Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

If it weren't for that broken railing, Heather wouldn't have been so panicked. But now, she was utterly at a loss, teetering on the brink of hysteria.

She gripped the sleeve of her shirt tightly, forcing herself to stay calm. Aurora had always warned her: no matter what happens, never lose control. Panic only makes mistakes more likely.

Even though Heather kept telling herself this, it was easier said than done. Aurora was never a frivolous person. She didn't enjoy flattery, let alone entertain random advances. It wasn't like her to wander off without reason.

"Mr. Warden, I'm with Miss Montgomery. We've met before. Please open the door-I need to speak with you." Heather's voice trembled from nervousness.

"Ugh, how annoying," Mr. Warden's female companion complained irritably.

"Don't worry, darling. I'll be right back. Miss Montgomery is not someone to offend. If someone from her party comes looking for me this late, it must be serious." Mr. Warden hurriedly reassured the woman, threw on a robe, and rushed to open the door. "What's going on?" Mr. Warden asked, clearly concerned as he looked at Heather.

"Miss Montgomery was outside earlier, enjoying the sea breeze. She said she would return to her room soon, but when I went back to check, she wasn't there. To be precise, she never returned. I've searched everywhere, but I can't find her. I'm worried something might have happened to her."

"What could possibly happen? There are so many handsome, successful men on this ship. Maybe she hit it off with one of them and went to his room. Why are you overreacting?" A woman in a towel stepped forward, her tone dismissive.

Heather knew exactly what the two had been doing before she interrupted, but the urgency of the situation left no room for propriety.

"That's not possible. Miss Montgomery isn't that kind of person. She left earlier because too many people were trying to flirt with her. While I was searching for her, I noticed that some of the ship's railings had been tampered with-several were broken. I can't find Miss Montgomery anywhere. I'm afraid she..."

Heather's voice broke as tears welled up in her eyes. At this point, she didn't care where Aurora was, even if it meant finding her in another man's room. She just wanted her safe.

this, Mr. Warden's expression darkened. Everyone knew Aurora's reputation. She was a woman of principle, not someone who would vanish without explanation. He hadn't seen her

I was searching for Miss Montgomery. Please, help me

relationship-it was plain for all to see. Aurora couldn't

to. We'll find her. Please, calm down." Mr.

The man's devotion to Aurora was well-known. If anything happened to her-even a

even changing out of his robe, Mr. Warden stormed out of

they began checking rooms one by

activities. Normally, Heather would have been shocked by such scenes, but tonight, she couldn't care less.

vividly recall the absurd sights of that night-the wild and uninhibited moments she had

after room turned up nothing. Not even a strand of Aurora's hair. They even checked the control room,

was starting to panic. How could

Heather's face turned pale as fear gripped her

such things! Gather everyone in the main hall. Let's see if anyone else is missing,"

on his yacht-especially Aurora Montgomery-he would

in the hall, yawning and

going on? Are you throwing a midnight party

them. "I need

seen her

phrase it.

How does a person just disappear? We're on a boat, for

fallen overboard?" someone suggested, and the room fell