Tabitha's POV
I felt a bit of pity in my heart. I didn't expect Derek to have suffered so much during his childhood. And the story of his parents was far more than complicated.
"What about the members of the Greenwood family? How are they doing now?"
"After Luna Erin passed away, Alpha Elliott suffered a great blow. He's old and has dementia. So, he moved abroad for treatment. He no longer takes care of the affairs of the pack and the family. Alpha Derek is in charge of the pack."
"So... What about Derek's dad?"
"Back then, Ambrose had a serious falling out with Alpha Elliott. In a fit of rage, Alpha Elliott disowned him and expelled him from the Black Thorn Pack. So, Ambrose had already moved on and was living a happy life with that woman and her family."
"He didn't like his mate, but didn't he care about his son?"
"Well, actually, everyone in the Greenwood family is faithful to the one he loves. Alpha Elliott, Alpha Derek, and also Ambrose. They were all committed to someone for life and would never let go. But it's so cruel for Alpha Derek and his mother."
Zola talked about many things about Derek's childhood. My heart leaped while I was listening.
These were all new to me. Derek had never told me about these things before, I guessed.
Indeed, no one was willing to expose their wounds to others.
I figured my face must've looked pretty heavy because Zola's tone started to lighten up.
"Tabitha, don't take it to heart. What I said was all old stories. It's been over twenty years, and it isn't worth mentioning.
"I think Andrea moved on long ago. I heard she has recovered and even requested to meet Alpha Derek. I guess she now is back to normal."
"I see."
We chatted for quite a while. Since we'd gotten close during our time together, I decided I wanted to pick up some stuff as gifts for her.
We tidied up a bit and then left the house with the guards of the pack.
Walking on the street, I sensed a faint presence of werewolves around me.
As I was thinking, I walked towards the mall with Zola.
Derek's POV
Sitting in the CEO's office in the Greenwood Group, I was feeling heavy-hearted as I stared at screen after screen filled with false reports and comments from angry fans.
The situation had already gone beyond control and was getting more and more outrageous.
The topic of "The Greenwood Group's random killings" and "Mrs. Greenwood hounded an actress to death" went viral.
Alvin didn't sleep all night and looked haggard.
After one night, the situation had become uncontrollable.
"Alpha Derek, someone is taking advantage of this matter to make a big fuss, redirecting the blame to Tabitha and causing anger among innocent people."
"Any clues about the killer?"
"Not yet. But someone paid to kill Lisa. From what I learned about Lisa, her life was a mess. She had no sense of morality or shame. She was expelled from school at the age of ten and wandered around, making her early years quite eventful."
I lit a cigarette. "Go on."
"Bullying, cheating on exams, assaulting teachers, and even oppressing some students to death. Later, she joined the gangsters and got involved in evening shows, a total gold digger. Many men were her lovers.
"She didn't plan to be an actress, but to make money with her scams. She targeted the low-wage workers, charging them 5,000 to 8,000 dollars each time.
"Austin must know about it. So, he disguised himself as a cleaner to get close to her. The method and location of the murder were also pre-selected."
I flicked off the cigarette ash, frowning. "Austin's goal wasn't Tabitha?"
"Just as you guessed, it is likely that Lisa fooled around with a man she shouldn't have. His wife was mad and hired someone to kill her.
"Tabitha and Rolf accidentally got involved and someone with ulterior motives took advantage of this to stir up the conflicts."
"Who could it be?"