Raegan quickly crouched down, wrapped the little girl in her embrace, and planted a ki*s on the latterâs cheek.
âJaney!â
With a happy smile on her beautiful little face, Janey hugged Raegan back.
âMommy!â
âJaney just had some fruit and went out to play,â Annis explained.
âMommy, did Erick send you back?â Janey asked Raegan in an adorable voice.
âNoâ¦â Before Raegan could finish her words, Janey, with her short legs, clambered into the car and caught sight of Mitchelâs handsome face.
âDaddy!â Janey exclaimed in an endearing voice, her eyes lighting up.
Mitchelâs handsome visage froze at the sight of Janeyâs charming face.
His intuition, it seemed, had been spot on.
This was unquestionably Raeganâs daughter.
The child of Raegan and Raeganâs late husband.
This thought sent a sharp pang through Mitchelâs heart, rendering it so constricted that breathing became a struggle.
Meanwhile, the endearing Janey eagerly embraced Mitchel, her arms encircling Mitchelâs neck, as she inquired with innocence, âDaddy, are you here to see me?â
Janeyâs spontaneous gesture left Mitchel in a state of bewilderment.
Truth be told, aside from Raegan, Mitchel had an aversion to being touched by others, be they adults or children.
Nevertheless, the more Janey gazed at Mitchel, the more she liked him.
To everyoneâs astonishment, Janey planted an unexpected ki*s on Mitchelâs face.
Janey had wanted Mitchel to be her father.
The longer she looked at him, the more she found to Like him, eagerly anticipating the moment she could boast to Ann about her incredibly handsome father.
In Janeyâs eyes, Annâs father paled in comparison.
Despite Raeganâs teachings about avoiding disparaging remarks, Janey vividly recalled the last time Ann insulted her with the term âbastard.
â Annâs father, in turn, laughed at the remark.
This fueled Janeyâs private disdain for Annâs father, muttering curses under her breath.
In a sweet voice, Janey asked, âDaddy, can we go to the amusement park?â
Mitchel, wearing a complicated expression, attempted to respond but found himself at a loss for words.
Janey had pressed close and planted a gentle ki*s on his cheek.
Surprisingly, Mitchel didnât find the sweet ki*s from this unfamiliar girl distasteful.
Instead, an unexplainable sense of affection welled up from the depths of his heart.
Initially intending to gently push Janey away, Mitchel found himself holding her back instead.
His concern stemmed from the fear that she might fall and hurt herself.
This marked the first time Mitchel felt unsure about how to handle Janey nestled in his arms.
Meanwhile, Janey gazed at Mitchel with her wide, admiring eyes, captivated by his presence.
As their eyes locked, Mitchel glimpsed his own reflection in Janeyâs innocent gaze.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
How wonderful it would be if this little girl were Raeganâs and his own.
Although he recognized the notion as absurd, he couldnât shake it.