Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Inside a luxurious jewelry box lay a three-carat diamond ring, its brilliance radiating an almost blinding glow. It was impossible for something like this have been discarded casually at her doorstep. Julian glanced toward the quiet villa next door, his expression darkening.

"Seems like someone still hasn't given up," he said, his tone laced with jealousy. Aurora held the ring in her hand, lost in thought.

She remembered how, before her eighteenth birthday, Hayden had promised her with absolute certainty:

"Aurora, I have a surprise for you tomorrow."

"What kind of surprise?" she had asked, anticipation lighting up her face. Back then, she had no idea what awaited her the next day.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Either tell me from the start or don't say anything at all! Now that I know there's a surprise, I won't get any sleep tonight," she had teased, wondering if he had prepared a special gift for her.

"Tomorrow will come soon enough," Hayden had reassured her.

But no one could have foreseen what really awaited them the next day. It wasn't a surprise-it was a complete collapse.

If Susan and Ivy hadn't conspired together that night, Aurora would have gotten engaged to Hayden on her eighteenth birthday. Perhaps the story would have unfolded differently.

Julian, heartbroken, might have left the place entirely. That night, he had only attended as a bystander, intending to witness her happiness. If she had chosen Hayden, Julian wouldn't have stood in their way, and the two of them would have missed their chance completely.

Aurora imagined what life might have been like. Even if she had stayed with Hayden, Susan wouldn't have let it rest. She would have done everything in her power to destroy their relationship. Ivy and Genevieve wouldn't have tolerated Aurora's presence in the Montgomery family. Even if she had gone to the Alvarez family, Joaquin might not have accepted her.

Her life wouldn't have been happy. If it weren't for that night, which forced her to wake up and grow stronger, she might have ended up even more miserable in the long run.

seemed everything had been

it had to be from Hayden. She raised her hand, her mind replaying their past conversations like echoes

graduate. I

graduation seems a little rushed, doesn't

or two hundred years ago, women at eighteen already had children in school? I've made up my mind-you're the one for me, so whether it's sooner or later, it's

"But I still feel like your parents don't like me very much. Won't they

one I want to spend my life with, not them. No one else gets

her lips had curled

"I haven't taken over the family business yet, so I can only

were usually measured in fractions of a carat. A full carat was considered extravagant. But in the world of the wealthy, a few carats were average. Still, Hayden had wanted to give Aurora the

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in her mind, leaving a bittersweet ache in her heart. In her

birthday four years ago. Unfortunately, it was only now, in this way, that it had

her finger immediately. "You're not allowed to wear someone

softly, amused by his reaction. "Relax, Julian. There's only you in

"And now you know."

up on me,"

what we have," Julian snapped, glaring at the ring as if it were

head. "Besides, our relationship is so strong. What could possibly

all, Hayden was in the past now. She had no reason to wear it. Throwing it away felt

her mention the cold, Julian's expression shifted. "Hurry inside and rest. I'll bring everything