Third person's POV
Tabitha instinctively glanced at her watch. At this usual hour, Wilmot would punctually bring her some fresh fruit.
But today was unusual. Where could Wilmot have gone?
Her gaze wandered around the room, finally resting on the window pane illuminated by the dim light.
She watched as the raindrops, slanting and relentless, struck the glass, producing a soft ticking sound.
It was raining, a weather that always inexplicably made her feel oppressed.
Leaning against the bed, she stared at the ceiling, sleepless.
With no other choice, she put on her headphones, trying to let her thoughts drift with the music, easing her inner turmoil.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the ship suddenly and violently rocked without warning.
Tabitha's body swayed with the bed, jolting her from her daze, her eyes snapping open wide.
'Something was wrong!'
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind. 'Could it be pirates?'
She quickly removed her headphones, and the cacophony of shouts, footsteps, and other noises immediately filled her ears.
It seemed something indeed had happened.
Tabitha's heart leaped into her throat. She didn't know what dangers lurked outside her door and dared not run out recklessly.
She could only endure her tension and anxiety, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, waiting for news from Wilmot.
However, as time ticked by, Wilmot did not burst in as she had anticipated.
Tabitha's anxiety grew. She could no longer contain her nervousness. Clenching her teeth, she opened the door and rushed out.
Her eyes scanned the chaos but were drawn not to the burning ship nearby but to a child's cry for help.
"Help!"
It was the plea of a young child.
'How could there be children on this ship?'
Her mind was full of questions, but her maternal instinct was instantly ignited.
At this moment, she had only one thought—to save the child.
Without considering whose child it might be or whether it was a trap, her legs moved of their own accord, racing towards the source of the cry.
Around the corner, she saw a boy clutching a small hand.
Following the boy's grip, she looked closely and saw a little girl hanging outside the railing.
Oh my God! Tabitha's heart clenched, and she rushed towards the children without a thought for her own safety.
At that moment, Helios had exhausted all his strength. His arm trembled from the effort, but he still couldn't hold on to Ayla.
He could only watch helplessly as her small hand slipped from his grip, his eyes filled with despair and fear.
"Helios!"
"No, don't!" Ayla screamed in terror.
Just as Ayla was about to fall into the sea, a hand suddenly reached out as if sent by divine intervention, firmly grasping her small hand and stopping her descent.
Helios was stunned, his eyes wide as he looked at the woman in pajamas who had appeared out of nowhere.
He noticed that more than half of her body was leaning over the railing, her figure extremely thin.
Especially the hand holding Ayla, it was so thin. Helios couldn't help but doubt whether this frail woman could really pull Ayla up.
Tabitha let out a sigh of relief. She was glad she had made it in time.
The little girl hung her head, her body swaying helplessly in the air, tears streaming down like broken beads.
Tabitha, looking at the girl, comforted her softly, "Don't be afraid. I'll pull you up right away."
Hearing Tabitha's voice, Ayla, who had thought she was surely dead, slowly lifted her head.
Their eyes met, and both froze.
Ayla looked at the woman pulling her up, and that face was identical to the photo of their mother that Lucian had shown them!
Although she looked weaker and thinner than in the photo, the features, the eyebrows, and the eyes were clearly those of their mother.
Ayla's mind was in turmoil. She felt as if she was dreaming, wondering if she had already died and was now seeing her mother.
Tabitha was also stunned by the girl's resemblance. Her face was so similar to Derek's.
It was as if they were the spitting image.
Her heart ached as she thought. If her own child had lived, they would be about this age.
Surprised as she was, Tabitha knew the most important thing now was to save the child.
She tried to grip the child's hand tighter, but her left hand had been injured before. Even though it had recovered somewhat, it couldn't exert force like a normal hand.
She could feel her weakness clearly.
As she was about to use her right hand to pull the child up, another shell hit with deadly accuracy.
"Boom!" The ship rocked violently again. Amidst the towering flames, Tabitha's body swayed violently, her grip slipped, and she failed to hold the little girl's hand. Her body fell towards the sea.
Before she fell, Tabitha heard a cry, "Mom!"