Tabitha's POV
I heard Derek going upstairs.
So, I quickly finished my shower, put on a bathrobe, and walked out.
As I pushed open the door, I saw Derek holding a wooden tray.
On the tray were sliced roasted turkey and potatoes.
Derek averted his gaze imperceptibly, his Adam's apple rolling slightly.
"The roasted turkey is ready. Give it a go. See if it still tastes the same."
It was such a long morning, and I hadn't had a chance to eat. So my stomach was rumbling.
Mark took me away from the island in a hurry, and I didn't get to bring my meds.
It'd cover a whole month, and I had been taking it for half a month. During those 15 days, my wound had never hurt or gotten worse.
Jasper repeatedly reminded me that I had to take it on time every day.
But ever since I came back, I hadn't been able to reach him. Now that I didn't have my meds, my wound had started to hurt again.
So, for the sake of my health, I decided to at least fill my stomach. "Thanks," I said.
I avoided Derek's hand that was about to feed me. The food was at just the right temperature, so I downed it in a flash.
Derek brought a towel and gently wiped my hair.
He was so tender and cautious as if I were some fragile porcelain doll.
I found it ridiculous, but I didn't stop him from waiting on me.
After having a great meal, I lay down on the bed and said, "I'm gonna catch some sleep."
I wouldn't argue with Derek or reject his gestures of goodwill, but I wouldn't waste another second talking to him either.
Derek had to get up and walk out. "Sleep tight."
I didn't have time to care about his feelings. I had to take better care of myself and strive to live as long as I could.
I was no longer pessimistic. Instead, I was like a flower seed stuck in the mud. No matter how bad the environment was, I strived to burst out of the bud, blossom, and bear fruit.
I didn't even know how long I slept before my phone started buzzing.
"Hello."
Mark said, his voice hoarse, "Holly's condition has worsened again since you left. The doctor has issued a critical condition notice. She's not making it past three days"
My sleepiness vanished instantly, and I jumped up, comforting, "Calm down. I'll be there in a sec."
Finally, I reconciled with Holly and let go of our past grievances. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be loved by my mom. And today, he was telling me that she was gonna die?
I hurriedly got dressed and headed downstairs. The maid told me that Derek had left not long ago.
I couldn't care less where he was off to. I just had the chauffeur take me to the hospital.
When I arrived, Mark was sitting alone on the bench, staring into the distance without blinking, with no focus in his eyes.
"Mark," I called out softly.
Mark's eyes were red, and he said, almost whispering, "You're here..."
I sat down next to him. "How is she doing?"
"Multiple of her organs have begun to fail."
I clenched my fists. "How could this be?"
Mark looked up at the sky. "That's what I wanna know, too. Holly has never done anything evil. Why is this happening to her?"
Suddenly, he seemed to have an idea. His eyes became resolute. "I won't let her die, no matter what it takes."
"Mark, what do you want to do?"
His face showed some scary, obsessive determination.
"Tabitha, you know Poison and Wolf Shadow? It's a mysterious organization composed of rogues. They've got some excellent doctors there. If we can find them, there might still be hope for Holly!"
Just hearing "Poison and Wolf Shadow" made me get serious. "Mark, I'll be straight with you, OK? The people who kidnapped me before are connected to Poison and Wolf Shadow. They are vicious."
"I know. I used to detest them deeply because they treated lives as nothing. But it's also true that they can save lives. For Holly, I have to do this."
I wasn't sure if they were going after Holly because of me. But what I did know was that they were malicious, and they might be setting a trap for Mark.
"If you go to them, you'll be making a deal with the devil."
"Tabitha, can you watch Holly die while sitting around doing nothing?"
If it were a week ago, my answer would have been yes.
But not anymore.
When Rolf came, he told me the results of the investigation. Daphne was the only one who was in Holly's ward besides the hospital staff.
Would Daphne really do something this horrible to her stepmother?
And what did she want?
Anyway, it was just my speculation. I didn't have any solid proof.
Seeing me silent, Mark patted my shoulder and said, "Tabitha, I have made up my mind."
As I watched him walk away dejectedly, once again, I was overwhelmed by the sense of powerlessness.
I didn't want any of this to happen, and of course, I didn't want Mark to do so, but I knew nothing about Poison and Wolf Shadow.
What should I do to help Holly?
Shall I go to Derek?
But both Elena and Daphne, my enemies, had a close relationship with him, so I didn't trust him.
As I got up, my purse fell to the floor, and as it was unzipped, a business card slipped out.
I bent down to pick it up, and my gaze paused for a moment on Klein's name.
He was the CEO of a multinational corporation, so he must have heard of Poison and Wolf Shadow. Could I ask him for help?
But I wasn't familiar with him at all. Wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate to ask him such a favor?
I was feeling pretty torn up when I noticed a bunch of people in the distance crying their eyes out. Seemed they had just lost their family.
Finally making up my mind, I gritted my teeth and dialed the number on the card.
I was prepared that the call wouldn't be connected. After all, it was his work phone number, and it was difficult to get through to such a well-known CEO.
To my surprise, after three rings, I heard his melodious voice. "Hello."
It actually went through!
My heart was pounding, and I felt a bit flustered as I said, "Hello. This is Tabitha. Sorry for calling you so bluntly."
His voice brightened a bit upon hearing my voice. "Ms. Hartley, are you in trouble?"
"Something happened indeed. Can we meet up? I wanna talk to you about it in person."
"Absolutely. It'd be my pleasure."
We set a place to meet, and Klein ended the call.