Tabitha's POV
I somehow walked in.I remember that this place was used as a guest room for entertaining visitors at Hope Ranch.Now, it had been transformed into a large space, with one half painted a soft pink and the other half a gentle sky blue.The floor was covered in a plush, long-haired carpet, and the ceiling was painted with clouds.When the door closed, the lights suddenly went out. Yet, countless stars appeared overhead, softly glowing, with occasional streaks of shooting stars.Some lights in the room emitted a gentle glow, and the air was filled with the soothing music of a music box.Cradles, rocking horses, various toys, and a wide array of clothes for babies from newborn to one-year-old were neatly arranged.Nearby, there was also a special corner for children to play, featuring tall castles, slides, and swings.Derek thought of almost everything related to babies.This room was even more perfect than the one I had deTabitha's POVDerek also dialed it down a bit.He asked, "So Elena isn't the murderer? Who is Lillian? If that's the case, does it make things a bit easier between us?""In your dreams. There are far more problems between us," I replied coldly.Then I continued, "Lillian was Elena's substitute. She died for Elena."A few days ago, I tentatively asked Dad about Lillian. She was not the simple victim we imagined."I explained the whole thing in detail.Derek's frown deepened as if he was recalling what had been amiss that night.He said, "That day, I was supposed to meet Carson and the others, but Carson had something come up and couldn't make it. I didn't like the atmosphere there, so I found an excuse to leave. When I was walking out, I felt so hot and only then did I realize that I had been drugged. Afterward, I asked Alvin to investigate, but there were too many people that night and we couldn't find anything. So the incident goes unresolved
Derek's POVTabitha insisted, so I did not refuse."It's a bit far away. You can take a rest first," I told her.Tabitha had a stern face and said, "No need. I'm not sleepy."Ten minutes later, she fell asleep and her head was banging against the car window.I felt helpless. I didn't think I was dangerous, but why did she sit against the window?I reached out my long arm and took her into my arms.Tabitha opened her eyes and glanced at me, wanting to struggle, but she couldn't resist the drowsiness and was asleep again.These days, she got drowsy easily and slept a lot.I quietly held her in my arms. So much had happened in the past two or three years, and I hadn't had a peaceful moment with Tabitha like this in a long time.I prayed time would slow down for us.The car went up the mountain, and it was dark outside. Tabitha slowly woke up from her sleep.As soon as she found herself leaning on my chest, Tabitha moved away.
Tabitha's POVWhat happened in the forest?Obviously, Elena didn't just decide to bail on a whim. Someone must have approached her.I was quite anxious, but I didn't dare to run out and chase after her. I was pregnant now, so it was safer for me to stay here.Did Derek get shot?Just as that thought crossed my mind, with a loud bang, a bullet zipped through the darkness, grazing past my cheek and embedding itself straight into the wardrobe behind me.Startled, I completely froze, not daring to move an inch.Just then, I saw a man on the hillside not far away. Since he wasn't using a sniper rifle, his range was limited, which gave me the chance to make out his silhouette pretty clearly.The man was tall and slender, with a mask on his face, revealing only his eyes.When his gaze met mine, I called out his name immediately. "Lucian?"He didn't reply, just giving me one last intense look before turning around and disappearing into the w
Tabitha's POVSo, Lucian was a mercenary?And what was the deal with all those weapons he was hiding on the island?After Alvin quickly recounted what I had experienced, Derek rushed over to me."Are you hurt?"I shook my head. "No, after I heard the bullet, I hid in another room. His goal was probably just to escort Elena out, so he didn't fire again.""Those people might have laid something here in the house. Once they set it off, we wouldn't even have the time to escape."It's no longer safe here. Alvin, relocate Tabitha ASAP.""It's all set, Alpha." Alvin then turned to me, "Let's go.""I...""I know what you wanna say, Tabitha. We'll talk later. For now, I can only tell you that these people have a complicated background. If they are really after you, it will be tricky," Derek said with a serious tone."But don't worry. At least, for now, you're safe. Their main goal is getting Elena out of here. In the next couple of days,
Tabitha's POVFor safety reasons, I took a helicopter back to the city.As soon as I got home, Dad rushed over, eager to know if Derek and I had patched things up."How did everything go with Derek today?"Faced with his concerned expression, I had no choice but to lie. "It was all good, Dad. Nothing to worry about. We spent the whole day together.""That's good to know. I was worried you still held a grudge against him. The twins are growing up day by day, and they can sense stuff too. Only when you stay relaxed and happy can they be healthy."With that, he smiled and took me to see his latest work, a beautiful handmade wooden bed."Check this out! I've been working on this crib for days, and finally, it's done."The crib had cute little animals carved into each corner, and they were polished smooth enough that even if the babies bit them, they wouldn't get hurt.There was even a bedbell hanging above it. The crib was so delicate, even c
Third person's POVAs Tabitha had expected, Daphne indeed couldn't sleep, not out of excitement, but out of anger.Just a short while ago, her people followed Derek's car to a villa, which wasn't the property of the Black Thorn Pack. Given the large number of werewolf guards outside, it was obvious that Tabitha was holed up in there.Daphne couldn't believe that on the eve of their wedding, her groom actually went to his ex-mate's place.Rage simmered inside her, almost driving her crazy.'Tabitha, don't blame me for this. You crossed the line first!' Daphne thought to herself.It seemed that nobody slept well tonight. Even though Tabitha didn't want Derek in her room, he stubbornly sat by her bedside all night long.The moonlight spilled over him like a soft glow, and in that dim light, Tabitha saw his bandaged hand. Yet she chose not to say a word about it.Eventually, drowsiness took over, and she drifted off to sleep.Derek lay down b
John's POVI quickly wiped the panic off my face, my brain racing as I tried to come up with an explanation."Just throwing some flower branches I've trimmed into the trash can."Having said that, I chucked a bunch of branches in, covering up the torn invitation perfectly."John, just let us handle the manual labor. You should rest well.""It's okay, moving around a bit will help me recover faster. Has Tabitha gotten up yet?""No, she's been sleeping a lot lately. Sometimes she doesn't wake up until eleven o'clock."Thus, I replied, "It's good to get some extra sleep. By the way, I just remembered today is the birthday of an old friend of mine. Can I borrow your phone to make a call?"Joanna, being as a kind-hearted girl as she was, handed it to me right away without thinking twice. "Here you go."I then dialed a number as I stepped aside.Seeing I was avoiding her, Joanna backed off a bit. She did nothing more than look up to check
John's POVA few years ago, when I found out that Derek wasn't planning to hold a wedding ceremony, I was livid.Tabitha was my only daughter. How could I let a man take her just like this?Yet Tabitha kept begging me, saying Derek was her mate and she trusted him wholeheartedly.As for the wedding thing, she didn't care about it. She told me that they didn't need such a superficial thing to prove their love for each other.Since I never got the love I wanted in my life, I sincerely hoped that Tabitha would get hers, so I didn't insist on it.However, I never imagined that my compromise was a huge mistake. Since there was no wedding, no one knew that Tabitha was Derek's mate.How ridiculous!Now that he was marrying another woman, he let the whole world know about it.I felt so bad for Tabitha. She gave up everything for that man, and what did she get in return? Betrayal!Even her hand was injured because of him!He asked me and
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
Third person's POVLeopold carefully compared the photos. Although the person in the photos was dressed differently and had a different appearance, the body shape and the action of holding things with the left hand were identical.Derek became alert, thinking to himself, "People like us are more sensitive than ordinary people. Such photos wouldn't catch the attention of most, but I've noticed something.""Where's the negative?" Derek asked."I'll have it sent over right away," Leopold replied."And Tabitha?" Derek inquired again."Don't worry, she followed me to the bar. She's in the lobby outside. I have my bodyguards keeping an eye on her," Leopold said.Tabitha had been following Leopold for several days, and Derek, concerned about his own people being exposed, asked Leopold's men to watch her.She maintained a simple daily routine without any issues.However, the photos now revealed to Derek that someone was tracking
The next day, Tabitha began to investigate Leopold's movements meticulously.For several days, she did not dare to slack off. Gloria, who had recently suffered a miscarriage, had been recuperating in Leopold's home, not venturing out.A tight-lipped woman handled the daily tasks of shopping, cooking, and cleaning.Despite Tabitha's attempts to get close to her, she couldn't extract any information.As a week passed, it had been half a month since Gloria's miscarriage, and by her nature, she should soon be able to go out.On the sixth day of tracking Leopold, he called Derek out for drinks.He rubbed his temple, looking troubled, "Your mate, doesn't she think she's disguising herself well?"With that, Leopold threw out a stack of photos, all of which were taken while Tabitha was following him.Tabitha's curious little head appeared adorable in the photos."Or do you think I'm so idle that I play house with her every day?"
Third person's POVAlpha Leopold took out a sapphire necklace from his pocket and placed it around Gloria's neck, his face instantly returning to that tender expression."Look, it suits you so well. Don't worry, whoever harmed our child will never see the sun again. Be good, take care of yourself, and don't think about anything else," he said.Gloria's face was devoid of any color, her back already soaked with cold sweat, chilling her. Cold sweat also beaded on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks.Her body trembled, filled with fear and despair, unsure of how to face this mad and cruel man.As a mother who had experienced the pain of losing a child twice, Tabitha was heartbroken and worried when she learned about what had happened to Gloria.Given Gloria's character, if her relationship with Leopold was normal, she would have informed Tabitha even if she had lost the child.Her silence largely indicated that her relationship with