Third person's POV
As Tabitha spoke, her face flushed a deep red.
Had it not been for the immense willpower forged through her chemotherapy, she would have lost control long ago.
Derek gazed at her, a mix of shyness and allure, and despite knowing the drugs were to blame, his heart still raced uncontrollably.
"Alright, I'll turn away and not look at you," Derek slowly turned his head towards the window.
In the pitch-black darkness, the sea appeared particularly gloomy and oppressive.
The approaching roar of helicopter blades grew louder in the sky, signaling that the true revelry of the night was about to begin.
About ten minutes later, Derek suddenly heard a soft moan from behind him.
He quickly turned to see Tabitha, her face rosy and flushed, not only her hair and body drenched, but her eyes as well, as if misted over with steam, glistening and red-rimmed at the corners, exuding an irresistible, fatal sex appeal.
"Are you, are you... alright?" Derek asked with concern.
Tabitha, in a daze, tried to rise from the bathtub, but her legs were weak, her arms unable to muster strength, and her body limp and powerless.
As soon as she lifted herself a bit, she fell back into the tub helplessly.
"Careful!" Derek reached out quickly to grab her, but Tabitha, off-balance, pulled him down into the bathtub with her.
Fortunately, Derek managed to protect the back of her head, preventing a violent collision with the tub. Now, their bodies were pressed tightly together, soaked in the warm water.
Tabitha, beyond other concerns, instinctively wrapped her arms around Derek's neck, her body slowly drawing close.
"I feel terrible," she whispered weakly.
Derek held her tightly but made no further advances, merely whispering, "I understand."
He was all too familiar with this sensation. Even with his exceptional self-control, he had nearly succumbed to the drug's effects.
Had it not been for the two doses of medication, he would have struggled to endure.
Tabitha, relying only on physical cooling, could hardly fend off the drug's impact easily.
All he could do was hold her tightly, offering some comfort, hoping to alleviate her suffering slightly.
Tabitha pressed her cheek against Derek's cold mask, her body rubbing back and forth.
"Wilmot, I can't hold on anymore. What should I do..." her voice was tearful, filled with helplessness and despair, "I feel so terrible, like I'm going mad. This is worse than death."
Derek's rough thumb gently stroked her burning cheek, and he sighed in resignation, "I understand. I really do. Ms. Hartley, I can help you."
"No, I can't." Tabitha's tears fell like broken beads, dropping onto Derek's neck.
Derek gently patted her back, trying to soothe her emotions, "Ms. Hartley, is it because of that person? You still love him, which is why you refuse others?"
"No, absolutely not because of him," Tabitha bit her teeth, her tone full of resentment, "I despise him."
"Often, deep hatred stems from intense love. Your hatred for him might be because you once loved him deeply."
Derek suddenly asked, "If it were he here today, would you accept?"
Tabitha's mind was a mess, on the brink of losing reason.
Would she accept if it were Derek? The drug's effects were unbearable, and she couldn't support herself.
After all, he was the only man with whom she had been intimate.
"No," Tabitha said firmly, "He slept with other women. He is no longer mine, and I will not let him touch me again!"
Hearing this, Derek sighed in resignation.
It seemed he needed to find the right time to explain to Tabitha clearly.
He had never slept with Daphne.
"Alright, let's not talk about him for now, just about you, Ms. Hartley. You also know the power of this drug. I had to inject two doses to alleviate it. Your physical condition is special. You can't use drugs casually, or once the wolfsbane stimulates and multiplies again, the consequences will be disastrous. You have a child and many unfulfilled wishes—do you really want to worsen your condition because of this?"
Tabitha's thoughts grew even more chaotic. She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down uncontrollably, "What should I do? Why me..."
Those helpless tears fell one by one, landing on the water's surface and creating tiny ripples.