Matteo hesitated, mindful of the repercussions from the previous occasion where he revealed more than he should have to Raegan, for which he was sent overseas by Mitchel to oversee mining operations in Tanzania for nearly six months.

Despite the unchanged salary and benefits, the prospect of enduring a dilapidated environment and the absence of individuals of his nationality left Matteo with no desire to return to that place.

The primary concern revolved around the women in that location, who found him, a rare face among the locals, attractive and boldly made attempts to get intimate with him. There were nights when several women trying to get cozy with him within hours.

Alarmed, Matteo swiftly constructed a brick house as a defense against these advances. His preference wasn't rooted in a dislike for those women. Rather, he simply favored those of the same skin tone with whom he could communicate comfortably in his native language.

Matteo's brow furrowed deeply as he recalled those painful days. Yet, he still answered, "Miss Foster, please, go ahead and ask."

"I want to know the true situation with Mitchel's leg," Raegan stated.

Matteo paused for seconds, realizing Raegan's unawareness of the cause of Mitchel's worsened condition meant she was still oblivious to Mitchel's significant blood transfusion for her. With that in mind, he felt he could share the truth.

With a solemn expression, Matteo revealed, "The experts in Aurora have determined that Mr. Dixon's condition is incurable. For the rest of his life, chances are that he will be dependent on crutches and a wheelchair."

“Incurable?" Raegan repeated, her disbelief evident.

Matteo nodded gravely.

Raegan couldn't comprehend it. How could this be? Wasn't it said that as long as Mitchel underwent surgery, his leg would gradually recover?

And she distinctly remembered seeing him standing before the childbirth.

Anxiously gripping Matteo's arm, Raegan pressed, "That very night you all just arrived and came to see my brother, he was able to stand, wasn't he?"

Raegan's memory was crystal clear. That particular night, Mitchel had indeed stood for a while. Moreover, he hadn't been accompanied by crutches or any wheelchair-related items.

Matteo recollected the incident Raegan mentioned, explaining, "That night, the bottom of Mitchel's crutch was a bit oily, so I went to replace it. He was able to stand for a while before, but couldn't walk much."

Following that night, Raegan had witnessed Mitchel using the crutch regularly.

Hearing this revelation, Raegan felt as if the world was crumbling around her. The reality seemed too harsh to accept. Mitchel's potential dependency on crutches for the entirety of his life weighed heavily on her mind. He was such a proud man. How could he possibly come to terms with relying on a crutch for the rest of his days?

Her mind a mess and her feelings mixed, she walked forward and managed to locate Mitchel. In a daze, she couldn't recall if she had even knocked before pushing the door open.

By the time she found Mitchel, he was crouched on the floor, appearing to have stumbled while gathering scattered documents from his desk.

Beside his office chair sat the customized black wheelchair.