Third person's POV
Derek hadn't expected Kyrian to react so strongly. He'd only wanted Tabitha to know about Kyrian's existence, but he'd overlooked the fact that Kyrian was no longer a clueless toddler like his younger siblings.
At this age, children understood everything and had developed their own complex emotions.
"I'm sorry."
Derek carried Kyrian step by step back to the house. Kyrian was wrapped tightly in the military coat, while Derek was left exposed to the snow and wind.
Although Kyrian had spent more time with Derek growing up, Derek had been chasing after Tabitha these past two years, and Kyrian rarely got to see his father.
When Kyrian saw Derek covered in snow, his crying gradually subsided.
He wasn't the only one hurting. Derek must have been suffering too.
Kyrian sniffled softly, and Derek looked into his eyes, speaking earnestly, "I promise you, one day I'll bring Mom back, okay?"
Kyrian's nose was red from crying, his face both adorable and heartbreaking.
"Okay. You can't go back on your word!"
"I won't."
From the helicopter, Tabitha saw Derek carrying Kyrian through the snow. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
She felt like such a failure as a mother. After finally reuniting, she still had to let go of her child. How heartbroken must Kyrian be now?
She pressed her hands against the window, tears streaming down her face.
She watched as Derek and Kyrian disappeared into the snowy landscape, step by step, until they were out of sight.
This separation left her wondering when she'd see Kyrian again.
The helicopter flew toward the island. It took Tabitha most of the day to recover from the sadness of parting with her son.
Before they even landed, she saw Gloria, who looked like a mother hen, with Ayla clinging to her and Helios pretending to be an eagle. Even without hearing them, she could feel their joy.
Hearing the helicopter, Gloria stopped and brought the children over to greet Tabitha.
A week apart, and perhaps because she was away from Alpha Leopold, Gloria seemed much better. Her complexion had improved, no longer as pale as before.
"Tabitha!"
"Mommy!"
The two children surrounded Tabitha like adorable little kittens.
While the reunion should have been joyful, seeing their faces reminded Tabisha of Kyrian.
It was Kyrian who was bearing the hardships of life for them. The thought made Tabitha's heart ache.
"What's wrong? Are you upset? Did Derek bully you again?" Gloria rolled up her sleeves, ready to go fight for her.
"No, it's a long story. I'll tell you later."
Tabitha pushed aside her negative emotions. She'd already made mistakes; she couldn't let these two children down too.
"Have you been good for Auntie Gloria?"
"Yes!" The two children chirped like little birds, their innocence and cuteness utterly endearing.
Gloria laughed. "No more 'Auntie'! I've decided—I'm their godmother now. Call me Godmother from now on, please."
"Fine, fine. The more people who love them, the better. Gloria, I'm starving."
"I knew you were coming today, so I had the kitchen prepare everything. Derek might be unreliable sometimes, but he's genuinely good to you. This island has everything. I used to think the cherry blossom island he gave Daphne was nice, but compared to this one, it's nothing. I think he originally planned to grow old with you here."
Tabitha remained calm. "What did they prepare?"
Seeing she didn't want to talk about Derek, Gloria quickly changed the subject. "You'll see when we get there. Come on, kids, follow me!"
Gloria looked like a kindergarten teacher, beaming with joy.
The island was equipped with many cameras, and Leopold checked them multiple times a day.
Seeing Gloria and the children having fun, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He said to Derek, "Your idea wasn't bad. She seems much better now."
"Most women do better after leaving the man who hurt them."
The comment left Leopold speechless. He glared at Derek. "Are you talking about Tabitha?"
Derek didn't mind, smiling faintly. "She'll only get better. It's a shame I only realized this now."
"Hmph, stop pretending to be sentimental. If you really mean it, let her go. Don't keep her under your watchful eye."
Derek looked at Leopold. His stubbornness was exactly like Derek's own in the past. Derek didn't mock his naivety.
After all, in matters of love, everyone was like a clueless child. Only through trials and hardships could one gain new life experiences.
These lessons couldn't be learned just by listening to others. Some bitter truths had to be tasted firsthand.