The bullet went through the Tibetan mastiff's head. Its leaping body suddenly landed on the ground and made a huge sound.

Jessica couldn't help trembling.

She looked around, and a man with a shotgun standing commandingly was not far away.

At the very second, Jessica saw James, she felt bitter, sour, and had a sudden urge to cry. Her eye sockets got wet, and tears were welling from her eyes.

Jessica didn't cry when she fought courageously with the Tibetan mastiff for her life. But seeing James made her cry.

Jessica bit her lips with her white teeth so hard that it bled.

James put the shotgun down and charged over at Jessica.

All her face was covered in the mastiff's blood. And her clothes were blood-drenched. She looked messy and tired. But for James, Jessica, at the moment, was the gorgeous woman he has ever seen in his life.

Her beauty was breath-taking.

James picked her up and kissed her forehead, comforting her, "Jessica, it's okay. I'm here for you."

Jessica was exhausted and couldn't think of anything. She wasn't in the mood to respond. All she felt was fatigue. And the wounds hurt on her body.

When they returned to the hotel, James asked for a presidential suite. Three doctors were waiting for them respectfully.

James held Jessica up in the bathroom.

She was covered in blood and needed to take care of.

James put her down on the toilet. And he threw away his jacket. Then he opened the faucet in a hurry to put water in the bathtub.

Jessica was still horrified, and she watched James as he hurried back and forth. She couldn't help withdrawing her hands in horror.

After taking care of everything, James returned to Jessica and tried to take off her clothes. But Jessica stepped back out of instinct.

James said, "Relax. Even if I want to do something, now would be the worst time."

Jessica felt soft and tired. She felt like talking, but she was choked on words.

So she let James take off her clothes one piece after another.

James moved slowly in case he hurt Jessica. He kept frowning the whole time. When he saw a mark left by the mastiff's claws, he instantly looked ferocious.

James picked Jessica up and put her in the bathtub full of warm water.

When the water ran through the wounds, Jessica hurt so much that she groaned and trembled.

James's heart was broken, seeing it.

If he didn't come out to look for Jessica since he hasn't seen her for a long time, he wouldn't come to the woods. And Jessica might be...

He would not dare to think back!

The woods were the hunting ground for people to entertain themselves. If someone had a hunting plan, they would release the game in advance. Ferocious beasts would show up at night. The Tibetan mastiff was one of them.

But Jessica impressed James a lot this day. To his utter surprise, Jessica faced up to the ferocious mastiff and fought as hard as she could. This was a huge surprise.

James said, "Put up with it. I have to disinfect the wounds and apply ointment after you wash them."

James put water on Jessica's body and gently washed it while he said with a deep voice.

James moved gently but not slowly. He knew the wounds needed to take care of as fast as possible. So he only washed the dust off the wounds.

After washing, James picked Jessica out of the tub and dried her body with towels. Then he put a nightgown on her, carried her out of the tub and put on the bed. Then he asked the doctors who have been waiting patiently in the living room the whole time to come over.

Three doctors finished an examination after moments.

James asked, "How is she?"

One doctor said, "Mr. Moore, Miss Clifford is fine though she had a lot of wounds. We have given her rabies vaccination. But..."

"What?" James suddenly looked harsh. One word was enough to send fear to the three doctors.

"She touched the snake with her hands. The poison will infiltrate her blood along the skin."

James looked at where the doctor pointed. Jessica's right-hand palm has turned purple.

Damn it!

James didn't notice that when he gave Jessica the bath. In a blink of the eye, it turned so serious.

James asked, "What snake?"

The doctor answered, "It's a snake called green gobbling. It originates from the deserts. Unlike normal snakes that inject poison through biting the victim, green goblin is fatally poisonous through its body, including its body, breath, and teeth. If Miss Clifford was bitten on the ground, she would be dead."

James couldn't help shaking hearing what the doctor had said. Luckily, the green gobbling didn't bite Jessica. Or who knew what he would do?

James said, "If so, why don't you start treating her?" He was not pleased with how slow they were.

The doctor hesitated, "Mr. Moore, it's just...just..."

"What? Tell me!"James would rather it was him that lay here covered in wounds. He was not patient.

The doctor said, "Green goblin is an evolved snake. There's no cure for its poison. Even if we did have the cure, we have to check the origin of the species to see if there was any vaccination."

James grabbed the collar of the doctor the second he finished talking. He said with a gruesome voice, "What did you say?"

The doctor said, "Mr. Moore, the truth is still true even if I told you ten times. The best way is to cut off the infected hand before the poison expands."

Cut off one hand?

Jessica couldn't help getting shaken.

She then came back from the state of horror.

Her right hand slightly shook. She could not imagine a life without the right hand. In a daze, she felt like she descended into an unfathomable and cold pit.

She felt the piercing coldness coursing through her body.

What the doctor said, shocked James as well.

He waved and tossed the doctor out, "Get out of there!"

The three doctors immediately left the room.

Jessica looked at James, who had a terrible look with a pale face. She slightly coughed and moved her cracked lips, saying, "I'm not having my hand cut off. I'd rather die."

This was her choice. Cutting off her hand meant the same as killing her.

James trembled, walked over, and covered Jessica's hands with his big and warm hands, saying, "I'll try my best. I'll ask the best doctor in B Country to come over to treat you."

Jessica felt the warmth from the palm of her hand since James held hers. He meant something special for her. Their past didn't make them have more hatred for each other. On the contrary, every time when it was a matter of life and death like this, James became all the hope she had. And it turned into something Jessica didn't like to admit but existed for real, love.

The tear fell from the corner of Jessica's eyes. They were stone cold. Jessica bit her lips so hard in case she started crying. Then she moved her lips, which had teeth marks, saying, "If there is no other way, they have to cut off my hand, please do me a favor. I can't live without my hands. Help me..."

Before Jessica could finish, James stopped her, saying, "I don't allow you to quit so fast."

Jessica said, "But the reality will not change just because you don't quit. How am I supposed to live without my right hand? You tell me."

James said, "You still have me even if you lose your hand. I'll be my hand. I'll treat you the same. I'll love and cherish you like always. What are you afraid of?"

Jessica shook her head. Even if James said so when it really came to the point that they grew hatred against each other, who could say James would stay the same?

James was flustered, seeing Jessica shook her head. He was really afraid she would give up hope.

He was terrified that Jessica would give up on himself and him.

So James suddenly had an idea and knelt down on the ground, saying, "If you are worried, I'll propose right now. Jessica, marry me. Give me the opportunity to love you all your life."