Tabitha's POV
I opened my mouth, and at that moment, I had the urge to let everything out.
The thought flashed through my mind, and soon I remembered Derek's contemptuous face.
He had mocked me countless times in the past, playing tricks and manipulating me. If I spoke up now, he might just dismiss it and think I was just exonerating my father.
Moreover, before I could uncover the truth, revealing my suspicions too soon could tip them off and make things worse.
So I swallowed my words again.
Regardless of any mastermind, the relationship between me and Derek wouldn't be affected. His infidelity was a fact.
I remained calm and responded with a muffled sound.
With his answer, all the things became even clearer to me.
I tightened my grip on his clothes, determined to uncover the truth. It became my only purpose for enduring.
"I knew it," I muttered.
"There's no need to dwell on things that have already passed, let's go to sleep," he replied.
Then he held me tightly and fell into a deep sleep.
I didn't mention Daphne in front of him, and it seemed like the two of us were back in the past.
But it was just a superficial harmony. When he fell asleep, I opened my eyes in his arms.
I moved away to almost the edge of the bed, unwilling to have any contact with him.
The next morning, I was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window and the laughter of children.
Then a familiar voice struck me.
It was filled with curiosity and excitement. "Wow, what a beautiful house, Noah, can you paint it?"
"On someone else's territory, you should be more restrained, don't forget how terrifying that person is," came the cautious reply.
Derek indeed kept his promise.
He brought the people from the island.
I changed my clothes and walked downstairs.
"Tabitha!" Noah greeted me happily upon seeing my appearance.
I happily said, "How did you all come?"
He answered, "Yesterday, many people came to the island. Some were measuring, some were wandering around, and some brought us a lot of supplies. We were picked up early this morning. Tabitha, wasn't it you who arranged this?"
I didn't expect Derek to take action so quickly, so I nodded.
Derek's voice came from around the corner, "Now are you happy with that?"
The kids instinctively shielded me from him. Little did I expect to encounter Derek here.
"Don't be afraid, he won't hurt me," I reassured them.
I had already seen the coldness in Derek's eyes, so I walked up, held his arm, and asked, "How did you bring them here?"
"Aren't you concerned about these two kids? I've taken care of their schooling." He pointed at Noah. "Since he has talent in painting, he should go to a professional college for further studies.
"As for this troublemaker, the Werewolf Academy was a perfect fit for him."
I didn't know what price he paid to send them in, but his thoughtfulness lightened my mood.
"Thank you," I said, and it was from the bottom of my heart.
Derek straightened his cuffs. "I have handed over your job application to the HR department. Come to work on time in three days."
After saying that, he left without even having breakfast, as if he deliberately left us with some space.
I found that he seemed to have changed, with a hint of his former self.
As soon as he left, the kids became talkative and started asking endless questions.
When no one was around, they secretly handed me a note with a phone number on it.
I dialed the number and a familiar male voice came through. "It's me."
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Uh-hum." Lucian's voice remained indifferent.
I told him about the island.
He didn't show much surprise and said, "I knew you would keep your word."
I bit my lip and expressed my concerns, "Lucian, can you do me a favor? Right now, I can't trust anyone except you."
He readily agreed to me without hesitation.
After the call, Aiden, Noah, and I chatted for a while. "Tabitha, after you left, Lucian also left the island. He should have come to Seattle. If you need his help, just tell him."
"Do you know his background?" I found Lucian to be quite mysterious, a werewolf who always wore a mask.
Until now, I didn't know what he looked like.
I did need his help, for what Obadiah could find out was definitely limited.
But Lucian was different. Maybe he had special channels to find out more.
Besides, his identity was mysterious enough that the mastermind behind the scenes was unaware of his existence.
"Lucian drifted to our island a few years ago. When he arrived, he was barely alive. It was Julia who saved him. It seems like he didn't have any family, so he settled down on our island. However, I think Lucian must be a very powerful person. His wolf is incredibly strong, and Julia says he definitely has Alpha or Beta lineage," Aiden answered.
Speaking of this, Aiden scratched his head embarrassedly, "Tabitha, I was really nervous that day, and I almost hit you. But your ex cared about you very much, almost instinctively protecting you."
Aiden is young and daring. Although he hates Derek, he so doesn't mince words in his praise.
I didn't really want to bring up this topic, so I ruffled Aidan's hair. "You have taken a special path, so you must study hard in the future and make Julia happy for you."
"I knew, Tabitha," he answered.
Later, I took them to a famous local art exhibition, and it was Noah's first time to have a close encounter with such artwork.
He was greatly shocked and overwhelmed, so much so that he didn't know where to look.
Noah's eyes were filled with joy as he said, "Tabitha, take a look at this painting. It is really cleverly done."