Chapter 254

　　Derek's POV 　　I wasn't putting on a show. 　　I was going all out to help John get back on his feet because I sincerely felt guilty for what I'd done to John and Tabitha. 　　I had never served anyone before in my life. But when it came to taking care of John, I spared no effort. 　　While working from home, I'd thrown just about all my time into John's recovery process. 　　Over the past week, I'd witnessed John go from barely being able to string a sentence together to being able to slowly but clearly express his thoughts. 　　His cheeks were less pale, too. 　　Right now, he held my hand and said with concern, "Derek, don't just focus on me. You should pay attention to Tabitha, too. Don't ignore her." 　　I assured him, "John, don't worry. I'll spend equal time taking care of you two." 　　Despite Tabitha scoffing at my promise, I was sticking to my guns. 　　Every day, after finishing taking care of John, I headed back to my room to schedule some treatment for Tabitha's hand. 　　While receiving the treatment, she always stared out the window like a lifeless doll, totally unresponsive. 　　I knew Tabitha thought I, as a control freak, was just putting on an act to make her let her guard down. So I was trying my best to make her trust me. 　　I didn't want her to misunderstand me again. 　　When the therapist left, Tabitha still sat on the edge of the bed. 　　I knelt down on one knee and helped her put on her slippers, casually saying, "The doctor says John's recovering fast. In a year or so, he'll be back to his old self." 　　She remained silent, so I went on, "I've got his company sorted out. Once the paperwork's done, he'll get his company back. You could go work there if you're feeling bored. The employees are all members of the Silver Moon Pack. I told John about this, and he was quite happy." 　　Tabitha's cold gaze fell upon my face, a sardonic smile creeping onto her lips. "Did you tell him how the company went bust?" 　　I didn't know how to reply. 　　She pressed on, "Do you think doing all this will make me happy? Don't forget what Elena did to me and the Silver Moon Pack! And she killed an innocent life!" 　　I felt dizzy and pulled Tabitha into a hug, my voice shaky as I said, "Tabitha, I know she's committed many unforgivable sins. But even if you kill her, you can't bring Vilda back to life." 　　"I don't care. I just her dead to wreak my vengeance!" she raged. 　　I stroked her head, promising, "Sweetie, I swear I'll never let her harm you again. She's just sick. That's why she's acting like this. I've already found a therapist for her. Isn't it better to make her genuinely repent and apologize to you than to kill her?" 　　"Apologize?" Tabitha yanked my collar. 　　"A few sorry words won't change a damn thing! Can they bring the dead back or wipe away my suffering? Derek, let me tell you, unless you lock me up for a lifetime, I'll seize every opportunity to expose all the evidence to the public. Everyone's gonna know Elena's a murderer and you're just covering for her!" 　　Facing her fury and despair, I could do nothing but hold her tight and repeatedly apologize, "I'm sorry, Tabitha. It's all my fault. I should've protected you better." 　　She bawled, "Protect me? Wasn't it you who made me go through hell? Derek, I hate you! You and Elena should rot in hell." 　　I felt a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow. 　　As Alpha, I should've protected my family. But in fact, I left my mate in agony. 　　I gotta find a way to make things right and win back Tabitha's heart, even if it cost me everything.