Tabitha's POV
When I finally came around, it was already evening, and I could hear crying coming from the hallway.
I groggily opened my eyes, not moving at all, just staring blankly at the ceiling in a daze.
Everything felt surreal, like some kind of twisted dream.
Derek's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me, his voice hoarse. "Tabitha, finally, you're awake."
Seeing him looking so worn out, I knew he must've been pulling all-nighters for days just to take care of me.
Right now, my lips were so dry that I couldn't even part them.
Derek told me, "For the past few days, you have only been getting nutrients through IVs and haven't eaten any solid food. I've been using cotton swabs dipped in water to keep your lips moist. It's normal that you feel them dry.
"What do you want? Are you thirsty or hungry? Just let me know."
"I'm thirsty..."
The moment Derek heard me speak up, his face lit up with relief as he jumped to his feet.
But as soon as he stood up, he wobbled on his feet for a second before nearly crashing down.
Fortunately, he was nimble enough, managing to catch himself against the table before falling flat.
Despite looking awkward, he didn't skip a beat, dashing over to the table to fetch me a glass of water.
That was when I noticed he was still wearing the same clothes from days ago.
So he hadn't left my side since the night I passed out in his arms.
"Tabitha, don't rush it. Take your time," he said gently.
He had dark circles under his eyes, grey stubble shadowing his chin.
He looked so worn out, nothing like the man I once knew—the one who always dressed sharp and seemed powerful and domineering like a king no matter what happened.
He was taking care of me even more carefully than before.
My throat hurt like hell, so I remained silent, just quietly sipping on the water.
After feeding me half a glass, Derek gently wiped the corners of my mouth with a tissue. Then he brushed his fingers against my gaunt cheek, his eyes full of concern.
"No other pregnant woman has ever become as thin as you. After we pampered you for more than six months, you were finally getting some curves back. But now, all that effort has gone wasted."
Listening to his soft muttering, I couldn't help tracing my face.
It seemed like I had returned to the time when we were about to go through the rejection ceremony, looking weak as hell like some delicate gardenia flower about to wilt away.
"Are you hungry? You can have some soft food now."
Feeling weak all over, I managed to nod weakly.
Derek had someone bring over some polenta that had been heated and fed it to me.
He was doing it slowly and gently, without rushing me at all.
I kept quiet, staring at my fingers absent-mindedly. Silence stretched between us.
"Tabitha, are you okay?" Derek spoke up, an uneasy expression on his face.
After eating something, I finally gained a bit of strength back. So I nodded and said, "You should eat something too."
Derek's bloodshot eyes locked onto mine in surprise, like he couldn't believe what I just said.
With an expressionless face, I explained, "Derek, although I hate you, when it comes to our pups, we are allies. I need your help finding whoever's behind all this.
"But let me be clear: whether Elena is involved or not, I won't hold back when it comes time for revenge! If we cross paths again, she's toast!
"You don't have to worry about me committing suicide. I have thought it through. I know what I am doing. I won't let Joanna die in vain. I'm gonna live on, better than anyone else!
"Since that person went to such great lengths just to take me out, it indicates my existence has had a significant impact on him or her. So I've gotta stick around and figure out the truth, as there might be an even bigger secret lurking behind all this!"
With determination surging through me, I got up and walked over to the bathroom. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I found my weakness faded away like dust blown away by the wind.
My gaze sharpened with newfound resolve, and I felt reborn like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
The loss of my pups turned my hatred into armor sharper than any blade.