Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 468: Carry Me Home

Aurora tried to pull herself out of his arms, but the man tightened his grip instead.

She was certain that Julian was already fast asleep. The way he clung to her was purely instinctual, a subconscious fear of her leaving.

Seeing him like this, Aurora's heart softened. A moment ago, she had been wondering if this man once loved someone else.

But how could she let such thoughts linger when, even in his dreams, he held her so protectively?

Leaning down close to his ear, she whispered softly, "Julian, I'm not going anywhere. I just need to clean up."

Only then did his hands unconsciously loosen their hold. Slipping quietly out of his embrace, Aurora looked back to see Julian still lying in the same position as before, unmoving.

In the bathroom, she carefully washed herself. Traces of the marks he had left on her from before still lingered, and now, there were new ones.

Back when they were at home, it was always Julian who gently cleaned her up afterward. She could only imagine how exhausted he must have been this time.

Aurora cleaned herself up first, then turned her attention to him. She fetched disinfectant and bandages from a nurse.

Julian remained in the same sleeping position, as though she had never left. Aurora brought a small stool to sit beside him.

Carefully, she began unwrapping the scarf from his hand. Despite her caution, the movement still tugged at his wound, and she froze, fearing she might wake him.

Luckily, Julian was too tired to open his eyes. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't stir.

Using a warm towel, Aurora wiped the blood from his hand with meticulous care, afraid to cause him any pain.

Normally, even the slightest noise would wake Julian. But tonight, his body was so drained that he remained completely unconscious.

the wound, she wrapped it neatly. It wasn't perfect, but it

lay down, Julian pulled her back into his arms as if he

the darkness, Aurora's fingers traced the contours of his face. She touched his brows, his eyes, his nose. In this

the past now. Denis Vukic had mentioned before that

that were true, the situation back then must have been dire. If it hadn't been Daria,

carefully. Reaching this point in their relationship, she knew she

thought in mind, the knot in her heart unraveled. Nestling into Julian's arms, she

décor, a tall man stood in a spacious

wall hung an enormous painting, covered by a black cloth.

cloth away. The fabric spiraled to the ground, revealing a grand golden frame encasing a massive oil

a sunflower field stood a girl with a ponytail, her smile radiant, her

capturing the girl's gaze with

It was as if

breeze, see the distant green hills, and gaze

of concept, realism, and technique, it was a

the painting, his usually

A gust of

"Daria... Daria..."

a weight that could bring

his mind, her face appeared once more-the

another played like a film in his head,

brought a

sister. You have to take good care of her and never bully her,"

girl, hiding shyly behind his mother, peeked out with eyes like a startled

addition to their family-a little girl left orphaned after her father, a comrade of his father's, died in service, and her mother took