Tabitha's POV
After I finished taking a shower, I found Derek leaning on the leather sofa.
His head tilted slightly back, his handsome face filled with exhaustion. His eyes were tightly closed. It seemed that he had fallen asleep.
I glanced at him and didn't wake him up. Instead, I sat down quietly across from him and casually picked up a programming book.
A cool breeze blew in through the window, and Derek woke up slowly.
I looked at the desolate scene outside. It seemed like it would snow in a few days.
The room was brightly lit, forming a sharp contrast with the dark and gloomy sky outside.
On the table were freshly flown-in flowers, trimmed elegantly, with a faint scent of freshness lingering in the air.
However, no matter how cozy this place was decorated, it could not change the relationship between me and Derek.
The cold used to be outside, but now it was between us.
Like before, when I saw him sleeping, I would definitely cover him with a blanket. Unlike now, I didn't even bother.
I was sitting across from him, reading a book. His gaze was gentle.
I said in an indifferent tone, "Are you awake? I heard you found something?"
It was a clean and sharp opening, without even a hint of tact.
Now, Derek played the role of a tool in my heart, and I never hid it.
In my words, this was what he owed me, so he should make amends properly.
"Well, during this period of time, I had someone investigate all the Eastfort Roads. There are a total of fifty-two roads with this name across the country, and among them, thirty-something roads have either undergone renovations, changed their names, or been requisitioned. After a long search, I finally managed to confirm that the Eastfort Road Priscilla mentioned is now located in the present Hampton.
"This is good news, but the bad news is that the geographical location of Hampton is very unique. It has experienced major changes over sixty years ago. Eastfort Road has changed its name several times. Twenty years ago, almost the entire Hampton was completely renovated and rebuilt, and Eastfort Road no longer exists."
Derek took out a thick stack of documents and said, "The old No. 23 residence has turned into a welfare institution, and next to it is a nursing home, specifically for homeless children and providing a place for the elderly to retire. However, this apple tree has been well preserved."
I took the documents and carefully looked through them, which recorded all the changes in Eastfort Road from several decades ago until now.
Like a history book, it gradually transformed from black and white photos to color, showing countless changes in eras.
The last page was the photograph of an apple tree standing beside a nursing home and a welfare institution.
Although it was taken in a desolate winter, the enormous silhouette of the apple tree was still clearly visible, indicating that it had stood the test of time.
Hampton had already experienced a snowfall, and in the photo, a layer of white snowflakes on the nearby buildings could still be seen.
"Have you found out the person who lived at No. 23 back then?"
Derek shook his head. "It's been a long time. That's difficult to find out who exactly lived there, but..."
Derek pulled out a photo from the many and said, "We didn't come away empty-handed either. After days of inquiries from all sides, we were fortunate enough to find this photo."
I leaned forward and took a look. Under the lush apple tree, a woman wearing a dress was looking up at the sky.
That side face was almost the same as mine!
No wonder Priscilla said Shana had returned, as this angle really looked so alike.
She had her hair up in a bun, without any jewelry on her. Yet, she looked fresh and lovely.
Following her gaze, there was probably a four or five-year-old boy picking apples on the branch.
However, back then, the photo was far from being as high-definition as it was now. The child was just a blurry silhouette, not very clear.
Looking at this woman made me feel oddly connected. "Do you think she could be my grandma or something?"
"There's definitely that possibility, but unfortunately, it's difficult to find out who she is. We are lucky enough to get this photo already."
I stroked the photo and murmured, "If only we could figure out who she is..."
"Having her photo helps narrow things down, but it'll take some time."
"I get it."
"Oh, and one more thing. Black Wolf Guild has already removed you from their assassination list, and we've got some leads on the person who put a price on your head as well."
"Who is it?"
Derek said, "He's not in the US. The IP address traces back overseas, and he died half a month ago."
I looked up in shock. "Dead? What are the odds?"
"I guess the real mastermind made him a scapegoat to avoid being tracked down. Tabitha, what I want to say is that whoever is behind it all is definitely not an average guy.
"Not only is he cunning and ruthless, but he also spares none. Since he can't get rid of you through Black Wolf Guild, he definitely has a backup plan."
I just sneered in response, "I'm not afraid."