Chapter 779: Meeting Again

Chapter 779: Meeting Again

"Who are you?"

Seeing that the visitor was a stranger, Ryan blocked their path and asked sternly.

He looked the person up and down, trying to commit their appearance to memory.

Strange, though—there was something vaguely familiar about them.

But when he tried to pinpoint what exactly seemed familiar, nothing quite matched.

"Hello, Ryan. I'm from the Mitchell family. I heard Mr. Stevens had an accident, so I'm here on behalf of the Mitchell family to visit him."

The visitor was a woman dressed head to toe in designer labels—clearly well-off.

Ryan just couldn't recall the Mitchell family ever having a daughter.

"I'm sorry, but I've never seen you at the Mitchell Villa. Are you sure you're part of the Mitchell family? Mr. Stevens has the contact information for the head of the Mitchell family on his phone. Should we give them a call to verify?"

As Ryan spoke, his gaze locked directly onto hers, trying to detect any sign of deception.

But the woman didn't show even a flicker of panic.

Instead, she said calmly, "I apologize—I'm a daughter the Mitchell family just recently acknowledged. My name is Patricia. If you don't believe me and want to verify, I have no objections. You can call right now if you'd like."

Patricia's response was composed.

She spoke of her identity without any hint of shame or insecurity.

Clearly, her life before this hadn't been particularly difficult.

Ryan was about to press further when Axel spoke from the hospital bed. "Ryan, let Patricia in."

"Yes, sir."

Following Axel's instructions, Ryan gave Patricia a slight nod, then stepped aside and gestured. "Please, come in."

Patricia nodded in acknowledgment before stepping into the room with poise.

When Patricia saw Axel, her brow furrowed instinctively.

Concern filled her expression. "Mr. Stevens, how are you feeling? Are your injuries serious?"

The moment she'd entered, Axel had begun sizing her up, studying her from head to toe.

Compared to Ryan, who'd had limited contact with Patricia, Axel had spent much more time with her—especially in bed, where they'd been intimately entwined.

So for Axel, the sense of familiarity was even stronger. He even had a theory.

"I'm fine. It's just a minor injury. I'll be out of the hospital soon enough. Thank you for your concern."

Though Axel had his suspicions, he didn't let his guard down before confirming her identity. His response was deliberately vague.

Patricia allowed him to scrutinize her, and when she heard he was all right, she glanced briefly at his bandages.

But she was a woman of impeccable timing and restraint. Even if she doubted his words, she wouldn't call him out on it. Instead, she nodded cooperatively. "I'm glad to hear you're okay. The Stevens Group must need you back at the helm right now. As for me, I'm just here to check on you—I can't really be of much help, so there's no need to thank me."

The two exchanged polite formalities, keeping things cordial and detached.

Ryan, standing to the side, felt like he was witnessing nothing more than a routine hospital visit.

Then Patricia spoke again.

"Mr. Stevens, there's something I need to discuss with you privately. Would that be possible?"

For a first meeting, the request was rather abrupt.

Ryan figured that to preserve Mr. Stevens' dignity, he—as a subordinate—should decline on his behalf.

But then Axel said, "All right."

He turned to Ryan and issued an order. "Ryan, go take care of some things. I don't need you here right now."

He was essentially granting Patricia's request, sending Ryan away.

Ryan opened his mouth, hesitating. "Mr. Stevens, if you're alone in the room and you need something, it won't be convenient…"

It was an excuse, of course.

What he really worried about was that Patricia's background was unclear, and she might pose a danger to Axel.

Axel understood Ryan's concern, so he wasn't upset that Ryan hadn't immediately obeyed.

He'd already guessed Patricia's true identity, which was why he felt bold enough to take the risk.

"It's fine. Patricia will be here, won't she? If I really need anything, she can call someone directly."

Axel offered the rationale.

Patricia chimed in smoothly. "Don't worry. With me here, I'll take good care of Mr. Stevens."

With things spelled out that clearly, Ryan obediently left the room.

Axel's gaze burned into the person across from him.

"So—should I call you Patricia, or should I call you Raina?"

Axel asked bluntly.

Raina had actually suspected that Axel was onto her, but she hadn't expected him to confirm her identity so quickly.

She dropped the aristocratic air from moments before and became humble. "Mr. Stevens, you really are something. I altered my appearance, and you still recognized me right away."

"There's a certain familiarity. After all, we were quite 'compatible' in bed. That familiar feeling, that familiar scent—it's hard not to recognize you on a visceral level."

Axel was pleased by Raina's flattery.

His expression softened considerably, and his gaze toward Raina grew tender.

She really knew how to please him.

Still, he wasn't so flattered that he'd lost his edge.

Axel asked, "I remember you were captured by Calista. How did Calista die? How did you escape—and how did you end up as a daughter of the Mitchell family?"

Beyond Raina's cleverness and loyalty, what mattered most now was her elevated status. If she could become his next marriage alliance partner, that wouldn't be a bad choice at all.

And the Mitchell family, well…

A meaningful glint flashed in Axel's eyes.

Since Raina had come to see Axel and revealed her true identity outright, she'd already prepared herself for these questions. So she didn't hide anything.

Of course, she knew Axel's secrets, and Axel was wary of her. Now, by giving him one of her own secrets in return, the two of them would form the most solid partnership.

Raina answered honestly. "I was imprisoned by Calista, so I couldn't complete the task you assigned me. I managed to manipulate Calista a bit and got her to carry out the task instead. Mr. Stevens, that's when you started to suspect I might be in Calista's hands, isn't it?"

How did Raina find out later?

Because once Axel suspected where Raina might be, he had Parker keep tabs on the situation and step in if necessary.

Later, when Raina learned that Otto was returning to scheme against Calista, she managed to send word out.

Unfortunately, Emily's people intercepted the message, and Axel was detained by the authorities, which allowed Otto to reclaim power.

Axel nodded. "Yes, I suspected. That's why I had Parker help discreetly—but I didn't intervene directly. Do you resent me for that decision?"

Raina had expected this. She shook her head. "How could I resent you, Mr. Stevens? When you chose to trust me, you gave me an opportunity. You valued my intelligence, saw my worth. This time, I needed to prove that value. And I did. But Mr. Stevens, could you praise me a little? Not only did I succeed—I've climbed even higher now."

As she said this, her tone turned almost flirtatious.

Axel loved that feeling—as if no matter how capable or clever a woman was, in the end, she still looked up to him.

"Well done. You certainly didn't disappoint me."

Raina's smile widened even more. But beneath that radiant expression, she suddenly said something utterly chilling.