Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Aurora smiled as she placed her fingers on the silver petals and opened the box. What lay inside caught both women by surprise.

Inside were nine black roses, dark as the night. Julian had given Aurora flowers before, but they were always red roses-never black. The black and gray hues intertwined, exuding elegance. They lacked the sweetness of love but carried an air of mystery. "Black roses?" Heather remarked, stunned. She had never seen them before. After all, most couples opted for red roses when giving flowers.

At the center of the arrangement rested a gleaming gemstone. Aurora picked it up-a ruby.

"Miss Montgomery, isn't this the sruby from last night's auction? The one you were bidding for? That man who kept outbidding you-he actually bought it and sent it to you? Do you know him?" Heather gasped, covering her mouth.

The roses themselves were remarkable, but that ruby-valued at $15 million-was casually nestled in the box. Heather had seen such extravagant gifts only in or TV s, where the male lead would lavish the heroine with multi-million-dollar jewelry. She used to think it was pure fantasy. But now, seeing the delicate flower box, the mysterious black roses, and the dazzling ruby in Aurora's hand, Heather realized that such things did happen in real life.

"I don't know him. Who sent this?" Aurora asked, her composure returning quickly after the initial shock. A small, elegant card lay inside the box.

"It was delivered by a courier from a flower company. I signed for it," Heather explained. She had assumed the flowers were from Julian. She had no idea such a valuable gift was hidden inside.

The handwriting on the card was bold, the black ink stark against the white card.

"You are a devil, and you belong to me." Aurora's expression remained unreadable as she closed the lid of the box and, without hesitation, threw the entire thing into the trash.

Black roses were notoriously difficult to cultivate, with only a ten-day harvesting window. The box and the flowers alone were worth a significant amount, not to mention the ruby.

To an ordinary person like Heather, the act of discarding such an expensive gift was almost painful to watch. "Miss Montgomery, I'll find out which flower shop sent this and see who placed the order," Heather said, sensing Aurora's displeasure and blaming herself for not verifying the sender before signing for the delivery.

"There's no need. Even if you ask the flower shop, they'll just tell you that customer information is confidential," Aurora replied, her tone indifferent. She was well-versed in such games.

The absence of a signature on the card and the lack of sender details when Heather signed for the delivery indicated that the sender had taken precautions to remain anonymous.

"There's another way," Heather suggested, her eyes lighting up. "The ruby was purchased at last night's auction. If we contact the auction house, we might be able to find out who bought it." "Auction houses can keep buyer information confidential if the buyer requests it," Aurora replied, dousing Heather's enthusiasm.

"Then what should we do? Maybe the sender admires you, Miss Montgomery. They saw how much you wanted the ruby and sent it to you as a gesture. It's not necessarily a bad thing." Heather found the ruby's sudden appearance almost surreal. Even for someone wealthy, a $15 million gift wasn't something to give lightly. But knowing Aurora's personality, she doubted such a gesture would bring her joy.

"This is my problem, and I'll handle it. In the future, if anyone sends anything, bring them todirectly," Aurora instructed, a trace of fatigue in her voice.

"Yes, Miss Montgomery," Heather said, nodding.

If you're loving the book, nel5sis where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "You can go now. I'm not feeling well today. Cancel the rest of my schedule and inspect the quality of the newly launched perfon my behalf. Make sure everything is flawless. The perfhas received decent feedback so far, but we can't afford any missteps. Our skincare line will be launching soon as well." Aurora rested her head in her hand, giving her instructions.

"I understand. I'll ensure everything goes perfectly. Miss Montgomery, if you're not feeling well, you should go hand rest. You don't need to push yourself so hard," Heather said, her tone filled with concern.

"It's nothing." Aurora dismissed the suggestion, and Heather had no choice but to leave.

After Heather was gone, Aurora put the ruby down and flipped through her contacts. She found the number of someone who had been present at the auction the previous night. If it was him, he might know who purchased the ruby.

Before she could dial, an unfamiliar number appeared on her phone screen. Aurora's phone was a private line, known only to those close to her.

She answered. "Hello?" "Did you like it?" A deep, magnetic voice cthrough the line, carrying a hint of the senigmatic allure as the discarded black roses.

"Who is this?" Aurora asked, instantly recognizing the voice as belonging to the man she had encountered in the restroom the previous night.

"You haven't answered my question." The man pressed on.

Aurora leaned back in her chair, realizing she wouldn't need to investigate further. The man had cto her.

"Are you asking about the flowers or the ruby?" she asked, her voice calm despite her fatigue.

"Both," Kyle Raymond replied, clearly intrigued by her composure.

"If it's the flowers, I think my company's trash can liked them very much," she said bluntly, revealing that she had already thrown them away.

Kyle didn't seem offended. Instead, he chuckled softly. This woman was as intriguing as he had imagined.

"Last night, I saw you standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in your black evening gown, I thought to myself, if O there were a flower that could match you, it would only be the black rose," he said, ignoring her sharp tone.

Aurora wasn't interested in his poetic musings. She got straight to the point. "Mr. Raymond I don't have e tto discuss whether black roses or white roses suitbetter. Giveyour account details, and I'll transfer the money to you." "You think I'm here to sell something?" "Whether you're selling or giving, I won't accept anything for free. You asked if I liked it.

I do like the ruby, but I prefer to obtain things through my own efforts. So, giveyour account mexoun ve details, and I'll transfer the money immediately," Aurora replied, rubbing her temple. All she wanted was to return hto her bed. "If you insist on paying me, how about this? I'll send someone to pick you up at noon today. Joinfor lunch," Kyle proposed, his tone casual yet suggestive.

Hearing his invitation, Aurora frowned. A man sending flowers to a woman was often an act of pursuit. Now, using the ruby as leverage, he was asking her to lunch.

"No, thank you," Aurora said flatly. "Just giveyour account details." mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1