Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Aurora felt as though the entire world knew a secret, except for her. It was a frustrating sensation, one that gnawed at her relentlessly.

"Tell me everything you know," she demanded. Aurora firmly believed Julian would never betray her, so if he was keeping something from her, it had to be for her own good.

Ivy combined what Genevieve had told her and revealed everything to Aurora. Upon hearing it, Aurora finally understood. By not returning to the so-called R family, she had blocked someone's path, and that someone wanted her eliminated.

Aurora carefully pieced together the events that had occurred. After her visit to R Corporation, Julian had urgently called her to return home. At the time, his insistence had seemed odd. She had dismissed it as him missing her and hadn't thought much of it. Now, connecting the dots, she realized something was amiss.

Julian had known all along that Mio intended to harm her. But how could he, from so far away, have known about R Corporation's internal affairs? There was only one possible source-Tina. The mother who refused to acknowledge her must have been secretly protecting her all along. Julian must have been in contact with her.

That night, on the balcony, Aurora had overheard Julian mention her name during a phone call. Julian had claimed it was Rock on the other end of the line, and at the time, she hadn't questioned him. Julian's kindness had always clouded her judgment. Whatever he said, she believed without doubt.

But the truth left her angry. Even though she knew Julian had kept things from her for her own good, she hated the feeling of being deceived.

"Now that you realize your mistakes, that's a step forward. Focus on living a good life with Frank from now on, and stop chasing after those who were never meant to be yours," Aurora said, suppressing her irritation at being kept in the dark and steering the conversation back to its earlier point.

"So... does this mean you've forgiven me?" Ivy asked hesitantly, unable to believe Aurora could ever forgive her.

"Your past actions were undeniably awful, but I know you've endured a lot and paid a heavy price. I've long since stopped blaming you."

"Thank you." Ivy's heart felt as though a weight had finally been lifted, replaced by the warmth of sunlight.

staring blankly at the sea.

didn't even notice I was back," Julian said,

was thinking about something. Julian, have you ever hidden anything from me?" she asked, her gaze steady as

her calm but piercing

me. Have you

things he had kept from her-her health issues, John Walsh's messages, and Tina's involvement, to name a few. Women, especially pregnant women, were notoriously

are you asking this all of a sudden? You know everything about me, don't you? Or is there something specific you want to

Julian was hiding something. "It's nothing. Mrs. Hill has dinner

his back. What was

studying everything he could about pregnancy. One thing he'd learned was that pregnant women often experienced heightened insecurity, irritability, and

could lead to feelings of inadequacy. Add to that the decrease in physical intimacy, and it was no wonder many men strayed during their wives' pregnancies. Women became especially sensitive during this time, and Aurora, once a

he needed to spend more time with her. "Little Bunny, the project in Europe will

to her, but Tina's

recent actions, Aurora couldn't shake her concerns. Mio

stop being shielded by those around her. Despite the bodyguards in the garden, Julian's meticulous care, and Tina's silent protection, she knew avoiding the problem wouldn't solve anything. She

to bide her time. That day, aside from her cryptic question, she didn't act out of the

prepared to

I'll try to

I'm going to step out for a bit and do some shopping. I'm starting