LOGINTabitha's POV
Standing in front of Noah's painting, I could feel his unpolished spirit strongly.In the past, he could already create stunning works using black and white only.And now, the addition of colors enhanced his work even greatly.Staring at his painting, I felt relieved and happy."It's perfect," I said. Then I encouraged him, "Given more opportunities to learn, I'm sure you're gonna be something."Noah lifted his head, his eyes sparkling."I learn from the best, Tabitha. You'll stay here, right?"Feeling bitter, I answered hesitantly, "Yeah."Actually, I had no idea how long I could stay here.Derek's shadow and the unknown risks hung over my head like a sword that might fall at any moment.Noah said with concern, "Tabitha, you look terrible. And you've been moping these days. Are you worried about Kyrian?"Shaking my head gently, I said, "Not at all. Why should I? He eats well and sleeps well, and there are a bThe 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
"Alright, keep an eye on her.""Yes, Alpha Derek.""What about the Rios family?""Bentley thought you were dead for sure. He was ecstatic. He's been busy this last month, trying to pull people over to his side."Derek lit a cigarette, his expression icy. "Good. Let's see who the traitors are. We can clean house all at once. There's no use keeping disloyal people around.""Understood."As soon as Derek returned, the atmosphere in Seattle changed again.He stood high in a skyscraper, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was cold as he looked down at the traffic below. The heavy snow fell, unaware.The snow was beautiful. Beautiful enough to cover all the filth."It's time to end this."The thought that Tabitha was also in this bustling city added a touch of warmth to his heart."Tabitha, where are you?"He remembered his promise. He didn't actively try to track her down.The two parallel line
A single snowflake drifted down. Instinctively, she reached out. The flake quickly melted in her palm, a cool touch, just like the feeling in her heart.She took a deep breath of cold air. Her nose stung, but she forced herself not to dwell on anything.Seattle. She was back again.Looking at the familiar snowy scenery, Tabitha felt a mix of complex emotions.Winter in this city was still so cold. But this time, the person she used to be with was gone. It felt both solid and completely empty.Two people in puffer jackets passed by, whispering. "Look at that motorcade. Must be some rich guy or a politician, right? The display is so over the top."Tabitha heard them but didn't stop. She raised her hand and hailed a cab.Her fingers were still cool from catching the snowflake. As she opened the taxi door, she didn't even risk a side glance at the line of cars.It was only after Tabitha's taxi drove away that the distant Lincoln mo







