Alexis, smug in his supposed ascendancy, didn't bother to mask his scorn, declaring, "My biggest regret is having you."

Each word from Alexis pierced Mitchel deeply.

Despite his stoic exterior, Mitchel had once harbored hopes for familial warmth and unity. Yet, the aspiration had been shattered time and again, culminating in the day's revelations.

Even his mother, for whom Mitchel had always stood up, sided against him when it mattered most.

The longing for parental love, once a beacon of hope, had been utterly extinguished, leaving Mitchel to confront the reality that his expectations were perhaps too lofty.

"Ah!" Suddenly, Raegan's cry of pain snapped Mitchel out of his reverie, prompting him to approach her quickly.

“What happened? Are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Raegan jumped, not expecting to see Mitchel awake. "Oh, you're awake?"

Raegan had accidentally burned herself a little when the clay pot boiled over as she was adjusting it.

Noticing her burned fingers, Mitchel quickly turned off the stove and led her to the sink to cool the burn with running water.

Then, he easily found some ointment for burns and began applying it to her hand.

Raegan tried to wave him off. "It's fine. A bit of ice is all I need."

Mitchel fetched some ice, carefully pressing it against her fingers, offering relief from the burn. "Silly girl, why are you cooking at this hour?" he teased.

"I thought you'd like something warm to eat when you woke up,"

Raegan explained.

Mitchel froze, his features softening as he looked at Raegan with bubbling affection. When Raegan was hurt, she was truly heartbroken, but when she loved, she held nothing back.

The warmth in Mitchel's gaze grew. The simple dreams he once had seemed to come alive at that moment.

He moved closer, his voice low and warm. "But right now, I'd rather ‘devour' you first."

Before Raegan could fully grasp his words, she felt his lips on hers once more.

Cold... That was the ice cube! Mitchel popped an ice cube into his mouth before kissing her.