The flowerpots shattered noisily on the ground.

A sharp pain pierced Nicole's chest and back, overwhelming her.

Poof! Blood spilled from Nicole's mouth, splashing crimson on the ground. Jarrod, holding Jamie, faced Nicole.

His dark eyes, once lively, now harbored a lethal darkness.

"Nicole, you will pay for it," he declared, his voice icy.

With her ribs feeling broken, Nicole gasped for air amidst the pain.

As she coughed blood, she faced Jarrod, her voice shaking, "Jarrod, I'm not the one who stabbed her..." But Jarrod, carrying Jamie, didn't wait to hear more.

He strode toward the door.

Alec hurried to him, asking, "Mr. Schultz, what should we do with Miss Lawrence?" Jarrod paused briefly before responding coldly, "Take her to the police station." He had no time for Nicole now.

The police would keep her safe, at least.

Nicole, gripped by pain, watched helplessly as Jarrod moved Raegan's anxiety mounted since she was unable to reach Nicole. Raegan often visited the hospital to care for Nicole's parents during her free time.

Yet, they were unaware of Nicole's whereabouts.

Seeing her parents' aged, lined faces, Raegan couldn't reveal Nicole's disappearance.

It would only add to their burden.

She reassured them, telling them Nicole was busy, and urged them to take care.

Forty-eight hours later, Raegan visited the police station to report Nicole's disappearance.

There, she learned of Nicole's arrest.

Eager for more information to bail Nicole out, Raegan inquired but, as a non-relative, received none.

Raegan chose not to tell Nicole's parents, fearing for their vulnerability to take the blow.

Her thoughts instinctively turned to Mitchel, thinking that he was her only hope for uncovering the truth.

However, their relationship had ended bitterly, and they hadn't met since then.

Raegan knew of Mitchel only through TV reports about the growing bond between the Dixon and Glyn families, hinting at the potential connection through marriage.

'This news had boosted the Dixon Group's stock.

During a shopping trip at the mall, Raegan ran into Luciana, who was there with Katie.

They shared a warmth that resembled a true mother-daughter bond.

Seeing them together, Raegan understood that Luciana had been somewhat restrained when Luciana was with her. This made Raegan realize Luciana had previously held back her affection, perhaps due to their different statuses. Upon seeing Raegan"s uneasy expression, Luciana gave a brief nod and quickly left with Katie, preferring Raegan's limited interaction with Katie.

The salesperson, smiling brightly, remarked, "That lady was incredibly generous! She purchased national-style wedding gifts, designed by a renowned designer, for a billion dollars. She mentioned it's for her future daughter-in-law." It seemed Katie might soon marry into the Dixon family, which explained Luciana's uneasy look when seeing her. Alone in the mall, Raegan touched her flat belly, signing at the timing of her pregnancy. Yet, she resolved to raise her baby alone, inspired by students who juggled studies and parenthood. Determined, she decided against meeting Mitchel again. However, faced with Nicole's uncertain situation, Raegan felt she had no choice but to reach out to Mitchel. She hesitantly dialed Matteo's number.

Matteo answered promptly, his tone polite as always, "Miss Hayes." "Matteo, I hate to bother you. Is Mitchel available today?" Matteo, glancing at Mitchel busy with a video conference, responded, "He's quite Ued up. I can relay the message to him if you want." Raegan paused, realizing the difficulty of explaining without talking directly. She finally said, "It's nothing. Sorry to disturb you, Matteo." As she was about to end the call, Matteo added, "Mr. Dixon has been staying late at the company for work these days." Surprised, Raegan responded with a brief, "Okay." After the call, Raegan thought about messaging Mitchel on WhatsApp for a direct conversation. Opening his WhatsApp profile, she noticed his Moments were empty. Although he had never posted anything, his Moments were visible to her before. Now, it was completely inactive. It suggested he had blocked her. It seemed he wanted no contact with her at all.

Raegan recalled his last words, "From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other.

I don't want to see you again." His determination was etched on his face.

A sharp pain struck her chest, tears brimming in her eyes.

She had thought of explaining everything to him, but what could she say now? Henley had been putting on an act, but she wasn' innocent.

She had followed Luciana's advice, keeping her distance from Mitchel.

Taking a deep breath and staring at the cloudy sky, Raegan held back her tears.

Finally, she decided to ask Hector for help, hoping he might have some useful connections.

Hector's investigation revealed Jarrod's involvement in the case and thus required Mitchel's assistance.

Mitchel, however, declined, citing a busy schedule. Hector relayed this to Raegan, sharing the shocking reason behind Nicole's arrest. Raegan was stunned. The idea of Nicole's attempted murder was unthinkable. Her worry deepened, especially considering Nicole's pregnancy and the challenges of detention. Raegan attempted to confront Jarrod at his company for answers, but he was absent.

After several unsuccessful attempts, she tried calling Mitchel again, only to be met with a busy tone, suggesting she was blocked. With no other choice, Raegan reached out to Matteo. This time, Matteo's tone was less courteous, and he quickly ended the call, stating that Mitchel was swamped. Raegan's sense of urgency intensified. Despite learning Mitchel's tight schedule, she gathered her courage and made another call. Feeling desperate, Raegan kept calling, but Matteo's response was consistent, still claiming Mitchel was swamped. This pattern persisted late into the night.

Fach response reiterated his preoccupation.

Eventually, even the usually naive Raegan realized that Mitchel was avoiding her, using his busyness as an excuse.

Despite realizing Mitchel's aversion to meeting her, Raegan had no choice but to press Matteo, "Doesn't he ever take a break at night? I just need a moment." Matteo, likely frustrated, revealed that Mitchel was at the Kingbel Club. Raegan hurried there and called Matteo, who, sounding embarrassed, informed her, "Mr.

Dixon doesn't want to see anyone." His words were unmistakable.

Mitchel had made it clear he did not wish to see her.

Her hopes dashed, Raegan persisted, "When will he be done? I'll wait outside." Matteo, observing Mitchel's continuous drinking, replied uncertainly, "I don't know when he'll be done.

It's best if you don't wait." In truth, Matteo knew well that Mitchel was furious.

Mitchel had stayed late at the company the previous night until three in the morning.

Matteo sensed he was waiting for Raegan, prompted by Raegan's likely visit.

However, a call from Hector changed everything, leaving Mitchel storming out in frustration.

Matteo suspected that Raegan had sought help from Hector but hadn't approached Mitchel directly.

In Matteo's view, Mitchel was acting out of jealousy.

It was a cold, mid-December night.

The city was shrouded in a frosty chill.

Raegan, undeterred, remained outside the Kingbel Club, tightly wrapped in her coat.

People flowed in and out of the club.

Near midnight, Raegan saw Matteo exit, followed by Mitchel, dressed in an expensive suit, radiating confidence and arrogance. With Mitchel was a stunning woman, her arm linked with his, intimately close.

The club's lights cast a revealing glow on them.

The woman was almost pressed against Mitchel, who seemed unbothered by her closeness.

Passing Raegan, Mitchel ignored her as if she were a stranger.

Feeling a sting of hurt, Raegan couldn't linger on emotions for Nicole's sake.

She approached Mitchel and said, "Mr.

Dixon, can we walk for a moment?" Mitchel's face turned icy.

"No," he said sharply and walked on.

Raegan, having waited for hours, couldn't let him leave.

She reached for his sleeve, begging, "Just five minutes, please." Mitchel frowned, briskly shaking off her hand.

Caught off guard, Raegan stumbled and fell, her legs weak from the cold.

Laughter erupted from above, filled with derision.

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