Chapter 1127

Chapter 1127:

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He had expected Raegan to call if he needed more transportation, especially since there was a night driver available to take over. Lacking further instructions from Raegan and assuming his shift was over, he did not return.

Overwhelmed by frustration at her neglect, Erick realized that if anyone had been paying attention, Raegan would already be home safe and sound.

In his urgency, Erick called Mitchel around three in the morning to better understand the situation.

Mitchel, who had not yet fallen asleep, responded promptly. He told Erick that Raegan had visited him that day, but had left shortly after, which was precisely what the secretary had told him.

After the call, Erick asked security forces for help in accessing and reviewing the conference center's surveillance footage, hoping to find some clues.

Meanwhile, feeling uneasy, Mitchel prepared himself and asked his driver to head to the conference center, the first logical place to look, despite the odds.

Knowing that the conference center was protected after hours by a system that only senior officials could disable, Mitchel attempted to contact the duty officer to gain access, but received no response. He then instructed Matteo to contact the official directly.

Taking matters into his own hands, Mitchel managed to enter the building using a security key.

Navigating the dark staircase with a flashlight in his mouth, Mitchel climbed carefully, leaning on the railing and his cane. When he grew tired, he put the flashlight in his coat pocket and used both hands to navigate the darkness.

Fortunately, his office was on the eighth floor, not the eighteenth.

After a painful twenty-minute climb, Mitchel reached his destination.

Exhausted, he headed to his office and knocked on the door.

The office was inaccessible due to a power outage, as entry required both electricity and a security code.

The door, perfectly integrated into the wall without joints, did not allow a glimpse of the interior, and the windows on the opposite side made any attempt to force entry impossible.

Mitchel knocked repeatedly on the door while calling Raegan's name, each shout filled with hope that she wasn't inside.

Aurora's chilling nighttime temperatures could drop to minus forty degrees outside and nearly minus twenty-two degrees inside.

The lack of heat in the office meant that if Raegan had passed out inside, her situation could become dangerous.

Despite the silence that followed his calls, a part of Mitchel clung to the hope that the lack of response meant Raegan was safe somewhere else.

He knocked insistently, but when there was no answer, a slight feeling of relief came over him.

However, just as he considered taking a break, a soft sound caught his attention. It was a noise as subtle as the flutter of a butterfly's wings in the empty hallway, but audible due to the absolute stillness of the night.

Mitchel's heart tightened at the sound, a terrifying confirmation of his fears. Raegan was inside his office!

Unable to wait for the power to be restored, Mitchel resorted to using his cane to hammer at the sturdy door, which resisted his desperate blows.

Frustrated but determined, he screamed, “Raegan, Raegan, don't fall asleep! Hold on, hold on!” as he continued to pound on the door, each knock a plea for her safety.

There was silence in Mitchel's office. Even the faint sounds had ceased.

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