LOGINTabitha's POV
Amidst the crowd, my eyes locked with Klein's.A whirlwind of complicated feelings rushed through me, finally settling on guilt.I had agreed to give him my kidney, and that day, he was all prepped and ready for surgery. But at the last minute, Derek swooped in and took me away.I didn't even get to say I was sorry before leaving.After I was brought back to Seattle, my number got changed, so I couldn't reach Klein, let alone apologize to him.I never expected to run into him here.Didn't he return to his home country? Why was he back in Seattle?Unlike me, who was feeling incredibly sorry, Klein seemed pretty chill.Instead of being upset, he just gave me a gentle smile and nodded as if to say hi.Ivonne, who had been cursing me the whole time, suddenly realized I wasn't even glancing her way.She grew even angrier, yelling to draw my attention, "Hey! Who the hell are you looking at? You're pregnant, OK? Stop flirAustin clearly wasn't used to that kind of closeness.As an assassin, he was guarded against everyone. He wouldn't just eat something offered by another person."I..." He was about to decline, but the word didn't leave his mouth.Seeing him hesitate, Tabitha speared a berry with a small fork and held it near his lips.Her eyes were bright with anticipation. "Hurry, eat it! The ice cream inside will melt."Against his better judgment, Austin opened his mouth and bit down.In that moment, he caught sight of the red bracelet on Tabitha's pale wrist. His eyes instantly narrowed.That bracelet was Joanna's!He had bought the cheap bracelet just to earn Joanna's trust. It wasn't expensive, but Joanna had been thrilled.A good assassin was supposed to be a master of disguise.But now, away from his mission role and back to his "real" self, he struggled to handle Tabitha's sudden warmth."What's wrong? Doesn't it t
Tabitha waved a hand, resting her fingertips casually on the tablecloth, as if discussing something trivial. "I was traveling a while ago and just ran into it. I remembered you mentioning it, so I brought it back. I thought it would look beautiful if you painted it.""How can you 'just run into' it like that? You clearly..." Austin stopped midsentence. His gaze suddenly fixed.Tabitha happened to lift her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. A shallow, light brown scab on her palm became visible.The injury was from a few days ago when she was searching for the edelweiss in the wilderness. The wound had healed, but the scab hadn't fallen off yet, making it stand out starkly against her pale skin."What happened to your hand?" Austin's voice subconsciously deepened. His eyes were locked on the scab.Tabitha seemed a little embarrassed by the question. She quickly hid her hand behind her back, curling her fingers, and deliberately chan
The first time he saw her, she was wearing a nightgown, heavily pregnant, and had fallen weakly on the rug. He had a gun pointed right at her heart.She was Tabitha, one of his former targets.Austin was stunned that a person buried in the past was standing right in front of him."Excuse me..."Tabitha tucked her hair behind her ear. Her face held a confident, generous smile. "I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Hallett."Tabitha studied Austin. He had failed the assassination back then. Due to the massive losses, his organization had expelled him.He had gone straight, living the life of an ordinary person.But Joanna, whom he had killed, was buried deep in the ground. Her body was long since bone."Why do good people die young while the bad ones linger?"Six years. Tabitha could never forget the image of Joanna taking a bullet for her.She started researching Austin three years ago and reached out two ye
Tabitha tried to push him away. "Stop, I'm running out of time."Derek simply pinned her hands above her head. His eyes were as savage as a wolf's. "But I'm just exercising my rights."With that, he rolled up her soft, white knit sweater to her armpits. The mirror behind her felt cold, but Derek in front of her was far too hot.Before losing all control, Tabitha, her eyes smoldering, managed to utter one command, "Don't leave marks on my neck.""Fine," Derek answered hoarsely.When they were finished, Tabitha looked at the parts covered by her sweater. They were bruised purple and red."Derek, are you a dog?"Derek gave her a wronged look. "But you said it was okay."Tabitha scoffed. "Now I have to shower again.""You're late anyway. What's the rush? I'll help you."He was clearly doing this on purpose!Tabitha ended up delaying her departure by a full hour.As she was leaving, Derek, his eyes full of warmth, backed her against the car. "Tabitha, if I satisfy you, you won't want any o
He bent down and picked her up, carrying her steadily to the bed. He gently placed her on the soft mattress.This was the bed they used after they got married. The spot on the wall where their wedding photo used to hang still showed a few scissor marks.Now, those marks felt like proof of their sweet history.Their actions were more intense than when they first mated.Back then, Tabitha was just twenty. She would shyly pull away halfway through a kiss. Derek, afraid of scaring her, always held back, stopping before things went too far.But now was different. Her assertiveness made him lose control. Her fingers tugged at his shirt buttons. Her breath was scorching hot.Derek couldn't hold back anymore. He took control, deepening the kiss, pouring all the yearning of the past few years into this one night.The blizzard outside hammered against the glass with a sharp crackle, yet the room was as warm as spring.The vent blew hot a
Lucian looked down at the top of her head. Complex emotions stirred in his eyes. There was warmth, hesitation, and a heavy feeling Tabitha didn't understand.After a long silence, he softly hummed, "Yeah." His voice was lower than usual.Just then, the phone on the table buzzed.Tabitha picked it up. The screen showed a text from an unknown number. It included the address for "Oak Alley Coffee Bookstore" in Seattle.She knew the place well; it was where she first met Joanna.Her fingers quickly tapped "Got it" in reply. When she put the phone down, a sharp, cold smile touched her lips. "See? The fish took the bait.""Do you want me to get you a new identity?" Lucian sat up. His tone instantly turned serious; he was always afraid something would happen to her.Tabitha shook her head. Her finger slid across the bookstore name on the screen. Her eyes were determined. "No need. I'll end it where it started.""Be careful. He's not j







