"What?" Raegan wondered if she had misheard, or if he was merely joking. Such a statement seemed absurd! To kidnap the bride at the Clifford family's wedding feast was surely not normal behavior.

"Mitchel, stop joking. I need to go back..." An oppressive aura seemed to radiate from Mitchel, almost choking Raegan. At that moment, she didn't want to provoke him, but she also couldn't let his irrational behavior continue. "You can go back. I'll tell Stefan to let you leave."

Only invited guests were permitted at the wedding venue.

Following Lorenzo's death, the two major families in Aurora had fortified their defenses, wary of provoking the formidable power from Ardlens, akin to a sovereign nation. This strategy rested on the principle that they would not initiate conflict unless foreign forces encroached on their territory.

Indeed, the strength of Ardlens was unmatched, and they avoided conflicts unless absolutely necessary. But any foreign trespass on their lands would not be overlooked lightly, otherwise, Aurora might be ridiculed as a place unable to defend its own borders.

Thus, Raegan was deeply concerned about Mitchel since his uninvited presence constituted trespassing. If he were caught, it would surely cause a lot of trouble.

She glanced at the wound on his arm, still oozing blood, and felt a surge of sympathy. Unwrapping the gauze from her own arm, she offered, "Your arm is bleeding. Would you like me to dress the wound?"

Mitchel stayed silent, his deep gaze fixed on her.

Feeling her heart twinge with empathy and having already expressed her concern, Raegan decided to proceed and dress his wound.

“Let me help bandage it, okay? Once it's done, you can go back." She spoke in a soothing tone, hoping to coax him into agreement. When he didn't object, she took it as his consent.

Carefully, she rolled up his sleeve and dabbed gently at the blood before wrapping it neatly.

In the cramped space of the car, Raegan's expansive wedding gown pressed almost against Mitchel.

She focused on bandaging his arm, making a loop and tying a graceful bow. After bandaging him, she noticed his arm seemed thinner than before. Had he not fully recovered, leaving himself in such a frail state?

Despite her growing sympathy, Raegan was aware of the urgency. She needed to return before her absence was discovered, to avoid causing any commotion.

Raegan intended to withdraw her hand, but was suddenly pulled back into a tight embrace by Mitchel. Her heart raced, panic mingling with confusion in his hold.

Yet, the embrace felt as warm and solid as it had been previously.

Mitchel's familiar cool scent enveloped her, instilling a sense of safety and calm.

For a brief moment, Raegan was transported back to their sweetest, most affectionate times. Back when there were no interferences from Lauren, Katie, or Henley. Just the two of them, reluctant to part on those mornings before work.

In that instant, Raegan felt a longing to surrender to the moment, to lose herself in his embrace. She pushed aside thoughts of curses, destinies, or past injuries, choosing instead to savor this hard-won embrace. "Just five minutes," she told herself, permitting herself this brief indulgence. After that, reality would reclaim them both.

Silence filled the car.