Tabitha's POV
His voice rang out all of a sudden, like a bucket of cold water splashing towards me, instantly waking me up.
I turned my head and looked at Derek, whose appearance startled me.
Blood from Elena still smeared my face, and I knew I must look like a stranger to him now.
Derek looked at me, his eyes filled with shock. "Tabitha, you knew?"
I stared into his eyes without the slightest intention of looking away. Then I sneered, "Surprised, aren't you? While you were busy trying to figure out how to calm me down, I had already taken action. Derek, you said you'd handle this, remember? Well, I've already dealt with her."
I looked at him and continued coldly, "You handle it yourself? Or shall I?"
Elena's body bore five wounds, and her white dress was stained red with blood, making her look even more fragile and delicate.
Derek tried to soothe me. He said, "Tabitha, please, just calm down. Let's talk this through. Don't act on impulse."
I sneered, "Calm down? What about all the suffering I've been through these last two years? You really expect to make all that go away with just two words? Because of you and her, the Silver Moon Pack is on the verge of collapsing, and Dad is barely holding on. Of all people, you should know I almost died at her hand multiple times! While you're feeling sorry for her, have you ever spared a thought for me?"
A trace of pain flashed across Derek's eyes. "Tabitha, I know Elena is at all fault for all of this, and I understand if you hate both her and me. I'll make it up to you on her behalf. Take my life if you want, just don't hurt her."
I bit my lip, and the hatred in my heart grew stronger.
"I shouldn't have trusted you ever since the beginning, Derek. I won't let either of you go! You both owe me! I'll make you pay a thousand times! She must die today!"
I raised my claw, the sharp nails slicing through the swirling sea breeze.
My resolve was unshakable.
Alvin and Rolf, along with others, caught up, trying to reason with me. "Tabitha, don't act impulsively."
"Indeed. Let's talk this through, OK?"
Fury consumed me. I roared, "No way! As I said, Elena must die today! Derek, I've had enough!"
After saying that, I raised my claw even higher and was about to cut at the rope from which Elena was hanging.
The approach of great white sharks made it clear that Elena would meet a certain death if she fell.
However, with a loud bang, my joint went numb, followed by a spurt of blood splattering before my eyes.
Crystal screamed in agony in my mind.
The wound in my abdomen began to ache sharply again.
The sound of the gunshot rang in my ears, and my thoughts went blank.
I paused for a few seconds before realizing what had happened. I turned, disbelieving, to see Derek in the distance, a gun in his hand.
He shot me.
The pain in my wrist was nothing compared to the searing ache in my heart.
It felt as if my heart had been pierced, a cold wind whistling through the empty space left behind.
Derek rushed over. Seeing that, the bodyguard grabbed me and said, "Ms. Hartley, let's go."
I was completely stunned, my mind reeling from the image of Derek shooting me.
Finally, he chose Elena over me.
The bodyguard took me onto the speedboat. As I was on the boat, no one dared to shoot again.
Someone immediately pressed a towel against the wound on my wrist with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Ms. Hartley, sorry."
What had happened caught everyone off guard. No one had anticipated that Derek would turn his gun on me.
I stared at Derek, who was holding Elena, my eyes hollow.
That was the man I had loved. Tears mixed with my blood, streaming down uncontrollably.