The lion lunged with its jaw wide open. Ivory wasn't in time to dodge and was bitten on the shoulder.
Fortunately, the attendants had tranquilizer guns at the ready. They shot the lion a few times before it collapsed with a heavy thud.
Ivory lost too much blood from the attack. Her vision went black, and she passed out.
When she woke up again, she found herself in the hospital. Wilson was by her side, his expression as cold as ever. "You're awake, Ms. Ivory. Do you want some water?"
She bit her lip and looked at him with resentment. Then, she said hoarsely, "You should've protected me."
He lowered his eyes, and his long lashes left shadows beneath his eyes. However, there was no trace of guilt in his gaze. "Sorry, but Ms. Belinda was closer to me at the time."
He was lying!
Ivory could feel her heart bleeding. She'd clearly seen Wilson dart toward Belinda almost instinctively. It wasn't a choice he'd made rationally—it was already part of his nature to protect her.
"This is your second time abandoning me." Ivory shut her eyes, hiding her exhaustion. "Give me your hand."
He held it out obediently. She grabbed it and chomped down hard, venting her anger. She deliberately bit the same spot as before. The wound from the previous time had yet to fully heal, and there she was, making it worse.
Wilson frowned in displeasure but didn't say anything. He was indeed at fault for not protecting his employer.
…
Ivory was discharged from the hospital after spending some time there recuperating. However, as soon as she got home, she saw the lion that had bitten her lounging in her backyard.
"Ivy, Dad said that you have to take good care of the lion since it's a gift from Mr. Fuller," Belinda said softly. "Make sure it doesn't die, or Mr. Fuller will be upset."
Wilson frowned slightly. "Why would Simon Fuller give Ms. Ivory something like this?"
He had no idea Ivory was about to marry Simon. Everyone in Jeriton knew about it, and so would he, if he'd paid the slightest bit of attention.
"Because she's—" Belinda started.
Ivory cut her off. "Because he likes me, of course. What, are you jealous?"
Wilson's frown deepened. He tried to keep his annoyance at bay as he asked, "Have you already forgotten what happened at the bar the other night, Ms. Ivory? Why do you keep playing with fire and getting involved with dangerous people? I may be your steward, but that doesn't mean I'll always show up by your side in time when you're in danger."
His words made Ivory fall into a daze. She was reminded of the first time she'd met him for some reason.
Wilson was a retired member of the special forces. Apparently, he'd left the army after getting injured in battle and had later come to apply for a job as a steward at the Stone family.
Ivory had sat on a wall and swung her legs while saying, "You need to have some skills to be my steward, you know. I don't want someone who's just a pretty face."
She was the true heiress who'd been switched at birth. Before being reunited with the Stones, she'd lived in the mountains. So, she was used to being unrestrained, and she loved climbing everywhere.
Unfortunately, her luck had been down that day. The wall, which had always been strong and sturdy, suddenly collapsed. She'd panicked, and it was too late for her to escape.
She'd shut her eyes, but the pain she'd expected hadn't come. Instead, she'd fallen into a warm embrace. Wilson had caught her steadily and used his arm to block the bricks that had flown her way.
"Ms. Ivory." His face had been devoid of emotion. "You're more of a pretty face than you think."
Wilson had been by Ivory's side from then on. Whenever she was in danger, he would show up in the nick of time and rescue her.
When her car had overturned during a race and she'd been trapped inside from the flames, he'd single-handedly ripped the door off and yanked her out.
When thugs had tried to hit on her, Wilson was the one who'd scared them off with a single look. And when she'd twisted her ankle while climbing a mountain, he'd carried her through the snow and taken her home.
It was almost given that Ivory would fall in love with him. Her adoptive parents had never cared about her, and her birth parents didn't love her. She'd been alone since childhood.
However, once Wilson showed up in her life, it was as if her lonely soul had finally found someone to rely on. She'd thought he would remain by her side until the end of time.
Yet now, he was telling her that he couldn't possibly show up on time to save her each time she was in danger.
Ivory scoffed. She tried to suppress her heartache as she said, "You're right about not being able to show up in time when I'm in danger. But I'm sure you'll do whatever it takes to be by Belinda's side in a perilous situation."
