Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

When Heather showed Ivy's photo to the women on the outskirts of the group, they exclaimed, "Yes, that's her! She said her name was Vivienne. Do you know her?"

"You're saying she disappeared from the ship too?" Heather's heart sank upon learning Ivy had been on the same cruise.

No one knew Ivy and Aurora's past better than Heather did. Ivy must have boarded the ship with revenge in mind after being expelled from the Montgomery family.

Heather couldn't shake the thought that the two must have had a confrontation. Perhaps they quarreled, and with the loose railing on deck, both of them might have fallen into the sea during their struggle.

"Yes, she boarded the ship with us, but after a while, we didn't see her again. We have no idea where she went," one of the women said.

"Mr. Warden, I'm afraid Miss Montgomery has truly fallen into the sea," Heather turned back to Mr. Warden, tears streaming down her face.

Before Ivy's connection to Aurora was revealed, Heather still held onto a glimmer of hope. But now, with both women mysteriously missing, the odds seemed

insurmountably grim.

"How are you so certain?" Mr. Warden asked, his face tense.

"Mr. Warden, the woman who disappeared along with Aurora is Ivy Montgomery. You've surely heard her name before. You must know what that means," Heather explained.

"Ivy..." Mr. Warden froze for a moment as the name clicked. "The former daughter of the Montgomery family?"

the ship and argued. Coupled with a loose railing...

and salvage teams immediately! How could something like this happen?" Mr. Warden's face went pale with fear. Two lives were at stake. And with Julian returning the next day, how would he explain this catastrophe? Julian Barnet was infamous for his ruthlessness. Anyone who crossed him would find themselves blacklisted from their social circles. Everyone knew how deeply he cared for Aurora. If she had fallen into the sea, even if they rescued her quickly, the situation would still

vast ocean, finding her was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Even if they managed to recover her, they feared it might only be her lifeless body. Worse yet, she could be lost forever, her remains swallowed by the

unwilling to imagine the consequences. Julian would flay him alive if

gripped with fear. Two people had disappeared-both likely gone forever. Only hours earlier,

alone after so much time had passed. Heather's eyes were swollen from crying. She called Julian's private number repeatedly using the ship's landline, but

He hadn't slept all night, restless with anticipation. The

calls from an unknown landline number. Whoever called him must have been desperate. Considering how few people had his private number, he realized it had to be someone

of unease crept over him. Had something happened

voice

person on the other end sounded hoarse, practically unrecognizable. "Mr. Barnet?" "Yes, it's me. Who

Heather's composure crumbled the moment

happened to Aurora?" Julian's chest tightened as dread washed over

all night, but there's no sign of her," Heather choked out

Even his usual calm demeanor couldn't shield him from the

Mr. Barnet?" Heather called out when she heard no response. She knew the severity of the news

into the sea? Explain it to me!" Julian finally found his voice, though it was filled with

the events as best as she could. On the other end of the line, Julian was frozen in place, his

arrived to pick him up at the airport, he was greeted by the sight of Julian standing at the terminal exit, motionless like a

reddened, his expression a mix of anger and anguish.

man who could face the collapse of the heavens without flinching now looked utterly shattered. Rock, who had worked by his side for years, had never seen Julian in such a