Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

The butler opened the door with a stern expression. In that brief instant, Ivy caught sight of a woman lying on the bed, an IV drip hanging nearby.

Kyle Raymond was leaning over, carefully replacing the damp towel on the woman's forehead. The intensity in his profile, the worry etched across his face-it was a side of him Ivy had never seen before.

He was anxious. If he didn't truly care about that woman, he would never look so concerned.

Ivy wanted to see more, to get a better look at the woman on the bed. But before she could, the butler stepped in, blocking her view completely.

"Come with me," the butler ordered, his face cold and impassive.

Ivy's heart tightened as she met the butler's gaze. Reluctantly, she followed him out. "Butler, where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease.

"To the courtyard," he replied icily, pointing to the snow-covered grounds outside. "You will kneel there for five hours before you are allowed to leave."

The words stunned Ivy. She hadn't yet processed what she had done wrong. "Butler, what did I do to deserve this punishment?"

"From the first day you arrived, I made the rules very clear. If you want to stay here, you must follow them. No scheming, no petty tricks," he stated firmly.

"I wasn't scheming! I just..." Ivy began to explain, though she knew deep down her actions had been deliberate. She had indeed been testing boundaries, hoping to prove she was different from the others.

Her boldness had driven her to approach Kyle Raymond and to satisfy her curiosity about the woman he had brought back.

"I don't care about your intentions. What I care about is that you've angered Mr. Raymond. Because it's your first offense, I'm being lenient. Now, go kneel," the butler commanded, his face unreadable.

He had thought Ivy might be different from the others, that she wouldn't fall for Kyle Raymond. But it hadn't taken long for her feelings to surface.

Kyle Raymond didn't want love. To him, women were tools of convenience. When tools developed emotions, they began to desire more-his attention, his affection. And that disrupted the delicate balance of their arrangement.

brought here because of her hatred, her

Ivy stared at the butler and asked, "And if I refuse to

the butler replied without hesitation. "Pack your things and never step foot in this villa

Ivy. Fear at first, then fascination, followed by obsession. They all eventually chose to stay, no

whispered

you must abide by

meant she would no longer endure the torment she had suffered here. But it also meant she would never see Kyle Raymond again.

"I'm not leaving."

thought of Aurora's face, Ivy's resolve hardened. Without another word, she stepped into the courtyard

He had hoped she would leave,

was warned of the rules. It was his way of giving them a chance to rethink their choices. If they stayed for money, so be it. But if they stayed for love,

had fought alongside Kyle Raymond through thick and thin, the butler's methods were far harsher in

us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for

fire for Kyle Raymond, and all he

snow-covered courtyard, Ivy knelt silently. A group of women gathered to mock her, laughing

a single thought:

subsided slightly, though

temperature and turned to Kyle Raymond. "Sir, this woman's

immediately!" Kyle snapped. Despite the slight improvement,

life, Kyle Raymond rarely sought hospital treatment, even after injuries. Though his life had changed, old habits

Aurora was still unconscious. Thankfully, her fever had dropped

He had never noticed

short, but next to Kyle

test results are

asked, lighting a