Third person's POV
Tabitha wasn't longing to rekindle the intimacy she once shared with Derek. She just couldn't help feeling that her past self had been foolish.
She had loved him so deeply, given up everything for him, and stayed by his side. He knew everything about her, yet she knew almost nothing about him.
"Tabitha, some things are better left unknown. I'm doing this for your own good," Derek said, his voice tinged with helplessness and concern.
But his words only made Tabitha's expression darken.
Her eyes widened, filled with anger and disappointment, as she stared at him.
"How long are you going to keep hiding behind the excuse of doing what's 'best for me' while being utterly selfish?" Tabitha couldn't hold back her frustration any longer. All the emotions she'd bottled up came pouring out.
"I loved you so much back then. I gave up everything for you. Your work was always so mysterious, and I never asked questions. Wherever you went for business, I never pried. I thought that was how I showed my love for you. But what did I get in the end?"
"Tabitha…" Derek listened to her accusations, guilt washing over him.
He reached out to hold her, hoping to calm her down, but Tabitha quickly pulled away.
"You know everything about me. When you're happy, you spoil me with expensive gifts, treating me like a princess. But when you're unhappy, you take it all away, cut off all my escape routes, and throw me into hell. And what about me? From start to finish, all I know about you is your name—Derek. What else do I really know about you?"
Tabitha's voice trembled with emotion. "From the beginning, your love for me was like how you'd treat a pet. You thought this was for my good, that was for my good, but look at me now. Isn't this all because of your self-righteous decisions?"
Derek stared at the furious Tabitha, shocked.
He hadn't realized how much resentment she'd been harboring all this time.
He wanted to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
"Tabitha… I had my reasons. The more people who know about my identity, the more dangerous it becomes. That's why I moved the core members elsewhere years ago—to prevent future disasters," Derek sighed helplessly. "But fine, since things have come to this, I'll tell you everything. My identity is already exposed anyway. Alvin, go ahead and share what you've found. There are no outsiders here."
With Derek's permission, Alvin first walked to the door and carefully closed it, ensuring no one outside could overhear their conversation.
Then he turned to Tabitha, his expression serious. "Tabitha, last night's attack wasn't targeting you. Someone wanted to kill Alpha Derek. You were just caught in the crossfire."
Tabitha's earlier suspicions were confirmed. The way these people operated was completely different from before.
She frowned, pressing urgently, "Who are they? How could they be so bold?"
"Based on my initial findings, they're members of an underground organization. In our country, crackdowns on such groups have always been strict. Even if remnants of these groups still exist, they wouldn't dare act so recklessly," Alvin explained, pausing briefly before continuing.
"Then why…?" Tabitha pressed further.
Alvin sighed again and began to recount the story. "This goes back ten years. At that time, there were many drug trafficking organizations that ruined countless young lives. Every time there was a crackdown, only a few small fry were caught. Once the heat died down, they'd resume their activities."
"Their main operations were in Wintertown, a chaotic place and the largest hub for criminal activity. Alpha Derek volunteered to go undercover in one of these organizations for years. In the end, he took down not only them but also their domestic networks."
Tabitha was stunned. She had no idea Derek had such a hidden past.
"Tabitha, you know how ruthless those people are. Even after we took down their strongholds, their influence would sprout back like weeds after a spring rain. Wherever there are people, there will always be interests. If the remnants of those groups ever found out Alpha Derek's identity, not only would he be in danger, but so would everyone around him. That's why Alpha Derek insisted on keeping your marriage hidden and never exposing you—to protect you."
The truth was indeed heavy. Tabitha's heart felt like a stone as she asked quietly, "What about Daphne…"
"Miss Sutton is different from you. Alpha Derek only feels gratitude toward her, not love. But… as an outsider, I can't really speak on it. Let's get back to the topic at hand."
Alvin continued, "Alpha Derek has done more than just one or two missions like this. He's a master of undercover work. Out there, just hearing his codename is enough to make people tremble in fear. That's why he can command military ships so easily."
"But now, someone has exposed his identity."