Convinced he was dreaming, Mitchel freely hugged Raegan and ki*sed her hair.
His eyes, filled with emotion, looked into hers.
âI miss you so much, but I canât see youâ¦â
Raeganâs heart melted, her emotions surging.
âYou can.
Whenever you want, you can see me.
â
Mitchel opened his eyes and gazed at Raegan.
His eyes, inflamed and feverish, glowed with a reddish hue.
His intense stare almost convinced Raegan he had regained his clarity.
Mitchel then ki*sed Raeganâs hair tenderly and murmured in a clear, deep voice, âThis is nice.
I donât want to wake up.
â
Raeganâs nose tingled, and she could no longer hold back her emotions.
Tears cascaded down her cheeks Like pearls.
Mitchel reached out, gently wiping her tears away, and whispered, âPlease donât cry.
It pains my heart when you do.
â
Despite her efforts to stay composed, Raegan couldnât restrain herself.
With tears streaming down her face, she sobbed.
âMitchel, just hold on a little longer.
Weâre going to the hospital soon.
Once youâre better, we can be a family again, justâ¦â
Her words were abruptly interrupted by the sound of a âding.
â The elevator doors opened.
Raeganâs face brightened with hope at the sight.
A short distance from the elevator, at the main entrance, special security forces fully armed were making their entry.
Outside, sirens wailed and ambulances cried out.
These repetitive, once monotonous sounds now struck her as the most beautiful music, heralding their safety.
Raegan supported the weakened Mitchel and managed to say, âLook, Mitchel, itâs the special forces.
Just a few more steps and weâll be at the hospital.
Once youâre better, itâll be the three of us⦠Noâ¦â
She paused, wiping away a tear, and corrected herself.
âThe five of us can be happy togetherâ¦â
Suddenly, a deep, cautionary shout came from outside.
âBe careful!â
Raegan looked up to see a man dressed in black, aiming a gun at her.
As the warning echoed, the man swiftly pulled the trigger.
The muzzle of the gun was pointed straight at Raeganâs forehead.
Illuminated by the stark, bright light outside, every detail was visible.
The deep murderous intent shone in the manâs deep blue eyes.
In shock, Raegan stared at the man, unable to fathom why he would want to kill her.
The bullet was just millimeters from her face.
Suddenly, a wave of confusion, fear, and panic swept over Raegan.
Sensing danger, Mitchelâs eyes snapped open.
With unexpected strength, he twisted his body and shoved Raegan aside.
âBang!â Raegan watched in horror as the bullet struck Mitchel in the chest, causing bright red blood to burst forth like a grotesquely blooming dahlia.
The world seemed to halt.