Tabitha's POV
Zander had revealed entirely his true colors, making no effort to conceal his arrogance.
Compared to Derek's composure, there was a world of difference between them.
He walked up to me step by step and extended his hand, "Tabitha, nice to meet you."
Faced with his ill-intentioned gaze, I did not extend my hand and simply passed by him.
Then I supported Alpha Elliott, "Grandpa, let me take you back to your room."
Alpha Elliott nodded and slowly got up to return to his room.
Watching his aged back, I felt helpless.
"Grandpa, are you really going to agree to his conditions?"
"For now, we don't have any news about Derek. If what he says is true, I can only do this. Don't worry, I gave Derek a lot of important assets and shares years ago. Even if I publicly announce recognition of Zander's identity, those assets are still under Derek's name. It's none of his business."
Alpha Elliott's eyes also flickered with calculating light, "His only chip is Derek. He wants Derek to be alive more than we do. Of course, we can't rule out that the video he showed us was synthesized using AI. Agreeing to him is just a temporary measure. If Derek is not in his hands, we need to find his whereabouts as soon as possible."
I think Alpha Elliott also knows that this possibility is minimal.
If Zander didn't have a firm grip, he wouldn't take this step.
Strategy and wisdom are equally important. We all know this.
"Tabitha, don't be discouraged, we must believe in Derek."
"Okay."
I helped Alpha Elliott back to his room, where he lay down on a rattan chair.
After the tense situation, he also needed a moment of peace to recover his strength and think of countermeasures.
"Tabitha, go light my sleep-inducing candle. I have a severe headache."
"Okay." I went to the shelf, which had many high-grade chocolates and some handmade candles.
I am not familiar with it and was looking for the candles on the shelf. My elbow accidentally knocked over a candle box.
The unfinished candle wax from the box spilled out, along with a photo from the box.
I picked it up and hadn't seen it clearly when Alpha Elliott rushed over and snatched the photo away.
The photo was yellowed and should have been some years old. It vaguely showed a girl in a dress, and she seemed to have a delicate face.
But before I could see it clearly, the photo was snatched by Alpha Elliott.
Seeing Alpha Elliott's serious expression, I couldn't help asking, "Grandpa, is this a photo of Grandma when she was young?"
Alpha Elliott vaguely responded to me, "You can leave now. Truman will come here later."
I just felt that Alpha Elliott's reaction was a bit strange. He seemed to care about the photo very much, but when asked if it was Grandma, he was evasive.
Unfortunately, the photo was too old, and the resolution was not high. I couldn't see that woman clearly.
I thought that not everyone can always be the same. Maybe it was his first love.
I didn't have time to tangle with these things. Derek's whereabouts were the most important now. Could he be really in Zander's hands?
Third person's POV
After Tabitha left, Alpha Elliott carefully put the candle back into the box and stroked the photo with his fingers. A gentle expression flashed on his face.
"Shana, I don't know if you are still alive. It has been so many years..."
After looking at the photo for a while, he put the photo and candle together again.
This time, he directly put the box into the safe and sealed it up forever.
Just like that past, it was completely hidden in the dark.
These secrets may be revealed one day in the future, affecting the fate of the entire werewolf pack.