Derek's POV
I'd never been so uneasy in my whole life. 'Could it be those guys?' I wondered.
If it was them, I guessed neither Tabitha nor Daphne would make it out alive today. Chances were, they might die horribly.
I'd been in all kinds of danger, yet now, I found myself trembling.
Each of my fingers shook uncontrollably.
I had witnessed the terrible deaths of many, and I was prepared for the day that I, too, would die the same way.
Yet I didn't want it to happen to my loved one.
It took me years to keep my identity under wraps. Finally, I reached where I was today, becoming that formidable Alpha Derek in everyone's eyes. What gave me away?
Did my trip to the island attract someone's attention?
I shook my head, getting those thoughts out of my mind, as it was pointless to dwell on these things.
I didn't even dare to show the slightest hint of worry.
If money was the only thing the person was after, I'd be relieved.
Both the Black Thorn Pack and the Amber's Eye Pack were well-fixed.
What worried me was that the person didn't want money.
I glanced at Mark and Justin, who knew my secrets.
The life of Daphne, their baby girl, was at risk. Yet even so, they wouldn't blow my cover. They didn't have a choice.
However, the turn of events surprised me.
None of us expected the person would make such a request.
I didn't think it was any better than asking me to reveal my identity.
The gorgeous diamonds on Daphne's gown reflected a dazzling halo in the sun.
The black cloth covering her eyes had long since been drenched with her tears, and they ruined the makeup she had spent a long time putting on this morning.
Tabitha, on the other hand, didn't wear any makeup. Her complexion was almost transparent, and even her lips were abnormally pale.
"Derek's ex-wife seems so calm. Perhaps a bit too calm. I mean, come on. She may die! How come she's not panicking at all?"
"Isn't she afraid of death?"
"Only those who feel they can be saved will call for help. But she's never pleaded. Maybe she's already expected that she'll be the one being given up. No matter how desperate she calls for help, it'll be in vain. So, why bother?"
Their words echoed in my ears, and as I looked at Tabitha, I felt that my heart was torn into pieces.
Tabitha smiled, "I'm not afraid of death. I just wanna know one thing before I die. Mom, I've been waiting for you for over ten years. Do you care about me or not? Please. Just tell me. Once ... is enough."
Hearing that, everyone fixed their eyes on Holly.
Daphne was still shouting at the top of her lungs, "Mom! You said you'd protect me!
"You said you'd treat me like your own daughter even though we aren't related by blood!"
Tabitha's POV
Perhaps I'd die. But I didn't care.
I just wanted an answer from Holly, the woman I had been waiting for over a decade, before I died.
"Mom... You'll choose me, right?" I asked in a trembling voice.
It no longer mattered to me whether I lived or died. I just wanted her to show me that she cared about me.
Then I'd know my waiting for her all these years wasn't in vain.
I was blindfolded, so I couldn't see Holly's expression. It made me anxious and uneasy.
I had lost to Daphne once, and I had no intention of losing to her again.
A long while passed, yet Holly still remained silent. The woman impatiently urged, "What is it, Mrs. Sutton? Is it this hard to choose between them? Well then. I might as well do you a favor. Someone! Cut off both ropes."
"No!" Holly screamed. "I choose Daphne!"
I heard the crowd burst into an uproar.
"Did I hear her right? She chose her stepdaughter?!"
"Fuck me! Mothers who don't love their daughters do exist!"
"She sacrificed her own daughter's life for her happiness. Won't she feel guilty at all?"
"The girl is abandoned by her own mother. I can't even imagine how sad she'll be."
I had been holding back my tears, yet hearing Holly's words, they poured down my cheeks.
"Why? Why am I always the one abandoned?"
Tears trickled down my chin.
I didn't yell or curse, just murmuring in tears.
The woman wanted me to live and suffer. She did it.
I turned and said in Holly's direction, "You've already abandoned me once. And you're abandoning me again?"
"Tabitha, I'm sorry. But I don't have a choice."
I sneered, "You're sorry?
"I don't want your apology. I wanna be treated like your daughter as I deserve. As I recall, you told me the exact same words when you walked out on me back then. Yeah, you don't have a choice, then what about me? Do I have a choice?
"If possible, I'd rather have been born into a poor family with a gentle mom who treated me well. It's way better than being abandoned by you over and over again.
"Those bullies were right. I never had a mom. What was I expecting?"
"Tabitha, I love you. I love you so much. But you know, Daphne's a poor kid. Her mom passed away when she was little, and she was never mothered..."
Was she listening to herself? Did she know how ironic her words sounded?
I heard noisy discussion coming from the screen. All the guests were condemning her choice.
Satisfied with the answer, the woman piped up again.
"It's your turn now, Derek. Ex-wife or fiancée? I'm actually looking forward to your answer more than Mrs. Sutton's."