Derek's POV
As soon as the person finished, everyone looked at me.Daphne kept shouting. Meanwhile, Justin said coldly, "Isn't the answer obvious? Tell the person you'll choose Daphne."Mark patted my shoulder. "Decide it yourself. I won't blame you whoever you choose."The person in the black cloak took out an hourglass out of the blue. "You've got one minute. If the time's up, and you still can't make a choice, then I'll decide it for you."The sand in the hourglass fell as fast as time flew now.I looked at Daphne and Tabitha quietly.Daphne kept pleading for help, whereas Tabitha remained silent.When Holly was faced with the dilemma, at least Tabitha said something to make Holly pick her. Yet when it came to me, she zipped her lips.I guessed she had been totally disappointed in me.As I gave a bitter smile, what happened on the cold snowy night a year ago came sweeping back.At that time, Tabitha and Daphne both felt unwelTabitha's POVDaphne's wailing annoyed me.All of a sudden, Holly spoke up, "Derek, don't do anything silly. Daphne and the kids can't live without you!"Then she shouted at the woman, "Kill Tabitha! We choose Daphne!"Just when I thought I wouldn't feel pain anymore, her words stung me. How ironic.She went on, "Tabitha, don't blame me. If there's a next life, I'll make it up to you!"Amidst the noise, I heard Holly and Derek's voices clearly.Derek bellowed, "Shut up! Who said you got to make that decision?""Derek, please! Mark can't do without Daphne!" Holly cried out.It was funny, wasn't it? My mom wanted me dead, whereas the man who hated my guts was willing to give up his life for mine.Finally, I gave up my hopes for Holly.I spent a lot of time, including those days Derek and I weren't on speaking terms, sitting in front of my house and watching the road that Holly had left on.She didn't show up, not even once. A
Tabitha's POV"Who the fuck said you could hurt her?"Before I fell into the sea, I seemed to hear a man's voice amidst the sea breeze.Her? Who was he referring to?Could it be me?I clutched the knife, my only chance to survive.Once I fell into the sea, I easily cut the ropes that bound my wrists and ankles.After what happened today, I was 100% sure that the mastermind was a woman, and the last thing she wanted was to see Derek getting hurt.Daphne was just a disguise, a tool for her to hurt me. I was the one she was really after. She wanted to see me suffer in hell.Who the heck was she? I had never offended anyone! How come someone hated me this much?But no matter who she was, I wouldn't let her off the hook!I swore to myself, 'Tabitha, you gotta survive this, no matter how hard it is.'You gotta find that bitch and let her taste what she's put you through!'All this time, I had been struggling to come to terms
Tabitha's POVAs the sound of their footsteps faded away, I popped to the surface and gasped wildly for fresh air.There was a lingering smell of the corpse in the air, but it was still better than being underwater.I was supposed to be scared, but I laughed heartily instead.I made it!As long as I was alive, I had a chance to make that bitch go through all the shit I'd suffered!My desire to live was so strong that even the pain from my wound eased.I pressed the switch on my phone watch, and it gave off a faint light.Holly gave me the watch, and I put it on because I still craved her love. Who would have thought my softheartedness actually did me a great favor?In front of me was the body. Apparently, the woman died miserably. And I bet her family had no idea she was dead.Right now, I was so overjoyed to have survived that I couldn't feel scared.So I got ashore, suppressing the churning in my stomach while examining the co
Derek's POVSince that day, I'd had Alvin and Rolf hire a bunch of guys to search for Tabitha's body.I hadn't eaten anything or slept at all, just keeping an eye on the salvage situation 24/7.Yet, they found nothing, not even a piece of her clothes.Day by day, I grew more and more anxious. For more information, I began to spend a lot of time online.Maybe someone would find clues about Tabitha, I thought.But every time, I ended up disappointed.The netizens were all either mocking Daphne or cursing Holly.Daphne had called me more than once to complain about it, but I dismissed it as soon as I saw the caller ID.Afterward, Mark rang me up, asking me to visit Holly at the werewolf hospital.I turned him down at first, yet on second thought, it wouldn't hurt to see how miserable she ended up now.When I arrived, I learned that Holly had been admitted to the hospital since she vomited blood that day.Her wolf had completel
Derek's POVThe realization filled me with excitement."Yeah. Tabitha isn't the revengeful type. It doesn't make any sense she said that. She was definitely implying something," Alvin echoed.As he spoke, I recalled Tabitha's hesitant looks when she was with me as well as her odd behavior for the past few months. Offering to work in my company, giving presents with mini trackers to my secretaries..."What she really wanted me to look into wasn't just the kidnapper but also Elena's death," I concluded.Once again, those cameras in my office popped into my mind. Clearly, someone had been watching my every move all along.And it would've been easy if the person wanted to mess with my investigation, making me believe that John was Elena's murderer so I would hate Tabitha.Maybe Tabitha had felt something fishy, and she knew I wouldn't trust her even if she told me, let alone reinvestigate the whole case.So she chose to find out the truth with her
Derek's POVAs the Alpha of the most powerful wolf pack in Seattle, no one dared accuse me like this carer in front of me.Plus, she was only an Omega.But at that moment, not even a touch of anger rose in me.My wolf whimpered in my mind, his sound hurt and heartbreak.I had been talking to Leo in my mind.I hoped he could help me sense Tabitha.But Leo refused to respond until just now when he finally told me that he couldn't sense Tabitha's wolf."I guess no one has told you those, right? But after seeing how Ms. Hartley has been struggling alone, I found it hard to stand by and say nothing," the carer added.Alvin, who was standing beside, interrupted after a delicate cough, "You need to calm down first.""Humph, you want me to calm down? Do you even know how much Ms. Hartley has suffered in the past two years? But what she got? Although I'm not her family or even friend, I feel sorry for her. I've seen the video and I'm so confu
Tabitha's POVI survived the kidnapping and managed to escape, but it left me drained. I was exhausted, and my wounds worsened more.Luckily, I encountered Jasper, and was currently out of critical condition, so I stayed temporarily in the Dawn Vanguard Pack to recuperate.Unlike the tranquility of the Dawn Vanguard Pack, the outside world was in chaos.During the few days of rest, I could get daily updates about the outside world from people here.It was a nice day.I found a tree by the pack square.Under the vast shade of the tree were numerous chairs. I selected a reclining one, settled in, and savored the gentle breeze.Tucker lazily lay by my feet.A breeze stirred, causing cherry blossom petals to flutter and fall.Several children ran around in the square, their lively movements contrasting with the tranquil surroundings, creating a harmoniously beautiful scene.Yet, I found no solace in this peaceful setting, as my surv
Tabitha's POVI wavered. His offer was so tempting that I found no reason to refuse it."Jasper, I can leave with you, but there's one more thing.""What is it? Go ahead.""I don't want my father to continue bearing an undeserved bad reputation.""As long as I'm alive, I'll hunt down whoever's lurking in the shadows!"Initially, I hadn't
Third person's POVKyrian obediently climbed over and was immediately pulled into Tabitha's embrace.From here, they could see the beautiful scenery outside. Kyrian realized that the training grounds looked completely different from this angle—probably because his mother was by his side.Tabitha smiled softly, her voice warm. "I chose your name. You were born with all my love.""Mom, you must have loved Dad a lot back then," Kyrian said, looking up with curious eyes."Yes, very much," Tabitha admitted honestly. "No matter how I feel about your dad now, you are my precious child, born after seven months of carrying you. Your dad took you away, and I didn't even know you existed. That's why I missed so many years of your life. But you need to know, I thought about you every single day. There wasn't a moment when I didn't miss you or wonder about you. I love you more than anyone in the world."Kyrian's mood brightened, a happy smile sprea
Third person's POVKyrian watched nervously as Tabitha cleaned and dressed his wounds.He didn't dare breathe too loudly, his eyes glued to her every move. His gaze was filled with dependence and longing.Every now and then, he'd glance quickly at Derek, his eyes questioning, desperate for reassurance that this wasn't a dream."Dad, is Mom really back?" His voice trembled, carrying the fragility and hope unique to a child.Derek reached out and gently tapped his nose. "Silly boy, she's really here."Kyrian's tense body relaxed slightly, and a shy smile crept onto his face.When Tabitha applied the ointment a little too firmly, he winced but stayed silent.His hands gripped the hem of his shirt, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He was afraid that if he cried out in pain, Tabitha might leave.In his heart, he thought, As long as Mom stays, this pain is nothing.Kyrian had always been well-behaved, but n
Third person's POVAzazel was furious.To be honest, he hadn't planned to take things this far with Kyrian.He showed Kyrian some respect, but deep down, he knew most of the children here were orphans with no one to rely on.He'd been provoking Kyrian because he refused to fall in line. After all this time, Kyrian still wouldn't listen to him.Azazel had wanted to teach him a lesson and assert his dominance in front of the others.But Kyrian was tougher than he'd expected. Instead of backing down, he even fought back with a fierce determination that burned in his eyes.What's wrong with him? Why won't he give up?"You're dead, brat," Azazel snarled, raising his fist to deliver a crushing blow to Kyrian's head."Stop!"Kyrian closed his eyes, bracing for the impact his small body couldn't possibly withstand. But the blow never came.A hand shot out, gripping Azazel's wrist.Everyone turned to see Tabitha, breathless from running.Thankfully, she'd made it in time.What she didn't know
Third person's POVKyrian had barely taken a few bites when a tall boy walked over and flipped his tray onto the floor, sneering, "Go on, eat that."Tabitha's fists clenched in anger. "How can they bully him like this? He's already struggling!"Derek held her back. "Tabitha, don't act rashly. This place isn't just about physical training for him."Tabitha frowned. "Then what else is he here for?"Derek explained, "For people like us, growing up means training alongside peers who'll become your most trusted allies—like Alvin and Rolf. These are the people who'd take a bullet for you on the battlefield. If Kyrian grows up sheltered, handed a team of strangers, do you think they'd truly respect or protect him? One wrong move, and he could end up dead."Tabitha's anger began to fade. "What are you saying?"Derek's tone grew serious. "He's not just training his body. He's learning to lead, to earn the loyalty of these kids. They'll b
Third person's POVThe car slowly emerged from the underground garage, breaking through the darkness into the open air.The streets were adorned with mistletoe trees, people bustling about in preparation for Christmas."It's been years since we celebrated together," Derek said suddenly, his voice tinged with nostalgia."Yeah." In those days when survival was all that mattered, Tabitha hadn't had the luxury of thinking about holidays."It's the last day of the year. Where are you taking me?" Tabitha glanced at Derek."You'll see."The car wound its way out of the city, into the countryside. Snowflakes danced in the air, painting the world in white.The road grew steeper, the landscape wilder. Soon, there were no buildings in sight—just endless trees and snow.Tabitha gripped the armrest as the car jolted over uneven terrain. After what felt like hours, they reached a remote valley deep in the mountains. Even their p
Third person's POVTabitha had been his most promising student. As a freshman, she'd become his assistant, shadowing him in clinics and even observing surgeries.He had placed his highest hopes in her, demanding perfection during her training.To him, Tabitha was a once-in-a-generation talent—he was merely her starting point, not her ceiling.Dr. Fairbanks had been both a mentor and father figure to her. And she had let him down."Is Dr. Fairbanks… doing alright?" Tabitha asked quietly.Alban's voice turned cold. "No. He says he once had a student who made him proud—until she threw away her future for a man."Tears welled up in Tabitha's eyes.She still remembered the day she submitted her withdrawal letter. Dr. Fairbanks rushed to the school, still wearing his surgical scrubs with a scalpel clutched in his hand.At first, he thought something catastrophic had happened—had her family gone bankrup
Third person's POVDerek released Tabitha. Over the past few days, he thought he had made himself clear, but Misha seemed to be someone who couldn't be driven away."Misha, I've already made it clear to you before. I don't feel that way about you. Stop doing these things. What you're doing won't move anyone. It will only move yourself."Misha wiped her tears, her face full of sorrow, "But, but I just wanted to be a little kinder to you.""Feelings need to be reciprocated by both parties. If only one side gives, isn't that unrequited love? I can't give you any response."Misha pointed at Tabitha's face, "What about her! She doesn't love you either. Aren't you also in unrequited love?""This is my freedom. Instead of focusing all your energy on me, you should go and find a life that belongs to you. I can't give you what you want. Bringing food like that is something a girlfriend should do."Derek's words were ruthless. Misha ran out cry
Third person's POVThe intimate moments from last night flooded back into her mind, and Tabitha's face turned scarlet as she quickly withdrew her hands."Awake?" Derek asked with a smile, looking at Tabitha.Now, Tabitha felt as if she had traveled back in time to when they had just married. Back then, she would wake up daily in Derek's arms, enjoying a wonderful time."Mm-hmm," Tabitha replied softly.Neither of them mentioned a word about last night. Tabitha got out of bed to get dressed, constantly feeling Derek's gaze on her back."Um... I'll go prepare breakfast for you. I'll change the sheets when you get up," Tabitha said."Okay," Derek replied.Ingredients were delivered on time every day, and there was a small kitchen in the ward where Tabitha cooked three meals a day for Derek. Since they had woken up late today, Tabitha quickly made two sandwiches, washed some fruit, and heated a cup of milk before bringing it over.
Third person's POVDerek slowly pulled down her pajamas. Tabitha did not stop him.With the dim light from outside, he could see her slender back and the beautiful lines of her waist.She was too thin. To be honest, holding such a thin Tabitha felt more prickly than before.Probably because she had given birth to three children, her breasts had not shrunk but had actually increased by one cup size.Her breasts were still full and not sagging.Having had two premature births, she had no stretch marks on her stomach, and her skin was smooth and delicate, making her the ideal object in a man's eyes.She had no idea how charming her figure was.The room had 24-hour heating, and it was warm like spring, but without the cover of clothes, Tabitha couldn't help but shiver slightly."Tabitha, turn around, I want to see you," Derek said."No!" she replied.Derek pulled her over directly, and Tabitha still reached out