Chapter 717

　　Third person's POV 　　Plans... Tabitha's original goal had been to find her two children and Jasper. 　　The children were found, but Jasper was without a trace. 　　However, she couldn't search aimlessly without a target. 　　Thinking of Derek's anxious appearance last night, it was clear he still had feelings for her. 　　Gloria's text warning Tabitha to be careful of Derek came to Tabitha's mind again. 　　Tabitha felt she had overlooked some subtle details. What exactly had she missed? 　　It seemed a key point was missing, and once found, it would connect all the events. 　　"I don't know. I just wanted to find the children, but I didn't expect to court death. And Derek's attitude towards me is ambiguous. Outside this cabin, I don't know what awaits me," Tabitha said, her face full of entanglement. 　　Seeing her struggle, Lucian took a big gulp of mineral water and mustered the courage to say, "Have you severed ties with him?" 　　Tabitha nodded, "Mm-hmm." 　　"If you don't mind, I'll take you away," Lucian said. 　　Tabitha's eyes widened in surprise, "You?" 　　"Yes, since you don't like your old life, staying in this city is futile. It's better to leave and perhaps find a path that truly belongs to you. Remember what you said under the cherry blossom tree years ago? You longed for freedom, wanting to break all shackles and leave happily," Lucian spoke sincerely. 　　Lucian spoke, "What do you see if you look ahead?" 　　Tabitha walked forward a few steps, coming to the edge of a cliff, bypassing the woods. In the distance, the mountains undulated, with layers of ridges and peaks covered in white snow, exuding a mighty aura. 　　Tabitha couldn't help but sigh, "Freedom." 　　Lucian nodded and said, "Exactly. As long as you cross this ravine, freedom awaits you." 　　However, after being blocked by Derek several times, Tabitha's heart was filled with fear. She was afraid of being captured again and falling into an endless abyss of darkness. 　　Lucian saw her thoughts and asked, "Are you worried about him?" 　　Tabitha shook her head and whispered, "No, I... am scared." 　　Lucian probed, "Scared of what?" 　　Tabitha hesitated and said, "I'm afraid of failure and involving you, afraid of not knowing what the future will be like, and when I close my eyes, I think of Joanna's death." 　　Lucian comforted, "There's nothing to be afraid of. You've already endured the hardest times. One cannot stay in the past unless they want to live the old life again." 　　Tabitha said, "I don't want that. I want to change, to become stronger, and to avenge Joanna." 　　Tabitha reached out and caught a snowflake, which quickly melted into a puddle of snow water in her palm. 　　Snowflakes, knowing they would disappear when they fell, still fell from the clouds without fear. 　　Looking at Lucian, Tabitha said, "Lucian, take me away." 　　Lucian smiled and said, "Okay, but you have to give me a few days. I need to prepare." 　　Tabitha hurriedly said, "And Ayla, I have to bring her back." 　　Lucian said, "Leave it to me. Let Noah escort her back. You stay here and don't go anywhere before I return. In three days, we'll set off." 　　Tabitha nodded and said, "Understood." 　　Lucian took out a weapon and handed it to Tabitha, asking, "Do you still remember how to use it?" 　　Tabitha took the weapon and said, "I remember." 　　Lucian instructed, "Keep it for self-defense. There's a cellar I dug behind the small wooden house in the pine forest. If there's danger, hide there with Helios. I've prepared a shelter that generally won't be noticed." 　　Following Lucian's instructions, Tabitha stayed in the cabin. Although it was cold, the scenery was unique. 　　Helios, being a boy, was very lively. After waking up, he pulled Tabitha to have a snowball fight. 　　Tabitha hadn't run so freely in the snow for a long time. 　　Although she was panting after a while, she was still very happy. 　　Full of energy, Helios then pulled Tabitha to build a snowman together. 　　Tabitha built a large snowman, while Helios built two smaller ones beside her. 　　Pointing to one of the smaller snowmen, Helios said, "Ayla, me, mom." 　　Tabitha touched his face and said, "Soon, Ayla will be reunited with us." 　　Helios blinked and asked, "What about dad?" 　　Tabitha hesitated and said, "He... has passed away." 　　"Achoo!" Derek sneezed without warning. 　　Rolf hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Alpha Derek, take a break. There are our people around Tabitha. She's safe now. In this icy and snowy weather, if you catch a cold, what should we do?" 　　In front of Derek was an astronomical telescope, professional equipment for observing stars. 　　Standing on a high cliff, he watched Tabitha and Helios playing in the snow.