Eventually, Erick found a middle ground. "I won't tolerate something like this to happen again. Next time, I won't be lenient, even if it pains me to separate you two."

Mitchel muttered, "Thank you..."

Erick let out a weary sigh. He decided to view this as settling the life-debt Raegan owed to Mitchel. Otherwise, he might continue to be consumed by unease. Should there be another slip-up that inflicted harm on Raegan, Erick vowed to sever their connection permanently and ensure their paths never crossed again.

At this point, Stefan had made his way to the hospital. After confirming that Raegan was safe, he quickly went back to handle those servants for their slacking off. The nerve of them shirking their responsibilities, under the false belief that Raegan lacked support!

Stefan was determined to set a strict example. He administered a harsh lesson to the negligent driver and the night shift servants who had failed in their duties. Amidst the cries and howls that followed, the message was clear to all. Raegan was important and should be treated as such. From then on, they wouldn't dare to neglect their responsibilities.

Stefan then went to find Erick to discuss the situation. This time, he arrived with significant news to share.

Stefan intercepted a clandestine dialogue between his father and another party, unveiling Davey's scheme to offload his companies in Aurora. It was evident Davey was gearing up to disappear once more.

Whenever Davey slipped away in the past, he left without a trace, offering no breadcrumbs to his whereabouts.

Now on high alert, locating Davey again would be akin to plucking stars from the sky.

Erick's brow furrowed deeply, knowing full well that this time, their plan had to prevail without a hitch. If they missed this opportunity, locating Casey would be an insurmountable challenge.

Erick's countenance darkened further, particularly with Raegan's illness exacerbating the somber atmosphere. Just as the babies' celebration loomed a mere three he fretted over days away, Raegan's ability to attend. If not, they'd need to swiftly find a suitable stand-in.

Upon awakening, Raegan found herself confined to a hospital bed, her mind heavy with the remnants of tumultuous dreams.

In those dreams, Mitchel seemed to drift farther and farther away, disregarding her pleas and Leaving her with naught but the sting of his merciless departure.

"How are you feeling?" Mitchel's deep voice resonated near her ear.

Blinking, Raegan beheld the man from her dreams seated by her bedside, the tide of emotions from her dreams bleeding into reality. "Why are you ignoring me?" she demanded.

Caught off guard by her question, Mitchel's rehearsed explanations scattered like leaves in the wind.

Raegan's eyes welled up, her distress deepening with each passing moment. “In my dreams, I kept calling out to you, but you just turned away..."

Listening to her portrait of her dream almost prompted Mitchel to chuckle, yet what ensued was a wave of relief. He was relieved that he had grasped something crucial. Was whether her feelings for him out of pity that significant? What mattered was his hesitance to let go of her, and that she envisioned him in her dreams. That, in itself, was enough.

"Fine, blame me then. Go ahead and hit me." Mitchel extended his hand with a mock-serious demeanor.

How could Raegan possibly strike Mitchel? Her anger hadn't even abated. Moreover, many of Mitchel's recent actions felt foreign to her.