"Has Mitchel been out of the country recently?" Nicole shifted topics unexpectedly.

Caught off guard, Raegan stammered, "Uh, how'd you find out?"

Lately, Nicole had been preoccupied with handling Jarrod and wasn't aware that Raegan had reconciled with Mitchel.

"I saw it on Lauren's posts."

Raegan felt her heart plummet.

Struggling to keep her composure, Raegan inquired, “Which platform?"

Nicole pulled out her phone and navigated to Lauren's homepage, displaying a selfie of Lauren in a light-colored beret, seemingly in high spirits.

The caption read, "So touched someone came to pick me up at the airport." She'd also tagged her Location abroad.

The post had been uploaded just half an hour after Mitchel had ended his video call with Raegan.

Additionally, Raegan noticed that Mitchel was the one carrying Lauren's suitcase in the background. Even though the photo only showed a side profile, she knew immediately it was him.

Comments from mutual friends praised them, declaring them an ideal couple.

Lauren had responded with a smiley emoji.

To their shared circle of friends, Mitchel and Lauren seemed destined for each other.

Struggling to find her voice, Raegan felt as though her heart had been pierced.

Observing Raegan's expression shift, Nicole believed that sometimes a sharp, immediate pain was preferable to prolonged agony.

After a moment of silence, Nicole said, "Do you know what's the hardest thing in the world, Raegan? Lauren will always be Mitchel's muse, his everlasting solace. Even if he shows concern for you now, the moment something happens to Lauren, you'll have to graciously step aside. Because in his heart, you'll always be second choice."

It was the same story with Jarrod and Jamie. Despite Jamie's tarnished reputation, Jarrod still expended effort and time to shield her. And it all boiled down to one reason.

After their meal, the driver took Raegan home, while Nicole planned to head back alone.

Soon enough, she realized she'd left her purse behind. Returning quickly to retrieve it, she also made a quick detour to the restroom.

That was when she spotted a familiar figure not far from her.