Raegan's heart skipped a beat at his words. Was it not what she had believed? Were they not in a relationship, after all?

“I wasn't asking too much," Raegan responded. “It just seemed Like you didn't care much about her."

Mitchel replied calmly, “She has family, friends, and will eventually have men who care for her. Why should I concern myself with her? We don't have any special relationship."

With such a straightforward response, Raegan realized she would be foolish not to grasp his meaning. Suddenly, her thoughts were in turmoil. It turned out she had completely misinterpreted the situation between Eloise and Mitchel.

Mitchel then looked at her and said, “If you want to know something, just ask me directly. No need to beat around the bush."

Raegan found herself speechless. She reviewed her earlier questions.

Had her curiosity been that transparent? Upon reflection, her inquiries had indeed been quite pointed. Her eagerness to understand the nature of Mitchel and Eloise's relationship had led her to steer the conversation in that direction, without realizing it.

Recognizing this made Raegan feel suddenly numb. The reason for her intense curiosity. Could it be that..

Raegan hesitated, fearing that delving deeper might draw her into emotions she couldn't escape. A wave of panic washed over her. Her face clearly showed her distress. After all, she had chosen to keep her distance from Mitchel. What was she doing now? Her unconscious reaction made her realize she truly couldn't get close to Mitchel. At any moment, her deepest thoughts might be revealed.

"I don't have anything I want to know," Raegan stubbornly insisted.

Then she told him, "I'll turn the corner up ahead. You can head back. I'm leaving first."

Having said that, she didn't give him a chance to respond and fled as if to escape. She feared that staying any longer would make her innermost feelings increasingly apparent. Especially just now, when he mentioned he and Eloise didn't share a special relationship, she felt her heartbeat accelerate. This was dangerous! She had only just recovered from a wave of self-reproach. She really didn't want to fall back into those feelings.

The next day, Raegan was ready to be discharged from the hospital and return to the villa.

When leaving, she avoided saying goodbye to Mitchel. She consoled herself that avoiding him would help suppress the budding thoughts in her heart.

She told herself she was so easily moved because of his condition.

His disability somehow amplified his melancholic aura. That was why she couldn't control her emotions, feeling either sympathy or pity.

In any case, Raegan sensed this was a troubling sign.

Back at the villa, rather than finding peace, the image of Mitchel trying to rise from the wheelchair haunted her. This scene had become deeply ingrained in her mind. She finally realized how much she had wanted to be there, to encourage him to stand up.

The weather in Aurora was always unpredictable. Just like now, a heavy snow had begun to fall suddenly outside.

As Raegan looked at the snowfall through the window, she felt a chill, even though she was inside a warm room. It was just a psychological effect, yet she still wasn't quite accustomed to Aurora's weather.