John slammed his hand on the table, almost erupting with rage. He roared, "Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm your only daughter. Is there anything wrong with you giving me all your assets?" Ivory asked coldly.

John's expression was hideous. Still, he agreed to her conditions. He figured Ivory would be lucky if she could survive a month with Simon. He could just take everything back once she died.

"Fine. I'll do it!" he snarled. "But don't take that steward of yours to the Fuller residence with you. You don't want to upset Mr. Fuller."

He expected Ivory to cause a scene over that. After all, everyone in their family knew she was head over heels for Wilson, who was outstanding in every way and handsome to boot.

To his surprise, she didn't act up. She said calmly, "Do whatever you want with him. I don't want him anymore."

She hated Belinda. And so, if anyone liked Belinda, she would rip them from her heart, no matter how agonizing it was.

…

Ivory headed to a bar right after leaving John's study. To her annoyance, Belinda and her friends were also there.

"Fancy running into you here, Ivy." Belinda stood up when she saw Ivory, looking cautious and apprehensive. "Come and sit with us. I know Mom and Dad don't give you much allowance. It's my best friend's birthday today, and drinks are all on her. You can order anything you like—you won't need to pay."

She sounded kind and understanding, but it was clear she was actually mocking Ivory for being broke and stingy.

Ivory sneered. Then, she raised her voice and said, "I'm in a good mood today, so everyone's drinks are on me tonight—everyone but Belinda's table!"

Everyone cheered at her words.

"You're awesome, Ms. Ivory!"

"As expected of the true heiress. She's so bold!"

But just then, Wilson arrived. As he walked in, he heard Ivory's announcement and how she'd excluded Belinda's table. He frowned, his gaze filled with dislike as he glanced at Ivory.

He pulled out his phone and made a call. Soon, the bar's owner hurried forward and said, "Sorry, everyone, but Mr. Quill has booked out the venue tonight. All drinks are now free, courtesy of Ms. Belinda Stone!"

The crowd exploded again.

"Mr. Quill? The legendary heir, who's rumored to be uninterested in women?"

"That's the one. He and Mr. Fuller are equally notorious—one is Jeriton's richest man, and the other is the king of Weston."

"Isn't he supposed to be like a monk? Why's he getting involved in our worldly affairs now?"

"Looks like the fake heiress is about to soar into the heavens. If she manages to marry Mr. Quill, even the true heiress will have to keep her head down around her."

A look of smugness flashed across Belinda's face when she heard the crowd's comments. She stood up, her face flushed as she said, "Since Mr. Quill has booked out the venue, drink up, everyone!"

She deliberately paused before turning to look at Ivory. She smiled sweetly and said, "You, too, Ivy. I won't treat anyone differently."

Her words earned her another round of praise. Everyone complimented her for being kind while making snide remarks about Ivory, saying that she wasn't half as cultured as a fake heiress.

"You're right about me being petty," Ivory forced through gritted teeth. "But I won't take advantage of anyone. I'll only take what's mine. If something doesn't belong to me, I won't want it even if it's forced on me."

With that, she turned and left. She headed to another bar.

Unexpectedly, Belinda came after her. She blinked innocently and put on a pitiful act as Wilson watched. She said, "Don't stop me, Will. I want to apologize to Ivy. She must've misunderstood me again. I swear I didn't mean anything earlier—I just wanted to patch things up between us."

She blinked again, and tears rolled down her face.

Wilson's heart ached at the sight. He softened his tone and said, "You don't need to apologize, Ms. Belinda. You did nothing wrong. Someone else is at fault here."

Ivory felt like her heart had been stabbed by countless needles. She turned away, no longer wanting to watch them be lovey-dovey to her face.

She headed to the dance floor to let loose. At the same time, she took a glass of brandy from a server and downed it. She had no idea someone had secretly laced her drink.

Ivory wasn't the foolish type who put her guard down around everyone. She knew the bar was seedy and had many people with nasty intentions. The only reason she could drink away her sorrows without a worry was that Wilson was around. She felt safe whenever he was nearby.

However, Wilson was too busy coaxing Belinda to care about Ivory. He seemed to have forgotten that he was Ivory's steward and was supposed to pay attention to everything in her life.

The drug soon took effect. Ivory felt like she was burning up—the heat was only getting worse. No amount of ice cubes could soothe it.

A few scions surrounded her and took the opportunity to slip their hands underneath her dress.

"Your face is so red, gorgeous. Are you thirsty for a man?"

"Jesus, you're hot. Come on, let us satisfy you…"

Their actions were becoming less restrained. They even wanted to slip her underwear off.

Ivory couldn't take it anymore. She mustered the remnants of her strength and shouted, "Wilson!"

Only then did Wilson notice her situation. He didn't hurry to her, though. He said to Belinda gently, "Wait here for me, Ms. Belinda. I'll be right back."

Then, he cut through the crowd and stopped by Ivory's side.

"Are you trying to be a knight in shining armor so you can save a damsel in distress? Take it from me, and keep your nose out of—"

The scions thought they could scare Wilson off by strength in numbers, but he snapped one of their arms before they could finish.

"Get lost!" he growled. That was all he said, but it exuded dominance.

The scions fled, and Ivory reached her limit. She collapsed weakly in Wilson's arms, her voice shaky as she said, "I… I feel horrible, Wilson…"

He frowned. He wanted to push her away when he noticed her flushed face. Only then did he realize something was wrong with her. He swept her off her feet and cut through the crowd, heading to one of the private rooms upstairs.

The drug was potent. Ivory tried her best to resist its effects, but she still couldn't help snaking her arms around Wilson's neck.

She was itching everywhere. Every cell in her body screamed for attention. She wanted to take off her clothes; she wanted a man's touch…

"Help me…" When Wilson put her down, she broke down and stood on her tiptoes. Tears streamed down her face as she peppered kisses on his face. "I feel like I'm dying… Wilson, help me…"

The drug made Ivory lose all sense of rationality. She kissed him haphazardly while roaming her hands over his body. She wanted some relief from him; she wanted him to help her get rid of the itch deep within her.

Amid her delirium, a bucket of cold water was suddenly poured over her. Wilson stood before her, his eyes still cold and stoic. "Are you a bit more lucid now?"

The water soaked Ivory through. The iciness had indeed calmed her down, but her blazing heart was also extinguished.

"There's no antidote for the drug here. You can start with cooling yourself down physically," Wilson said coldly. He filled the bathtub with cold water before throwing Ivory in.

Her lips turned blue from the low temperature, but he merely watched her stoically. He didn't seem to pity her at all.

"Hang on, Ms. Ivory. I'll go get you an antidote." He turned and left without another look back.

Ivory waited for him through the night, but he never came back. The iciness of the water seeped into her bones, yet the aphrodisiac was still eating away at her from inside.

She felt like countless ants were gnawing at her body. The water's iciness couldn't get rid of the heat inside her—it could only temporarily keep her lucid.

She was burning inside, yet she was freezing on the outside. She was trapped between fire and ice.

Still, she clenched her jaw and stuck it out. After a night, the heat finally subsided.

Ivory was exhausted. Her legs felt like jelly as she got out of the bathtub.

She thought Wilson had been gone for the whole night because it was hard to find an antidote, but she heard Belinda's voice drift out from the room beside hers as soon as she stepped out.

"I'm sorry, Will. It's all my fault for being dumb enough to twist my ankle. You spent all night massaging it for me—you didn't have time to care for Ivy."

"It's fine," Wilson said coolly while carefully massaging her ankle. "Ivory deserves to be taught a lesson."

Ivory wasn't the type to suffer in silence. If she was mad about something, she would take it out on someone on the spot.

So, she kicked the door to the room next door down, looking arrogant as she held her head high. She asked, "What is the lesson that I need to be taught, Wilson? If you have something to say, do it to my face. Don't talk badly about me behind my back."

Despite being caught red-handed, Wilson wasn't flustered in the slightest. He didn't even bat an eye, remaining as calm and composed as always. He drawled, "For example, you need to learn not to drink anything that just about anyone gives you."

Ivory laughed. She wasn't a child—of course she knew that. Still…

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on me?" She looked at him coldly. "I can't drink to my heart's content even with you around. What am I paying you for, then?"

He fell silent. Then, he said, "I'll admit I shirked my duties this time."

She smiled. "So, you shouldn't be the one teaching me a lesson. I should be the one doing it to you. Now, hold out your hand."

He frowned as hints of displeasure flickered in his eyes. Still, he did as told and held out his hand.

Ivory grabbed it and chomped down on it so hard that she drew blood. However, all Wilson did was furrow his brows slightly. He didn't even grunt.

"That's your punishment," Ivory said. "Even if your conscience isn't weighed down when you throw me to the wolves again next time, at least your hand will hurt."

With that, she turned and left without another look back.

…

That afternoon, Ivory attended her best friend's birthday party.

It was a lively pool party. The invited scions and heiresses wore skimpy swimwear as they played in the pool, and the atmosphere was light-hearted and cheery.

But just then, four attendants pushed a gigantic object hidden by a red cloth in. One of them bowed his head politely toward Ivory and said, "Ms. Stone, this is a gift to you from Mr. Fuller."

Mr. Fuller? Ivory cocked an eyebrow. Her future husband?

She said, "It's my best friend's birthday today, not mine. Why has he given me something?"

"Mr. Fuller cares about you and doesn't want you to feel neglected," the attendant said with a smile.

That was a nice explanation, but Ivory couldn't help feeling uneasy. She instinctively looked around for Wilson, but as soon as she turned her head, she saw Belinda getting out of the pool in a relatively conservative swimsuit. Wilson waited for her with a towel.

He wrapped it around her as soon as she got out. "Be careful not to catch a cold, Ms. Belinda."

Just the night before, he'd abandoned Ivory in a bathtub full of ice-cold water. He hadn't bothered asking whether she was fine. She'd developed signs of frostbite on her legs, yet he hadn't shown the slightest bit of concern or heartache.

Now, the sun hung high in the sky, and the pool wasn't even cold. Belinda had merely been in the water for a swim, yet Wilson was worried about her catching a cold.

Ivory clenched her fists and looked away. Then, she said loudly, "I accept the gift. Thank Mr. Fuller for me!"

The crowd was abuzz. Though the gift was covered by a red cloth, its size hinted at it being an expensive car.

"Ivy, hurry up and lift the cloth." Her best friend, Ginny Wright, was curious about the gift. She kept urging Ivory to unveil it.

Ivory didn't want to leave her hanging, so she stepped forward and yanked the cloth covering her "gift". The moment the cloth slipped off, a beast roared, making everyone gasp in fright.

Beneath the cloth wasn't the expensive car everyone anticipated. Instead, it was a gigantic cage with an adult male lion in it!

"What kind of gift is that? It's monstrous!"

"I've long heard about Simon Fuller being a psycho. I thought that was just a rumor, but it seems he's worse than I imagined!"

"How is this considered a gift for his fiancee? He's obviously trying to scare and threaten her!"

"I suddenly pity Ivory. What's life going to be like for her when she marries a freak like that?"

The crowd was abuzz as they looked at Ivory with pity. Meanwhile, Belinda approached with Wilson, blinking innocently as she asked, "What's happened? Why's there a huge lion here? Is this part of a circus act?"

The lion went berserk inside the cage at her words. There was no telling whether Simon had done this on purpose or whether the cage itself wasn't sturdy. After a brief struggle, the lion managed to ram the cage door open!

The crowd screamed and scattered. Wilson didn't even hesitate as he pounced on Belinda, protecting her with his body.

However, Ivory was the one who was closer to the cage.