“Explain to me why you, as a husband, left your pregnant wife alone at home," Mitchel demanded with fury blazing in his eyes. “You better give me a damn good reason, a reason that might just save your sorry life!"

Stefan could only stand there, speechless, consumed by self-blame. It was his fault entirely. His negligence led Raegan to eat improperly, and it hastened her labor by at least ten days. If only he had been more vigilant, perhaps this crisis could have been averted, postponed at the very least.

Stefan wanted to lash out at himself, to punish himself for his incompetence, far more than Mitchel ever could.

But as Stefan remained silent, Mitchel's patience wore thin, and blows rained down upon Stefan's face and body, one after another.

Unable to stand idly by, Erick stepped forward to desperately plead with Mitchel, “Mitchel, please, calm down!"

Admitting the truth about their fabricated marriage was out of the question. Stefan hadn't spent a single night alone with Raegan.

But Mitchel brushed Erick off with a cold glare. “What? Are you going to defend this man who clearly doesn't give a damn about your sister?"

“No, it's not like that..." Erick stuttered. He struggled to find the right words. He wanted to explain that Stefan wasn't to blame. Stefan wasn't truly Raegan's husband and had no obligation to be by her side.

With a frigid tone, Mitchel dismissed his attempts to intervene.

"Then stay out of it. I won't hesitate to beat you down with him!"

Erick felt a lump form in his throat.

As Mitchel raised his fist once more, Erick could no longer keep silent. "Stop! It's not Stefan's fault. He never even stayed a single night with Raegan!"

At last, Erick revealed the truth.

Mitchel's fist froze in midair, mere inches from Stefan's face.

With a gentle grip on Mitchel's hand, Erick leaned in, as he delivered the whole story.

For what felt like an eternity, Mitchel stood motionless, absorbing the theory. The weight of it all demanded contemplation, and he stood in silence, lost in thought.

Erick, sensing his turmoil, ventured, “Raegan didn't tell you. Maybe she had her reasons. For now, let's play along. When she's ready, she'll share."

Slowly rising from the floor, Stefan, his face marred with bruises, acknowledged his own culpability in Raegan's plight. “I bear responsibility for Raegan's predicament," he confessed, bracing himself for another barrage of fists.

"Now that the truth is out, let's settle this with fairness. I love Raegan, and I won't surrender without a fight." Stefan refused to compromise on his love for Raegan, no matter the cost.

As Stefan journeyed to the hospital, he felt as though his very soul was hovering away in the wind. Raegan had become intertwined with his being. Her every move made him anxious.