Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 543: The Truth

Hearing that carefree, reckless laugh, Aurora couldn't help but smile. Candy always had a knack for scaring people half to death.

"Candy, pulling tricks on me this early? Don't you think that's a bit much?" Aurora teased, feigning annoyance.

Candy chuckled, unapologetic. "I'll admit, I wanted to give you a little scare. But I also needed to remind you-be more careful about who you work with. If it hadn't been me today but someone else, you'd be in real trouble. Not only would your press conference have been a disaster, but you'd be looking at a hefty compensation fee, too."

Her tone shifted, firm but sincere. "Lucky for you, I'm sharp. I saw through her little stunt and didn't fall for it. Otherwise, I might've actually ended up in the hospital. Miss Montgomery, your designs are brilliant, but your judgment of people? That could use some work. Someone like Gemma shouldn't have been hired."

Aurora sighed, the weight of Candy's words settling on her. "Candy, I get it now. Thank you for the heads-up. I'm just relieved you're okay."

The truth was, Gemma's hiring had been an unfortunate accident. Near the end of the recruitment process, Aurora had to leave early for an important meeting with Julian. Mona, noticing that Gemma's resume mentioned their shared college history, assumed they were close friends and gave her an edge in the interview process.

That small act of goodwill had turned into a ticking time bomb. When Aurora later saw Gemma at the office, she didn't make a fuss. Gemma hadn't done anything wrong at the time, and Aurora wasn't the type to fire someone without cause-especially not a new hire.

Shortly after, Aurora left for New York. She'd been back for only two weeks, fully immersed in preparations for her new perfume launch. If Candy hadn't mentioned Gemma, she might have forgotten about her entirely.

But now that Gemma had caused trouble, Aurora knew she couldn't let it slide.

room, where Heather was waiting, her

her hands. Though the situation had been resolved, she

her, her tone calm. "You've done a great job- don't let this get

Aurora stepped further inside. Candy was in the middle of her hair and makeup, her bright smile immediately lighting up the

Miss Montgomery. We meet again," Candy

hasn't it? I never imagined

"Life's funny like that. And you-you're incredible. Launching a new company and breaking into the perfume industry? That's no small

modestly. "I'm just trying my best. Who knows how it'll turn out?" Candy's expression turned serious. "Don't sell yourself short. I don't just sign on to any endorsement, you know. A bad product can ruin my reputation. I'm picky for a reason. You sent me that custom perfume last year, remember? I loved it-it's the only thing I've been wearing since. My friends in the industry are obsessed with it, too. When they found out I'd be endorsing your new line, they were

If we love

wave of relief at Candy's words. "That's good to hear. After the press conference, why don't you stay a few days? I'd

a shoot tomorrow. Next time,

Aurora replied with a laugh. "Safe travels, then. If you need

said, her cheerful

to join her. They moved to a quiet corner, where

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Heather to pick up Candy. How did Gemma end up tagging along? Did you approve it?"