Third person's POV
As Tabitha had expected, Daphne indeed couldn't sleep, not out of excitement, but out of anger.
Just a short while ago, her people followed Derek's car to a villa, which wasn't the property of the Black Thorn Pack. Given the large number of werewolf guards outside, it was obvious that Tabitha was holed up in there.
Daphne couldn't believe that on the eve of their wedding, her groom actually went to his ex-mate's place.
Rage simmered inside her, almost driving her crazy.
'Tabitha, don't blame me for this. You crossed the line first!' Daphne thought to herself.
It seemed that nobody slept well tonight. Even though Tabitha didn't want Derek in her room, he stubbornly sat by her bedside all night long.
The moonlight spilled over him like a soft glow, and in that dim light, Tabitha saw his bandaged hand. Yet she chose not to say a word about it.
Eventually, drowsiness took over, and she drifted off to sleep.
Derek lay down beside her, his mind filled with memories of everything they had shared together. He had no idea where things had gone so wrong that they ended up like this.
Even though Tabitha hated his guts, he couldn't bring himself to cut his ties with her.
He hadn't slept long before dawn broke. When he woke up, he looked at Tabitha, who was still asleep, and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before slipping away.
As the sun rose, a new day began. Everything was bathed in warm sunlight, gradually awakening from the weariness of the night.
Just then, someone's arrival disrupted the tranquility of the house.
"You've got the address wrong. There's no one named Tabitha here!" The guard's serious voice sounded.
Derek had specifically instructed them not to let anyone through. Even though the visitor was dressed decently, they couldn't risk. After all, if anything happened to Tabitha because they let someone in, they couldn't afford the consequences.
The man in a suit said with a polite smile on his face, "I'm a friend of Ms. Hartley, and I only came to bring her an invitation."
"Just shut up and go. You heard me, we don't have a Tabitha or a Ms. Hartley here."
"I know she's here. Today is my lady's big day. If Ms. Hartley doesn't show up, she'll be really disappointed. I don't wanna fail my lady. Please, at least let me see Ms. Hartley in person. I just wanna check if she wants to come or not."
"Get lost or I'll throw you out myself."
Upon hearing that, John, who was tending to the flowers and plants, walked out and asked, "Who's your lady? What do you mean by her big day?"
The man didn't recognize John. Seeing an opportunity, he quickly took out the invitation and replied, "It's my lady's wedding today. She hopes Ms. Hartley can be there. Here, this is an invitation she specially prepared for Ms. Hartley."
John took it, thinking, 'It's just an invitation. It shouldn't pose any danger to Tabitha, right?'
"Alright, you may leave now. I'll make sure she has it."
"Thanks!"
John then went back to trimming the remaining branches. After doing it for a while, he suddenly recalled the invitation. 'Tabitha should have got up now,' he thought.
Thus, after washing his hands clean, he decided to take a look at the wedding invitation. He was hoping the wedding might bring some joy and luck to his daughter.
'So who's the bride?' he wondered.
Curiosity piqued, John opened up the invitation.
His eyes widened as he read what was printed inside.
Groom: Derek Greenwood.
Bride: Daphne Sutton.
The glass of milk slipped from John's hand and smashed onto the floor as his face turned pale.
His mind went blank with shock.
He thought to himself, 'How could the groom be Derek? It must be a mistake!
'He's Tabitha's mate, and they are even expecting two babies now. How could he possibly have a wedding today?'
John's hands trembled uncontrollably, his head buzzing.
'Maybe it's just some sick joke. I'll go confirm it. Tabitha's pregnant. She can't see this,' he said to himself.
After noting down the hotel address, John quickly tore up the wedding invitation and threw it into the trash can.
"John, what are you doing here?" Joanna's voice sounded from behind.