Tabitha's POVNoticing the shift in Kelsey's expression, I calmly dried my hands with a tissue and applied hand cream with deliberate care."Miss Arnold, I'm not sure what you're trying to prove here—whether it's your childish games or the family background you take pride in. All I know is that in matters of love, the one who is unloved is the real loser. Derek doesn't love you. I'd wager he feels more affection for the old man selling coffee on the corner than he does for you."I set the hand cream down. "If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to even show up, let alone make a scene.""Tabitha, let's wait and see who the real loser is. We will meet again soon."Kelsey retorted, though her lack of confidence was evident.Indeed, what I was proud of was not anything else, but Derek's love for me.Without Derek, I was nothing.But with him, I had the whole world.Kelsey's threats didn't really bother me. Derek loved me, so I didn't have to be afraid of any other woman.If he stopped lovi
Tabitha's POVThe crowd buzzed with murmurs."It's surprising to see Mrs. Greenwood being overly kind. Does she think just because the cleaner is part of a disadvantaged group, he should be let off scot-free for making a mistake? So if I crashed a Rolls-Royce tomorrow and said I couldn't afford it, would that be okay?""If Mrs. Greenwood is so wealthy, why not just pay the 80 thousand for him? Why bother morally coercing a minor actress here?""Exactly. I thought she and Mr. Greenwood made a charming couple on stage, but now she doesn't seem so impressive. Our earnings as actresses aren't easy to come by. Such gowns are hard to borrow in the first place, and now that it's stained, it's ruined. Compensation is one thing, but being blacklisted for staining it is a loss that can't be undone with just words.""Don't mention paying 80 thousand. Twice that amount wouldn't be enough. Lisa is already asking for a very reasonable price."Hearing the crowd's chatter, the cleaner became increasi
Tabitha's POVDerek quickly came to my side and wrapped me in his arms. "Are you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine. I just couldn't stand by while someone was being bullied. I just helped out a bit."After explaining, I turned to Lisa. "I can provide evidence of purchasing the dress, including photos of it hanging in my wardrobe at home. Miss Booth, what evidence do you have?"Seeing my earnestness, Lisa could only bluff, "My agent borrowed this dress for me. All the documentation is with her.""Then call your agent over and ask her which atelier she borrowed it from to clear yourself.""She has just left. How am I supposed to find her now?""So you have no evidence, and you're falsely accusing others and inflating prices. It wouldn't be too far off to call it extortion, would it?"Lisa became nervous. "Extortion? Don't make wild accusations. Come on. You have a lot of influence, and I can't afford to cross you. I guess I'm just unlucky."Lisa, of course, wouldn't dare to confront Derek directly
Third person's POVBefore Lisa ventured into showbiz, she was notorious as a troublemaker, always bullying others and never being bullied herself.Although she was a minor figure in the entertainment industry, she was quite adept at seizing opportunities and associating with numerous men.Her focus was solely on making money. Whether she could act or not was not important to her. As long as it could bring in money, she didn't care about the means.However, she hadn't anticip
Derek's POVAlvin looked a bit anxious.After taking a deep breath, he piped up, "If we don't handle it properly, we're gonna be in trouble. Professional hitmen would usually visit the site in advance, carefully planning how to take the target out and deal with the body. They'll never easily expose themselves or leave fingerprints behind."Rolf, on the other hand, is careless, which is why he ended up being the scapegoat."Alpha Derek, that bastard wore gloves, so he left no
Tabitha's POV It was late at night. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone buzzed with a notification. After clicking on it, I was shocked to see Lisa's death photo with mosaic applied. In the photo, she was lying in the snow, her face blurred. She was still wearing that dress, which she used as an excuse to make a scene earlier. But the
Derek's POVIt took Tabitha a long time to fall asleep, and I was there soothing her the whole time.Even though she seemed fine lately and showed no side effects, I still felt worried.From the reports on the test subjects, everyone experienced some level of backlash, but Tabitha hadn't shown any signs.That wasn't exactly good news; it just meant she hadn't hit that breaking point yet.Once
Tabitha's POVI fixed my eyes on Derek, who seemed to be lost in thought.After a moment, he cleared his throat and replied, trying to downplay the seriousness, "There's a bit of a problem indeed. It's about Rolf. Lisa's death has caused quite a stir online, and I don't want all this nonsense stressing you out.""Is it very tricky?" I asked with a frown."Not so much. The reason I haven't let PR handle it yet is because we're still gathering evidence. Some shady folks are tr
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
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?"