Return of the Crowned Heiress (Felicia)

Maurice froze for a moment. Wait... She actually pulled that off? Not only did Felicia survive, but she even had the audacity to flip him the bird.

And just like that, Maurice burst into laughter.

It wasn't a chuckle, either-it was a full-throated, chest-shaking laugh that echoed across the enclosure.

Everyone else was also completely baffled.

But there was no denying it-Felicia had just defied every single expectation.

What everyone thought would be her gruesome end turned into an incredible show of survival. Step by step, she lured the crocodiles into attacking each other. She narrowly avoided their jaws and came out of it completely unscathed. Some of the men breathed a sigh of relief. After all, her death would've spelled trouble for Maurice.

Not everyone was happy, though. Standing in the shadows, Abbie's face twisted in frustration.

It was bad enough that she was disfigured by the crocodiles. Now, watching Felicia not only survive but win? It was unbearable. Why should Felicia get to escape when she couldn't? Jealousy churned in her chest. And then an idea hit her-Maurice's other "pet". The bear that lived just beyond this enclosure.

The thought made Abbie's lips twitch into a smile, but she didn't dare suggest it outright. Maurice was too unpredictable. One wrong move, and she'd end up back in that crocodile pool.

But then, as if reading her mind, Maurice casually said, "Open the gate to the next enclosure. Let the bear out."

Abbie's heart skipped. Was this guy telepathic?

The men moved quickly, unlocking the partition between the crocodile pool and the small forest where the grizzly bear resided. They created a commotion to draw the animal out. Up in her tree, Felicia's stomach sank.

The crocodiles had mostly retreated

into the water after their bloody fight, leaving behind only the stench of death and blood. Felicia had thought she'd earned a breather.

en

Then, she heard it.

The ground shook slightly as a deep growl rumbled through the air. Moments later, a massive grizzly bear-easily over seven feet tall on all fours-appeared at the edge of her vision.

Her gaze darted to Maurice, who tilted his head with a mocking grin that practically screamed, "Show me what you've got."

Felicia clenched her jaw and turned her attention back to the bear.novelbin

At first, the bear didn't notice her.

Perched high in the tree, panet

concealed by leaves, the bear

seemed more interested in sniffing

the source of the noise.

It wandered a bit, clearly unsettled but not aggressive.

Then Maurice, the lunatic he was, ordered someone to toss in a string of firecrackers.

The bear froze, ears twitching. The sudden noise startled it into a frenzy. It bolted, crashing into Felicia's tree in its panic.

The impact shook the tree violently.

Felicia clung to the trunk with all her strength, her heart hammering as she nearly lost her grip. Somehow, she managed to stay on, but just barely. Unfortunately, the bear lifted its eyes and locked onto her.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as man and beast stared each other down.

The bear's roar shattered the tension, and it reared back on its hind legs before slamming into the tree with all its weight.

Felicia was livid, barely able to contain her rage.