Chapter 889

　　"So, from the very start, your goal was to get close to me. You wanted to use me to find Derek's weakness and kill him. That 'sworn enemy' you always talked about... It was him, wasn't it?" Tabitha's voice was clear in the quiet room. 　　"Yes," Lucian replied flatly. "Do you regret meeting me? Do you regret letting your pups stay with a calculating assassin?" 　　To his surprise, Tabitha let out a long, heavy sigh. Her tense shoulders finally slumped—not out of defeat, but with the visible ease of someone having a weight lifted off their chest. 　　"No. Actually, I've been feeling uneasy for a long time. I couldn't understand why you were so good to me for no reason. In our world, unconditional kindness usually comes with a hidden price tag," Tabitha admitted with a wry smile. "I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking you wanted something from me. But you were so gentle with the kids, and you protected me with everything you had. I couldn't square that with the idea of you bein