Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 459: The Episode The two parted reluctantly. Aurora and Elina had connected deeply, so much so that Elina, with a hint of sentimentality, thought to herself: if Aurora couldn't becher daughter-in-law, perhaps she could take her as a goddaughter.

"Let's go," Denis Vukic said impatiently. Women were such trouble-standing at the door endlessly, delaying everything.

"Oh, Elina, goodbye." "Girl, if I miss you, I'll call. You have to answer, okay? Don't ignore me," Elina reminded her seriously.

"Alright, Elina." Aurora's lips curved into a faint smile. It had been such a long tsince an elder had shown her this kind of affection.

In truth, Aurora had already called the number on Victoria's business card the day she arrived in this city. But, as she had expected, it wasn't Victoria herself who answered.

Her assistant, Erica, had picked up and promised to pass along the message, saying that Victoria would call her back. From yesterday until today, however, Aurora had waited in vain.

She had long realized that her mother was deliberately distancing herself from her. As Julian had once said, perhaps this was her mother's way of protecting her.

But still, she was her mother. No matter what, Aurora couldn't help but think of her and miss her.

Today, Elina's warmth had offered her a fleeting glimpse of maternal love, filling a void that Aurora hadn't realized could still ache so deeply. It had been so long since she had felt this content.

Even so, her stomach ached terribly now. She suffered from severe gastritis and couldn't eat too much or too little. She usually adhered strictly to a measured diet.

But tonight, Elina's enthusiasm had made it hard for her to refuse the food offered. And somewhere, it had stirred memories of her past, prompting her to eat far more than she should have.

Her stomach began to throb faintly with pain. A fine layer of sweat formed on her forehead, but Aurora, being the strong-willed person she was, didn't say a word to Denis Vukic.

Feigning nonchalance, she asked, "Mr. Vukic, you seem quite busy. When will you have tto... hiss... teach me?" "What's wrong?" Denis Vukic immediately picked up on the odd tone in her voice. Sensitive as always, he noticed something wasn't right.

"It's nothing," Aurora replied, turning her head to look out the window.

Denis couldn't see her face, though he still felt suspicious. Deciding not to press further, he replied, "In the evenings-I'm free every evening-or on weekends. I can teach you then." "Thank you for your trouble." "It's no trouble. I've got plenty of free tanyway." Free twas a burden to him; he never knew how to fill the void.

"Mr. Vukic, you can dropoff here." As they approached the apartment, Aurora's pain becunbearable.

"Alright." "Thank you for today." Aurora stepped out of the car, forcing a smile that took all her remaining strength. Denis noticed her face, pale as a sheet, dotted with beads of sweat. Something was clearly wrong.

He watched as Aurora walked into the building, each step seemingly a struggle. Then he saw her pull out her phone to make a call.

"Ashy, where are you?" Aurora's voice trembled as she spoke. Her body felt weak, and she knew she needed to get to a hospital. But she didn't want to rely on Denis, someone she barely knew. She hated appearing vulnerable in front of strangers.

She had held out until now, just to call Asher for help. He was the person she trusted to take her to the hospital. "Little fox, I've got an important meeting tonight. I'm afraid I can't come. Be good and drink your tea, alright?" Asher's voice sounded tired.

Aurora knew how much she had already burdened him. Running the company alone had left him even busier and more exhausted.

"Okay." Hearing how busy he was, Aurora didn't tell him about her condition. She decided she'd take a taxi herself.

As soon as she hung up, her stomach twisted violently. She doubled over and vomited on the ground. Tonight's dinner had been three times her usual portion, including foods she couldn't even properly digest. She ate them all, simply because Elina had placed them on her plate. It was no surprise her stomach couldn't take it. Just as she finished vomiting, a tissue appeared in front of her. She took it instinctively, wiping her lips. "Thank you..." she murmured weakly before looking up. "Mr... Mr. Vukic? Why are you here?" Her voice was barely audible.

Vomiting hadn't eased her pain; it had only made things worse. Her chronic gastritis, which Julian had carefully managed for so long, hadn't flared up in ages until now.

"Why didn't you say anything when you were in so much pain?" Denis's dark eyes glinted with frustration. Did she think he was so heartless that she couldn't even tell him she wasn't feeling well? "I didn't want to trouble you any more than I already have," Aurora said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Well, I don't mind a little more trouble." Without another word, Denis scooped her up and carried her toward the car.

If he hadn't been sharp enough to sense something was wrong and linger nearby, he wouldn't have seen her collapse. This stubborn woman-did she not understand the meaning of the word "weakness"? "Mr. Vukic, I can walk. Please, putdown. I-"

Denis ignored her protests. He was not the kind of man to listen once he had made up his mi his mind He placed her passendes in the passenger seat, reclining the chair so she could lie down more comfortably. Then he draped his jacket over her.

If you're loving the book, nel5sis where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter eagerly waiting for you! "Rest. We'll be at the hospital in twenty minutes," he said, starting the engine. Aurora's stomach pain was so excruciating that even her head throbbed. She had no strength left to argue and allowed Denis to take her to the hospital. When the doctor's diagnosis cback, Denis finally understood how severe her condition was. His frustration bubbled over as he marched back to her side.

"You knew you couldn't eat that much. So why didn't you refuse when my mother kept piling food onto your plate? Do you realize that if we'd cany later, you could've gone into shock?" Aurora gave him a weak smile. "You have a mother. You'll never understand what it's like to grow up without that kind of love. Even if I know she's not my real mother, even if it's just the faintest glimmer of light, I can't bring myself to let go of that warmth." "You're... unbelievable..." Denis stared at her pale, fragile face, a thousand words dying in his throat.

"Get srest. I'll stay here with you," he finally said, his words softening into an awkward comfort.

"Thank you, Mr. Vukic," Aurora murmured, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

Denis stayed by her side, watching her delicate face as she slept. She was so fragile- why did she insist on pretending she was invincible? Did she not trust him at all? Or was it that, apart from that one man, she trusted no one? Aurora's sleep was restless. She murmured incoherently, calling out for her mother at one moment, Julian the next. Her body seemed like a piece of driftwood, tossed about endlessly on a vast ocean.

When the morning sun filtered through the window, Aurora opened her eyes to find her phone buzzing incessantly. She had thirty missed calls-all from Asher.

Panicked, she quickly dialed him back.

"Little fox, where are you?" Asher's voice was filled with worry. He'd been looking for her all night.

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