Inside the cage were a fully grown tiger and a black wolf.

As if catching a strange scent, they frantically thrashed and rammed against the bars of the cage.

The black wolf let out a long, piercing howl and fixed its yellow eyes on her with a vicious intensity.

Alice instinctively took a step back and suddenly recalled the bizarre, pungent scent the bouquet had given off.

Forcing down her fear and anxiety, she said, "Camden, I'm not feeling well. I'd like to go back to my room."

In the past, any mention of discomfort would have made Camden intensely worried, and he would have taken her back immediately.

But now, he only frowned helplessly. "Alice, don't be difficult. Elena has been preparing for this for a long time."

Alice felt her throat tighten, and a bitter smile crossed her lips.

The performance began. Elena, somewhat clumsily, directed the tiger and the black wolf to jump through rings of fire and balance on narrow beams.

Everything seemed to proceed normally.

"Bravo! Wonderful!" Camden clapped enthusiastically non-stop, his eyes fixed on Elena with unmistakable adoration.

It never seemed to occur to him that Alice couldn't even see this performance meant as an apology to her.

But that wasn't the worst of it. A growing sense of dread gripped Alice, causing her hands to tremble more and more.

Only she noticed how frequently the tiger and the black wolf glanced back at her, and in their eyes lurked a savage hunger.

She retreated step by step, subtly and silently. Just as she was about to move out of their attack range, a sharp scream pierced the air.

Elena swayed violently on the platform before tumbling down, the chains in her hands slipping loose.

At the same moment, the tiger and the black wolf erupted into frenzied roars.

"Elena!" Camden shouted, his voice breaking with panic as he charged forward.

The instant he left, Alice was completely exposed before the two beasts.

The tiger and the black wolf abruptly halted their frantic movements and bared their razor-sharp fangs at her.

Alice's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.

Almost instantly, two massive dark shadows lunged at her.

She was immediately gripped by excruciating pain, the kind that felt as if her organs were being ripped apart.

A deathly scream tore from Alice's throat. Her vision blurred into a haze of blood-red. In the distance, she could barely make out Camden shielding Elena tightly in his arms.

…

When she opened her eyes again, Alice found herself lying in the VIP ward of a hospital owned by the Bennett family.

A sharp pain in her chest and legs forced a low groan from her lips.

"Don't move." A nurse pressed down on her shoulder. "You're incredibly lucky to still be alive after suffering three broken ribs and internal bleeding in your liver. Not to mention, only Dr. Morton was on duty in the emergency room last night.

"Another patient's family insisted Dr. Morton treat his wife first, saying she was pregnant. Thankfully, she only had minor external injuries, so it didn't delay your treatment. By the way, where's your family?"

Alice felt as if her entire body had been repeatedly crushed.

"I have no family," she said raspily.

The nurse paused, her eyes instantly softening with pity.

Elena's voice drifted in from outside the room.

"Camden, I'm so sorry! I truly don't know why they suddenly went out of control. It's my fault that Ms. Wilson was hurt."

"Elena, this isn't your fault. You're injured too."

Camden kissed away the tears at the corner of her eye. "Stop crying. You're still carrying our baby, so go back to your room and have some rest."

Elena sobbed even harder. "I don't want to go back. I want to make amends to Ms. Wilson."

Alice could no longer hold back when she heard the words "make amends" for the third time. She raised her hand and swept the glass off the bedside table.

The voices outside fell silent abruptly.

Then, Camden hurried into the room. "Darling, were you trying to get a glass of water? Let me do it for you."

Seeing his seemingly genuine concern, Alice suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

"Have you looked into the matter? Why did the tiger and wolf suddenly go berserk?" she asked hoarsely.

There was a faint glimmer of hope still flickering in her eyes.

It was obvious the tiger and the black wolf had been agitated by a specific scent, and she had been their only target.

"It was just an accident," Camden replied without missing a beat as he tucked the blanket around her. "Just focus on getting better, okay? Don't overthink it."

The light in Alice's eyes went out completely.

She stared at him for a long time, her heart aching with each throbbing beat.

Three years ago, she had gone out alone during a storm to rescue a mother cat giving birth. She never expected to run into a group of thugs who intended to harm her.

Camden got there just in time to see the ringleader hauling her into the alley by the arm.

Rage erupted in his eyes. "Beat them until they're barely breathing."

The screams in that alley lasted for three full hours, and the ground was nearly soaked red with blood.

Alice had never seen him so furious before.

In the end, all of those men were sent to prison. The one who had laid a hand on her had his arm broken and was tortured to death behind bars.

But now, she had nearly been torn apart and left for dead, yet he hadn't even bothered to look into the matter, let alone shown the slightest suspicion toward Elena.

A cold stillness settled in Alice's heart. She turned her face calmly and said, "I see."

Camden sensed that something was off, but before he could give it much thought, he heard a commotion break out in Elena's room.

Rising hurriedly, he said, "Darling, I'll get you something to eat. Wait for me."

Alice simply lay there quietly without even sparing him a glance.

Camden never returned after he left.

Hungry and exhausted, Alice drifted into a deep, troubled sleep.

Even in her dreams, she seemed haunted by sorrow, as her brows remained faintly furrowed throughout.

She was jolted awake by a sharp, stabbing pain in her arm. When she looked down, she saw a large, blood-stained bandage wrapped around it.

"I'm here to change your dressing. You just underwent a skin graft surgery," the nurse said as she prepared fresh gauze.

"What skin graft surgery?" she asked, stunned.

"Mrs. Bennett in the next room scraped her arm, so Mr. Bennett arranged for you to donate a patch of skin for her."

The nurse sighed softly. "It just goes to show that some people are born under luckier stars. If Mrs. Bennett so much as gets a scratch, Mr. Bennett's beside himself. Folks like us sure don't get that kind of treatment."

Alice's face turned deathly pale, her heart feeling as though a dagger had carved half of it away.

"Could you please help me request a transfer to another hospital?" she asked with trembling lips and eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Transfer? What transfer?" Camden pushed the door open and strode in with his arms full of supplements and Alice's favorite goods.

After taking off his coat, he personally washed her hands and feet. He then washed the fruits and fed them to her.

He even followed a recipe meticulously, attempting it no less than ten times to prepare the most delicious and nutritious meal for her.

"Darling, be good and eat well so you can get better quickly."

He scooped a spoonful of soup and carefully blew on it to cool it down before bringing it to her lips.

As always, he was attentive, considerate, and gentle.

Alice watched it all, yet her heart grew colder with each passing day. Because she knew Camden's love had long since changed.

He would carefully feed Elena the most flavorful portion of every nutritious meal.

He would press his ear against Elena's belly again and again, his face full of anticipation as he said, "Just a few more months, and we'll feel the baby kick."

He would wait until she was asleep, then steal intimate moments with Elena in the hospital room, until both were marked with traces of desire.

He would introduce Elena to everyone, saying, "This is my wife. She's pregnant, so please take good care of her."

Alice simply watched it all quietly, without tears or protests.

Those who truly wished to leave seldom bothered with goodbyes, as they begrudged even a moment wasted on farewells.

In the bitter winter cold, the wind swept up one fallen leaf after another.

Alice only occasionally managed to call the agent handling her emigration paperwork, carefully timing it for when Camden was with Elena.

On the day she was discharged, the agent finally asked someone to deliver a message to her.

"Ms. Wilson, your paperwork should be completed by the morning after tomorrow."

Alice finally let out a soft sigh of relief and allowed herself a small, unburdened smile.

Camden's hand, which had been supporting Elena, stilled abruptly as his gaze drifted toward Alice.

Her smile was just as beautiful as it had been five years ago. It was as if nothing had changed. But if one looked closely, one would find a faint trace of sorrow had settled between her brows.

A strange, unnameable emotion stirred within him. Almost instinctively, he pulled Alice into his arms.

"Darling, cheer up. I'll always be here for you."

Alice subtly eased out of his embrace and offered a soft smile. "I'm alright."

Camden suppressed his own unease and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Okay, let's get you home."

All throughout the drive, his eyes kept returning to her. He was just about to reach for her hand when Elena's scream pierced the air.

"Watch out!"

A violent crash rang out.

A black executive van had slammed into them, flipping their car over in an instant.

Alice had a long dream.

She traveled back to the time five years ago when she first met Camden. Back then, she hadn't lost her eyesight yet, and her favorite thing to do was explore the outdoors.

She stumbled upon him after he had slipped and fallen down a desolate mountain. He had broken a leg, was burning with fever, and was on the verge of death.

She used up all the food, water, and medicine she had, and only then managed to keep him alive.

Camden didn't wake until three days later, by which time Alice had already collapsed from exhaustion. It was he who cut open his own wrist and fed her his blood ten times to keep her alive until the rescue team arrived.

When Camden pursued her, he said that their survival in the wilderness was proof of a bond left unfinished in a past life—a match made in heaven, a connection forged through life and death.

But then the scene shifted to the moment when, to save Elena, Camden abandoned Alice to the wild beasts.

Alice let out a startled scream and opened her eyes. Her hands and feet were tied, and a black cloth was wrapped tightly over her eyes, leaving her in complete darkness.

She could only faintly hear voices around her.

"Mr. Bennett, your family seized my family's land and drove us into bankruptcy. Shouldn't you pay a price for that?"

"Hubert, how dare you kidnap me? You must have a death wish." It was Camden's voice.

Hubert Wilkinson burst into wild laughter and said in a tone bordering on madness, "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me. But killing you outright would be far too merciful."

He stared at Alice for a moment, then suddenly curled his lips into a cruel grin and said with a chilling cheerfulness, "How about we play a game instead?"

Camden clenched his fists, a dangerous gleam flashing in his eyes.

"I've prepared three little punishments, and you'll get to personally choose whom to save," Hubert said to Camden.

With a wave of his hand, Alice and Elena were forcibly dragged to his side.

Elena writhed and whimpered in terror, but Alice only clenched her teeth and silently endured the sharp stones biting into her back.

When Camden saw this, veins bulged across his forehead. "Let them go. Whatever grudge you have is with me. You don't need to drag them into it."

But Hubert turned a deaf ear. "The first punishment is sea dunking."

Camden's breath hitched. "I'll give you anything you want. Just let them go."

"Enough talk!" Hubert's eyes gleamed with malice. "Since you refuse to choose, I'll just throw them both into the sea to feed the sharks."

As soon as the words fell, both Alice and Elena were kicked into the icy seawater.

"No!" Camden roared furiously.

In an instant, the briny stench of seawater flooded Alice's mouth and nose, suffocating her completely. She thrashed beneath the surface, her lungs tearing with pain.

Three times in a row, they were thrown into the water and dragged back up again. By now, Alice was barely clinging to life.

Just as Hubert signaled his men to throw them in for the fourth time, Camden roared hoarsely with bloodshot eyes, "Hubert, stop! I'll choose!"

"Oh? Who will you save? Alice or Elena?"

Camden's eyes shifted uncertainly between Alice and Elena for a long moment before finally settling on Alice.

"I choose…"