Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 65 We've Met Before

Long ago, she held a sacred admiration for the piano, believing it to be Hayden's favorite thing.

But now, she understood the story behind it.

Had that man been driven by a desire to win from the very beginning?

Hayden seldom mentioned his uncle in her presence. The real reason was that Julian was too perfect, his brilliance overshadowing all of Hayden's qualities. From his youth, Julian was the benchmark Hayden strived to surpass in everything.

"It's always me who love the piano, while he practiced relentlessly only to get better than me. Since you like him so much, haven't you noticed that his piano playing rarely carries any emotion?" Julian said, his voice tinged with a cold laugh. "No matter how skilled or dazzling his techniques are, or how flawlessly he plays a piece, he will never become a master. Because he doesn't truly love the piano. It's merely a stake in his competition with me."

Julian's words reminded Aurora of something. She had always thought Hayden's performances were perfect, yet their perfection seemed somehow amiss. It was only through Julian's playing that she realized Hayden indeed infused no emotion into his music. It was like a finely crafted vase, beautiful yet cold. She discovered she hardly knew the man she thought she was familiar with.

"It seems you've remembered," Julian observed. "Hayden has always wanted to defeat me and surpass me, not realizing he cared too much about me, to the extent that all his preferences became similar to mine."

Julian saw the situation most clearly.

had ignored these details, only realizing their true significance today. "Since we've become so similar, do you think it's possible we might both fall for the same girl?" Julian's words sent a shiver down

was merely a copy

Hayden like her because Julian did

you. The first person I knew was Hayden, and whatever he

eyes suddenly showed a hint of pity. The secret he had kept for many years

fifteen years ago, that stormy night with lightning and thunder as well as

only seven, her mother still alive, and her father's mistress yet to appear. Like

never forget in her life. That night, she went to bed early as usual. The cruise ship sailed on the vast

By then, she had become quite independent, sleeping alone in a cabin. "Daddy, Mommy..." She ran out barefoot, the boat rocking with the swells of the sea. "Rory, Mommy is here. Don't be scared," her mother said, holding her in her arms as crew

is Mr. Sun catching a cold and sneezing now?" Her words made her mother

cruise ship in distress across from us, and many people in the sea are calling for

is so bad right now. Staying here longer will also put us at risk. No need to save them," said Magnus, a very typical shrewd businessman, always considering

not going to rescue them?" the crew member asked

a simple act of lifting a hand, but now, with such