The Mafia Heiress's Comeback: She's More Than You Think novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236 Living With

The Bears

Morris turned his gaze to the mother bear and her cubs, feeling guilty for invading their lair.

Watching the way the cubs huddled around their mother, he saw something familiar–the family bond.

Maren was deep in thought. The day was ending, and searching for another cave now didn’t seem realistic.

She remembered the terrain well. This mountain stood alone.

There weren’t any other caves around, which was exactly why she had chosen this spot.

Then, without warning, Maren felt a light pull at her leg.

One of the cubs was pawing at her, tiny claws clutching her pants, climbing slowly as it let out soft, pleading sounds.

Maren’s eyes flicked towards the mother bear, expecting a growl or a snarl. But instead, the bear stood still. It showed no signs of aggression. That unusual calmness sparked a sudden idea in her mind.

She carefully picked up the cub and brought it closer to its mother.

“Maren, watch out!” Morris shouted, caught off guard by what she was doing. But as he watched closely, he realized the mother bear was not aggressive at all.

“Is this bear ignoring us?” he muttered to himself, scratching the side of his head and stepping forward in disbelief.

The mother bear barely paid them any attention. She gently nudged her other cubs together, took the deer carcass that had once been in the tiger’s jaws, and began retreating into the cave. She didn’t even look back at the cub Maren was holding.

“Wait a second, is she just leaving that one with you?” Morris asked, stunned by what he was seeing.

“It probably just understands that we’re not trying to hurt it,” Maren replied calmly. She doubted the bear was actually offering them its cub.

Right then, a few droplets landed on her face. The cool touch made her glance up. Could it really be about to

rain?

“This is where we’re spending the night.” Without giving Morris a chance to argue, she walked into the cave, still holding the cub in her arms

“You’re serious? We’re sleeping in there with the black bears?” Morris blinked, certain he had misunderstood. Maren’s fearlessness was beyond anything he had imagined.

“What exactly are you thinking? The cave goes pretty deep. We’re only staying close to the front.” Maren

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<Chapter 236 Living With The Bears

walked only a few steps into the cave, then stopped. She found a clear patch near the entrance and began gathering bits of scattered black bear fur to use as bedding.

There were several reasons why this cave made the most sense.

First, the presence of the mother bear acted as a deterrent. With a powerful predator already claiming this space, other dangerous animals were unlikely to come near.

Second, the fur worked as natural padding. Compared to sleeping on bare rock or dirt, it was far more comfortable. It also helped preserve body heat through the night, which meant they didn’t have to rely on a fire

to keep warm.

Third, the sky had already started to weep. Rain in this kind of environment could be dangerous. Getting wet wasn’t just uncomfortable–it could lead to serious illness. A cold might be manageable, but a fever in the wild could be life–threatening. Maren wasn’t too worried about herself. Her immune system could handle the strain.

But Morris might not fare as well.

For all its risks, this cave was the best option they had.

“Maren, what about the tiger?” Morris asked, eyes drifting back to the entrance.

Maren had bested it in a fight, and it had lost its prize to the black bear.

When the tiger noticed Maren looking in its direction, it flinched and backed off slightly.

She had half expected it to try again, to wait for a moment of weakness and come back for revenge. Seeing its reaction, she tore a cheetah leg and tossed it to the beast. Maybe that offering would be enough to make it leave.

The tiger seemed to understand. It grabbed the cheetah leg and crept away, slipping into the trees like a shadow.

From that moment on, it felt as though the cave had been divided in two. Maren and Morris kept to the outer part near the light, while the bear family stayed deeper inside.

The two humans went on organizing their corner of the cave.

It was a strange, almost surreal scene–people and wild bears occupying the same space, neither side threatening the other. They kept to themselves, coexisting in an unusual, temporary peace.

But not everyone observing the scene could appreciate the tranquility. In the control room, the judges were anything but relaxed.

“Looks like Maren and Morris have settled in,” one of them remarked with a sly grin, clearly enjoying the chance to needle Gerald.

Gerald’s jaw tightened, his expressión sour. “This is reckless behavior.”

Despite all his years of experience in survival training, he had never dared to sleep anywhere near wild animals. He always kept a safe distance–at least a hundred meters away if he could help it.

But Maren had actually gone into the black bear’s den, of all places.

It was insane. The entire situation was completely crazy.

If Nadia had done the same, Gerald would have praised her for her skill and bravery. But when it came to

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Chapter 236 Living With The Bears

Maren, all he could think was that she was inviting disaster.

“Maren, how about we go look for some food while we still have time?” Morris asked, stretching out comfortably on the soft bear fur bedding after they finished setting up their camp.

“No need. Let’s gather some branches and firewood instead,” Maren replied, brushing off the suggestion.

They had already eaten three legs and a portion of the cheetah meat. What remained was enough for now, so there was no urgent need to hunt for more.

The real concern came with the first few drops of rain.

Morris sat up and glanced to the sky outside. “It’s still early afternoon. Isn’t it a bit too soon for dinner?”

They had only eaten shortly after lunch.

“It’s going to start raining soon. If we don’t collect what we need while the ground is still dry, we won’t be able to find anything once the rain begins,” Maren said with certainty.

Rain? To Morris, the sky looked bright and unchanged. There wasn’t a single dark cloud in sight. Even so, he wasn’t about to question Maren’s instincts.

Without wasting another minute, he rushed outside to start gathering firewood.

Trying to make fire by friction was already nearly impossible. Once the rain came and the wood got wet, the task would become completely hopeless.

Roughly thirty minutes passed before Morris returned, his arms full of the wood he had gathered.

“Maren, you were right. The rain’s actually coming!” he said in surprise, eyes fixed on the growing wall of dark clouds inching across the sky.

From the way those clouds looked–thick and nearly black–it was clear the downpour was going to be strong. Morris hadn’t expected the weather to turn so quickly. He was glad now that Maren had urged him to prepare. Without this firewood, they would’ve had no way to cook anything and would have spent the night hungry.

And it wouldn’t just affect tonight. They’d still be in trouble tomorrow. Once the rain started soaking everything, the wood wouldn’t dry out anytime soon.

Thankfully, they had managed to get everything inside just in time.

Once the firewood was safely stacked in the cave, Morris dropped down onto the bear fur and let himself rest, completely worn out.

A short distance away, Maren had already started arranging the fire, working with steady hands.

“Maren, we’ve already got what we need, and it’s not even dinnertime yet. Why light a fire now?”

Watching her build the fire while they still had hours of daylight left made Morris curious. With such a limited pile of wood, he assumed they should save every bit for when they actually needed it.

“The air will turn damp once the rain sets in. Even dry wood becomes stubborn when it’s soaked with moisture,” Maren said, keeping her focus on the task.

“That actually makes a lot of sense. You really know your stuff, Maren.” Morris lowered his gaze, the familiar

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Chapter 235 Living With The Bears

weight of inadequacy creeping in again. Whenever he stood beside her, it became painfully clear just how little he truly knew.

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