out to her again after that.

Raegan figured Mitchel might be tied up, knowing there were days she herself was too busy to even look at her phone.

She decided to drop Mitchel a message. "I'm back."

After sending it, Raegan asked Judd to make a stop at the fresh market. She wanted to cook the dinner she missed out on making last night, planning to do it tonight.

After spending close to an hour in the supermarket, Raegan had everything she needed.

Back at home, she didn't let the kitchen staff help her. She handled everything on her own, carefully washing and prepping the food.

Once she was done with the prep, Raegan found herself reaching for her phone again. There was no message waiting for her.

A wave of disappointment washed over Raegan. It seemed Mitchel was swamped with work.

She considered calling him but worried he might be in a meeting.

Instead, she decided to call Matteo.

Matteo answered right away. “Miss Foster, how can I help you?"

“Matteo, is Mitchel busy?"