Chapter 4

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.