Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Aurora had thought she might see her mother here, but to her surprise, it wasn't her mother who came. Instead, it was someone named Walsh, who was likely a relative.

But if he was a relative, why had he looked at her with such an expression? Aurora's sharp instincts told her that his gaze was far from friendly.

"What are you looking at?" Asher noticed Aurora was zoning out, her face cold and distant. His voice broke her thoughts.

"Nothing." Aurora had already heard bits and pieces about the R family from Denis. There was a good chance this Walsh was one of the people opposing her mother.

"Little Bunny, I'm sorry. The car broke down on the way and delayed me. I made you wait." Julian rushed over, his tone apologetic.

"It's fine." Aurora smiled softly and took Julian's arm. "Let's go in." "Alright." Asher and Gore followed them into the hotel.

"Julian, don't you have any interest in this project?" Aurora asked.

"If it were before, I might have. But I'm swamped right now. The projects I'm handling are already overwhelming, and I don't have the bandwidth to consider anything new.

If the projects I'm working on succeed, the investment required is enormous. Almost all my liquid funds will be tied up. This Nordic project is also a major investment, so I can't take it on right now." Smaller projects weren't an issue, but the key was that both of Julian's current projects were massive investments. He still had many ongoing projects in Clothville that required capital.

To fund his current projects, Julian even had to take out loans. If he were to add another major project, even if he secured it, he wouldn't be able to manage it.

Besides, the competition for this project was intense. Julian didn't want to expend tand effort fighting for something he wasn't likely to get.

Honestly, if Aurora hadn't been here today, Julian wouldn't have bothered to cat all.

"It seems like this project is pretty attractive. Even people like Nick and Kyle are here," Aurora remarked. "Clothville's market has stabilized over the years. For us, there's not much room for growth there, so it's natural to want to expand into international markets. It's no surprise they chere. This project is indeed a good one." "That's true. Personally, I hope Ashy can win it. But seeing the people here today, it's clear their companies have far more experience and history than ours." Aurora shook her head. Looking at the crowd, she could tell this project was going to be tough. Among the attendees were numerous well-established companies with deep roots and vast resources.

"When it comes to experience, it's not always the deciding factor. Sometimes, it's about the opinions of the collaborators. You need to believe in yourself and trust Asher," Julian reassured her.

Aurora nodded. Before, she hadn't paid much attention to this project. But after learning that Asher was here, she began to feel a competitive streak emerge.

If they could secure this project, it would bring in money much faster than starting a cosmetics business from scratch. It would also bring her closer to her ultimate goal. Aurora pulled out her phone and carefully read Michael Bardem's profile. Know your enemy, and you'll win every battle.

"What, are you planning to get involved?" Julian asked, noticing Michael Bardem's non her phone screen.

"Well, I'm already here, so why not give it a shot?" "Fair enough." Julian never doubted her decisions.

The group entered the grand hall. Tonight's banquet was as glamorous as an international awards ceremony. The room was filled with upper-class elites, each as dazzling as a movie star, representing a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities.

Aurora had attended similar events in New York before, so she wasn't unfamiliar with the atmosphere. Julian, noticing her hunger, guided her to the dessert section.

"Grab something to eat. You must be hungry," he said.

"I am, a little." Aurora hadn't eaten dinner earlier when she cover with Gore.

"Have something to tide you over. I'll treat you to a proper meal later tonight," Julian said, handing her a slice of tiramisu, her favorite.

"Alright." Aurora took a tray and began nibbling on her dessert.

Meanwhile, the host of the evening was surrounded by a crowd of notable figures. The truly smart attendees knew this wasn't the tto approach him.

First, it was hard to make an impression in a crowd. Second, trying to engage in conversation amid so many others would only end up being superficial. After a long exchange of pleasantries, the host might not even remember your name.

Aurora wasn't in a hurry. Neither was Asher, who silently observed the people around him.

Nick, with Irene by his side, didn't seem particularly interested in the project. He was more focused on keeping Irene entertained, clearly using this trip abroad as a chance to create salone twith her.

He wasn't even paying attention to Michael Bardem's whereabouts or how to approach him.

Eric, on the other hand, had always been highly ambitious. He had prepared extensively for this project, but tonight, he had an unexpected companion-a chatterbox.

"Eric, is that an international supermodel? Oh my gosh, her legs are unreal!" Emily exclaimed, pointing in the direction of a tall woman in the crowd.

Eric glanced over. It was indeed a Victoria's Secret model. Long legs were to be expected, but he'd seen plenty before and didn't find it remarkable.

The Langdon family wasn't particularly prominent in Clothville, especially compared to families like the Montgomerys or the Simmons. Emily, with her carefree personality, didn't quite fit in with the more polished socialites.

While those socialites attended Paris and Milan fashion shows, Emily likely didn't even know where she'd been at the time. This was her first trip abroad, and she couldn't help but get excited seeing the glamorous crowd.

"Oh." 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! "Oh? That's all you have to say?" "What else do you wantto say?" Eric replied, exasperated.

"Don't all men love long legs like those? Why are you so calm? You! don't seem like a man at all," Emily En said with a pout.

Eric sighed. Does this woman have no filter? If he actually praised m someone else, would she really be happy?

But Emily, with her straightforward nature, didn't care about such details. "Wow, is that a Hollywood star? What's her nagain?" "Sophia," Eric answered.

"Yes, that's her! How do you know everyone?" "You see them enough, and you remember." "Oh, right. Eric, why are you in Rome, anyway? I thought you were here for sightseeing?" Emily asked, still clueless about his true intentions.

Eric was speechless. "Could you ask any more questions?" "Sure. Who's that woman over there? She seems really popular lately. Who's the man she's with?" "Gossip queen," Eric muttered. Despite his annoyance, he indulged her curiosity. Emily was like a little bird, constantly chattering and never staying quiet.

Then, abruptly, she changed the topic. "By the way, do you still like Miss Montgomery?" mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1