Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

The others, after all, were mere bystanders. They could only see the surface of things. Julian was different-his mind was meticulous.

Previously, Ivy had indeed harbored resentment toward Aurora, but she didn't have the courage to act on it. So, was last night's incident an accident or premeditated murder? Everything needed to be thoroughly investigated.

The sea breeze tousled his hair as Heather followed behind him, silently watching his imposing figure.

What kind of woman wouldn't be drawn to a man like this?

Heather wiped her tears while leading the way. "Mr. Barnet, the last time I saw Miss Montgomery was here. She said she wanted to feel the sea breeze before heading back to her room to rest. It's all my fault-I shouldn't have left her alone. If I had stayed by her side, none of this would have happened."

Julian didn't bother to comfort Heather. Instead, his gaze fixed on the railing, his mind conjuring up the image of Aurora standing there, enjoying the sea breeze.

She loved the ocean so much. He could picture her relaxed, carefree posture. Just then, she had been texting him, complaining about being bored. Who could've known that message would become her last?

The sour ache in his chest deepened at the thought of her, but he knew now wasn't the time for grief. If something had happened to her, he'd have a lifetime to grieve and remember. For now, his priority was uncovering the truth.

Julian carefully examined the railing. It was sturdy, with no signs of looseness. If she had been peacefully enjoying the breeze here, how could she have ended up by the loosened railing elsewhere?

"Who else saw her last night?" Julian's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. With so many people on board, perhaps someone had seen something.

men and women assembled before him. They all shook their heads, claiming the last time they'd seen Aurora was

eye contact. Julian noticed him instantly. "You. Come

to have seen Aurora alive. "I didn't do anything! Last night, I saw Miss Montgomery alone here, enjoying the breeze. I offered to

weak demeanor and counterfeit charm betrayed him as someone who lacked integrity. Julian could see right through him. He was likely trying to flirt with

his collar, he pulled him close. "You dared to touch

wouldn't dare! It was that girl Ivy who told me... She said Miss Montgomery was both

Slap!

sound echoed as Julian's palm landed on the man's face, leaving it red and swollen. This was no ordinary slap-it was the

Julian's voice was ice-cold. He, who wouldn't even dream of hurting Aurora, was enraged that someone else could

foolishly acted on impulse. He thought Aurora, with her beauty and wealth, was the perfect match

man who was not only strikingly handsome but also wealthy and commanding-the man realized how foolish he'd been. With

this. I swear, I didn't dare do anything! I only said a few words to her before she left.

Julian's icy aura. Among them was the man who had pushed Ivy overboard earlier. He marveled at Julian's sharp instincts. With just a

the scene of the incident. "It's here. The railing was loose before, but workers

prior damage. To prevent another accident, the workers had replaced all the nearby railings that had shown signs

one. "Mr. Warden, how long has it been since your

neglect that! We have annual inspections, and before every voyage, I have everything checked. Especially last night, with such an important event, do you think I'd risk not inspecting the ship? If something went wrong, who would take responsibility? I

means someone deliberately tampered with this railing," Julian said, his tone

have snuck aboard during the party to sabotage the railing while everyone