Tabitha's POV
I could tell something was off, but Andrea's indifferent attitude made me withdraw all my curiosity.
I simply nodded politely at the woman and said, "Excuse me, please."
The woman affectionately took my hand and said, "You must be Tabitha, right? I've seen the news back home. You and Derek are quite a match. Together, you two are like a picture-perfect couple."
I looked at her in confusion, and she immediately took the initiative to introduce herself, "Look at me. I got so excited that I forgot you didn't know me. I'm Derek's aunt, and you can call me Aunt Phoebe."
With such an introduction, I understood who it was. Phoebe, the one Ambrose doted on to the point of obsession, the beginning of the Blackthorn pack's misfortunes, the original homewrecker. I never expected to meet her in the flesh today.
I now understood why Andrea had this attitude.
Phoebe deliberately got closer to me. Showing kindness was one thing, and making Andrea sick was another.
Her manipulative charm was definitely on a whole other level compared to Kelsey's. With that approachable smile on her face, if I weren't aware of her past actions, I'd be easily fooled by her act.
I just politely smiled, "Excuse me, ma'am. Could you please move aside? You are blocking me from trying on the jewelry."
I simply ignored Phoebe's words, being polite yet distant, not giving her any room to express herself.
Andrea, on the other hand, completely changed her attitude from before. She used to argue loudly with Phoebe upon every encounter. Now, she began to treat Phoebe as if she were invisible.
"Come here. See how this sapphire necklace complements your skin." Andrea personally put it on me.
When I first met Andrea, I thought she was like the moon in the sky, distant and cold. But after spending time together, I realized that she was actually a very straightforward person.
Her feelings were always written all over her face. If she didn't like someone, she wouldn't even bother to put on a polite front. It was her straightforwardness that made me feel at ease.
Phoebe also smiled and reached out toward the necklace on my neck. "Ms. Hartley, this piece complements you perfectly. The sapphire truly brings out the color in your eyes. How about considering this necklace as a gift from me? Since you are Derek's mate, we're family in a way."
Just upon meeting her, I could already sense how formidable this woman was. With the most amiable smile, she navigated through the minefield of Andrea's sensitivities with each sentence, as if dancing on the razor's edge.
Was it my imagination?
Why did I feel like this woman intentionally wanted to provoke Andrea?
Andrea coldly pushed her hand away. "Stay away from my daughter-in-law, you filthy."
Although the gesture wasn't particularly polite, Phoebe took the opportunity to step back.
I was dumbfounded. It was not even acted like this in TV dramas.
This acting skill could definitely make a debut in showbiz!
Coincidentally, there was a man behind her, and the man's icy voice came through as he timely caught her by the waist. "What's going on here?"
I turned my head to look at him. The man was majestic in appearance, and his features bore a resemblance to Derek.
With a tall and well-maintained figure, dressed in luxurious attire, he appeared to be around forty years old.
This man was probably the legendary Ambrose.
Judging by appearances, Derek seemed more like him than Zander did. Zander came off as a bit too effeminate in both demeanor and looks.
The moment I see him, I'm reminded of how cold he was to that three-year-old child back then. I have no good feelings toward them.
What worried me was Andrea. She just ran into them as soon as she went out. Was it an accident or a coincidence?
My wolf also became alert in my consciousness. It seemed to be reminding me to be cautious of these two people.
I looked at Phoebe and said, "Ma'am, thank you for your kindness, but I don't need your gift. Please stay away from me."
Phoebe's cheeks flushed with a touch of embarrassment, but she quickly recovered her smile. "No worries. We'll have plenty more chances to hang out in the future."