âAlright.
â
Raegan and Henley didnât go far, the spot for their talk outside Mitchelâs ward.
Mitchel could pick up their conversation with the door open.
Having well aware of Mitchelâs tendency of being jealous, Raegan deliberately did so for him to hear them.
Henley found this thrilling, his mind racing as to how to further piss Mitchel off.
Gazing at Raegan with a look of affection, he asked, âRaegan, what was it you wanted to say?â
Next, a sharp sound echoed.
Raegan struck Henley firmly across the face.
Henley was taken aback as Raegan enunciated each word clearly, âThat was my message!â
Henley was left dumbfounded.
The corridor became eerily quiet.
The confident smile vanished from Henleyâs face, replaced by a grim look.
âRaegan, is this some kind of jest?â
âs BunnyBookery âMr.
Brooks, youâre the one who began this farce,â Raegan retorted.
This formal address immediately darkened Henleyâs expression.
Raegan refused to use his first name or recognize him as part of the Dixon family.
âWhat do you mean by our past? Iâm clueless.
â Raegan crossed her arms.
Henleyâs lips curled into a thin smile.
âRaegan, do you need me to spell it out? Wouldnât that make Mitchel jealous?â
âPlease go ahead.
â
âRaegan, we were once quite close, right?â
âInteresting!â A scoff escaped from Raegan.
âMr.
Brooks, are you suffering from some delusion? We were never close.
â
Raegan felt she had been too naive in the past.
Back then, she always assumed the best in people and failed to see through the facades.
Raegan eyed Henleyâs crumbling facade and stated icily, âAre you alluding to your orchestrated efforts to befriend me, to drive a wedge between Mitchel and me, and your switch to intimidation when your advances were rebuffed? Is that your definition of âclosenessâ?â
âRaegan.
â Henleyâs gaze was intense, brimming with emotion.
âHave you forgotten? Mitchel was the one who never trusted you and caused you pain.
Back then, I tried to defend you.
But, sadly, I was powerless.
I had mused it over multiple times that if I was powerful to protect you, perhaps you would have truly cared for me, choosing me over him.
â
âDo you honestly believe your words?â Raegan looked at Henley with disdain.
âOr did you just consider me a pawn in your game?â
Reflecting on the past, Raegan noted Henleyâs repeated timely arrival whenever she had a fight with Mitchel.
And with his arrival and misleading words, Mitchel, a man prone to get jealous, always throw a tantrum.
In those days, the naive Raegan refused to clarify things due to her clear conscience and Mitchelâs lack of trust in her.
It was clear Henley had been manipulating Raegan from the start, aiming to sow discord between her and Mitchel.
And now, Henley, the man Raegan once viewed as a confidant sought to manipulate her again.
Raeganâs face was clouded with fury.
Without a momentâs hesitation, she said, âMr.
Brooks, let me make it clear.
My feelings for you have never surpassed friendship.
â