Tabitha's POV
I stood in the stall, continuing to listen to their conversation."We'll trade Tabitha for the collaboration. As long as we sign the contract, we get to surpass Group B.""If I were Tabitha, I would stay invisible. She's just a newcomer. She shouldn't have shown off at all. We all used to be newcomers, and none of us were like her. The second she arrived, she talked back to Ms. Mendoza. Does she think she's better than us?""Maybe there is someone backing her up.""Yeah, right. Ms. Mendoza has already looked into her. Alvin doesn't have a girlfriend at all. In fact, no woman ever gets to be near him. Who could possibly back her up?"Their laughter gradually faded away, and only then did I come out of the stall.Sonia wanted to trade me? Yeah, she wished.Sneering, I washed my hands in the sink.As I was wiping my hands, I saw a janitor next to me sorting through the trash.I approached her and asked friendly, "Excuse meTabitha's POV"Mr. Watson, I'm so sorry. We invited you for dinner, yet you arrived earlier than us. To show how sincere I am, I'm gonna make sure tonight's dinner satisfies you," Sonia said.Harry smiled, "It's my honor to wait for you, elegant ladies. Well, this one looks unfamiliar. Could you introduce her?"Sonia quickly smiled fawningly, "My bad. Mr. Watson, this is Tabitha. She has joined us only recently. Tabitha, what are you waiting for? Why don't you say hello to Mr. Watson?"Harry was probably in his forties. Similar to many middle-aged men, he was with a greasy appearance and a big belly.He squinted his eyes and sized me up from head to toe.His gaze bugged me a lot."Mr. Watson," I greeted casually.He immediately reached out, wanting to pull me over. "Tabitha, come sit here."I sat down in a seat that was relatively far from the main seat before he could touch my hand.Seeing his awkwardly extended hand in mid-air and
Tabitha's POVWidening her eyes, Sonia stared at me, finding my words hard to believe. "Tabitha, are you here to work or to study? You're kinda pretty, which is why I'm still standing here teaching you instead of leaving. We're in sales, and flexibility is what we need. You despise the chance? You know what? Countless people would fight for it. I'll be straight with you. Mr. Watson came here because of you tonight. Spend the night with him and get us the contract. If so, we get to surpass Group B, and you don't have to quit. It'll be a win-win situation."I found her words ridiculous. "Selling my body out in exchange for an achievement? Yeah, I don't think so.""Fine. You think this is below you? Tell you what? If you can't please Mr. Watson today, by the end of the month, we'll both be doomed. Different from you, I'll be scolded at most. You? You can kiss your job goodbye.""Whatever." I didn't even bother to argue.Sonia grabbed my hand, looking disappoint
Tabitha's POV"I already gave you plenty of time today." Derek's voice was deep and a bit unfathomable.I could feel his eyes on me, just like all those countless nights we used to share.Panicking, I watched him take off his clothes till only a shirt was left.Slowly and unhurriedly, he unbuttoned his shirt.The lights of the room lit up, and I saw his bare chest, which was nothing but familiar to me.His chest once fascinated me. I knew better than anyone how good his figure was.It had been a long time since I enjoyed such a view, and still, it managed to take my breath away.Derek used his fingers to brush across my face. "You said yourself. Even if I stand in front of you showing my eight-pack, you still won't give a shit."Utterly embarrassed, I bit my lip. Sure enough, he heard what I said. I hastily turned my head away, trying not to look at him, yet my body betrayed me. My gaze fell on his chest uncontrollably."Don't you wa
Tabitha's POVDerek came off as omnipotent as if he could effortlessly control the life and death of mortals.On the contrary, I was just a nobody. He could easily crush me in the blink of an eye.Even his voice was supremely proud."You see, whether you are happy or not doesn't change anything. What matters is that you still don't get to change what I wanna do just like the old times."He thought he got to do anything however he wanted? How unscrupulous! His words made me instinctively wanna go against him."Derek, I've changed. The Tabitha who loved you unreservedly is dead."I reached out and pushed his body away."What is it? You begged me not to divorce you before, and now you won't even let me touch you?"The more I struggled, the more furious he became. Even his face was burning with anger.In terms of strength, I was no match for him at all, which irritated me a lot. The cold glass in front of me contrasted with his burning b
Tabitha's POVThe second Derek mentioned the cake, I knew immediately what he was referring to. Back then, he doted on me so much that I felt as if the luckiest woman in the world.That year, I clamored for a bespoke cake before my birthday. The cake had a very special shape, and it came along with extremely expensive ingredients.It cost over a hundred grand.It was more like a work of art than a cake.When Derek brought it to me, there were supposed to be two crystal swans with their necks intertwined, but one of the swans' heads fell on the cake.I didn't make a fuss. I just had a bad feeling as if it was foretelling something.Derek kept apologizing to me. After a few days, I received a cake in the shape of a swan castle.There were two big and beautiful crystal swans on the lake's surface with their necks intertwined. I was so moved when I saw the cake.I had no idea he almost died because of this.He must have been afraid of ru
Tabitha's POV The next day, I went back to the company. I didn't know how Sonia dealt with Harry last night after I left. As soon as I walked in, I realized something different about Sonia. She was wearing a Hermes scarf. She was haggard, even though she tried to cover it with the thick foundation on her face. The second she saw me, she glared at me fiercely, like a vicious coyote in the desert. To my surprise, she went back to her office without saying a word. I took my glass and went to the tea room to fetch some water. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw some people talking with their heads down separated quickly, and they looked at me secretly non-stop. I knew what they were talking about, of course. Even those in Group B, who I didn't know well, stopped and teased me when they saw me, "Group C is so full of promising talents. Ms. Mendoza took her to one dinner party, and the deal was sealed. She's quite something." "You mean she's qui
Tabitha's POVI enjoyed the furious, embarrassed look on Sonia's face.Then I chuckled, saying, "I learn from the best. You messed with me first. Or I wouldn't show them to anyone. After all, it'd do me no good. Too bad that you're so heartless."I sighed, deliberately looking sad, "You slept with Mr. Watson and made everyone think it was me. You know what? I've got no interest in being the scapegoat."Then I knocked on the desk. "What do you suggest I should do?""Tabitha, you see, it was just a slip of the hand. I had no idea this would happen. How about this? You'll get a share of the deal this time," Sonia immediately said fawningly.I was just bluffing. In fact, I thought it was the one behind the scenes rather than Sonia who did this.The one was always lurking in the dark, spying on me 24/7.I snorted, "You really think I give a damn about that?""What do you want then? What's done is done. It's too late to withdraw the photos."
Tabitha's POVI didn't want Daphne to think Derek was the reason why I was here.If I got kicked out of the company, my investigation would be ruined.Given my current situation, I didn't know how long I had left. I had to seize every chance I got.Thinking that, I quickly got up and wanted to leave through the side door. Too bad Daphne was already here and saw me."Excuse me. Miss?"I walked faster as soon as I heard her phony voice.However, Emma dragged me back in order to impress Daphne. What a dumbass!"Why were you running? Didn't you hear the future Mrs. Greenwood was talking to you?"I felt speechless for a second. Emma had no idea how awkward things would be if I was face-to-face with Daphne."Sorry. She has only joined us recently. She was in a hurry to the bathroom."Emma was "kind" enough to explain for my sake.Daphne said, "Raise your head."I had no choice but to look up. Our eyes met, and immediately, D
Third person's POVTabitha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her emotions. After a while, she opened her eyes again and asked, "Were you also involved that night on the boat?""Yes," Derek replied without hesitation."Is Wilmot your man?" Tabitha's voice carried a hint of doubt.Derek paused for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, before slowly answering, "Yes, I was just too worried about you, so I had him go to protect you.""Then do you know what we..." Tabitha's words were cut short as Derek suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road.He turned to look at Tabitha, his eyes filled with sincerity and urgency, and said, "Tabitha, I am very clear about what happened that night. He was there to help you."Tabitha did not believe Derek's words. Her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment as she shouted, "Wilmot disappeared as soon as he came back. Forrest told me last night that he was dying. Was that y
Third person's POVDerek never expected that as soon as Tabitha returned, he would receive a call from Gloria.On the other end of the line, Gloria's voice came through, "Tabitha wants to see you."Hearing this, Derek's heart sank, and he sighed, thinking to himself, 'I knew it. I couldn't hide it from her.'On an evening with snowflakes drifting down, the sky was shrouded in gloom, and the snow fell gently, covering the entire world in a silver-white veil.Tabitha wrapped her coat tightly and saw Derek again.Since her staged death, Tabitha had only seen Derek through news reports.Now, as she approached him, she was surprised to find that he had become much thinner, his figure appearing particularly frail.Derek was dressed in a black coat, leaning quietly against the car. In just a minute, snowflakes began to fall on his head, accumulating a thin layer of white snow.Tabitha took a deep breath, calming her emotions, and then walked towards Derek.Looking at Derek, her eyes carried
Third person's POVGloria held Helios on her lap, skillfully peeling a grape and feeding it to him, her experience with children evident."Feeling better now that it's out," she said, watching the child play quietly nearby.Tabitha casually inquired, "Why did you hold back on the day we met, only to tell me today?"Gloria had her excuse ready, responding, "You had just returned to the States, and I didn't know your situation. I was afraid it would cause you trouble."Tabitha peeled a few more grapes before setting them aside when Helios indicated he'd had enough.She then looked at Gloria and said slowly, "You weren't afraid of causing me trouble. You were afraid I would leave, weren't you?"Gloria was taken aback, about to argue, but Tabitha saw through her, "Every time you lie, you subconsciously avert your gaze, fearing I'll see through you."Gloria, in a fit of exasperation, covered her face with a blanket, "You two are tru
Third person's POVDerek's face contorted with pain as he continued, "After Tabitha faked her death, I suspected what had happened. I was torn at the time, wanting to bring her back, but I also understood that doing so would only repeat past mistakes. So, I protected her within my control and waited silently. Gloria, I swear, I won't hurt her again."A hint of pleading appeared on Derek's face as he went on, "I'm asking for your help not out of selfishness. Tabitha's illness isn't fully healed, her body hasn't recovered, and with two children in tow, she wouldn't be able to protect herself if danger arises."Gloria had never seen Derek so humble.She remembered how Derek had always approached her with a condescending attitude four years ago.Derek continued, "You are Tabitha's friend, and your starting point should be considering her safety, right? If I wanted to harm her, I could just bring her back directly, so why would I go through the trouble
Third person's POVThe two children were a blend of their parents. The girl resembled Derek, while the boy took after Tabitha, which was quite different from their brother, Kyrian.Derek thought to himself that if Kyrian knew he had two younger siblings, he would be thrilled.But when he considered his relationship with Tabitha, he sighed deeply, filled with regret for his past actions.At that moment, Alvin approached swiftly and reported, "Just received news from the island. Noah is taking Ayla away, and Lucian's direction also leads to the island. He plans to take Tabitha away."Derek, with his hands behind his back and a furrowed brow, spoke with a melancholic expression, "Lucian intends to take more than just Ayla—Tabitha as well. She has always sought opportunities to leave me, and this presents her with an excellent chance.""What should we do? Should we stop him now? Otherwise, with his capabilities, if he truly takes Tabitha a
Third person's POVPlans... Tabitha's original goal had been to find her two children and Jasper.The children were found, but Jasper was without a trace.However, she couldn't search aimlessly without a target.Thinking of Derek's anxious appearance last night, it was clear he still had feelings for her.Gloria's text warning Tabitha to be careful of Derek came to Tabitha's mind again.Tabitha felt she had overlooked some subtle details. What exactly had she missed?It seemed a key point was missing, and once found, it would connect all the events."I don't know. I just wanted to find the children, but I didn't expect to court death. And Derek's attitude towards me is ambiguous. Outside this cabin, I don't know what awaits me," Tabitha said, her face full of entanglement.Seeing her struggle, Lucian took a big gulp of mineral water and mustered the courage to say, "Have you severed ties with him?"Tabitha nodded,
Third person's POVDerek had painstakingly built up Tabitha's trust by posing as Wilmot.He knew that if she ever discovered his true identity, her anger would be immense, and the trust he had spent half a year constructing would crumble entirely.Derek continued, "Send someone to discreetly protect her without revealing themselves. Ayla is still on the island. Tabitha will go to see her."Rolf nodded in agreement, "Understood."Derek added with caution, "Remember, Lucian has a strong ability to detect surveillance, so do not get too close."Rolf responded, "Yes, Alpha Derek. We will handle it immediately."Turning to Alvin, Derek instructed, "Investigate the identities of those deceased men thoroughly."Derek pondered whether Tabitha's survival had been leaked, perhaps when she was seen on the boat.The assailants had been ruthless, and if not for Lucian's timely arrival, Tabitha could have been in grave danger. He had
Third person's POVForrest's voice was laced with worry, "Ms. Hartley, where are you now?"Tabitha had already settled her wages with Forrest before sending the children to the island. She couldn't fathom why he would contact her at this juncture.She couldn't help but feel puzzled.Tabitha inquired, "What's wrong?"Forrest replied, "Wilmot's had an accident. You need to come see him."Tabitha was still trying to make sense of Derek's appearance at the bar when she heard about Wilmot's predicament, and her heart immediately filled with worry.She quickly asked, "What happened to him?"Forrest explained, "Wilmot was already ill recently, and he drank a lot tonight. He's suffered from alcohol poisoning and has been taken to the hospital. He keeps asking to see you, Ms. Hartley. Where are you? Can you come to see him?"Tabitha thought to herself that even if she knew her current location, she couldn't just tell anyone.
Third person's POVTwo more gunshots rang out, the shooter's aim dead on as two more men fell to the ground.Tabitha saw a tall figure standing deep in the alley, shrouded in a cloak, making it impossible to discern who it was.Tabitha's mind raced with questions. Was he a friend or foe?The man removed his hat, revealing the distinctive totem mask beneath.Tabitha stared in disbelief and uttered, "Lucian, why are you here?""Long story. Come with me," Lucian said, grabbing Tabitha's hand and leading her away.They didn't get far before Tabitha glanced back to see Derek and Leopold rushing out of a bar together.Surprise washed over Tabitha. How could Derek be here?Her blood seemed to freeze. 'When did he return?'Lucian pulled Tabitha into a dilapidated black car that passed right in front of Derek.Leaning against the car window, Tabitha gazed at Derek, lost in thought.'If Leopold had arranged to