Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Frank was caught off guard by her sudden kiss. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just glad you came. If you didn't, I wouldn't have dared to go outside. I was so scared of running into those people again. If I hadn't sensed something was wrong that night, I might never have seen you again." "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go halone. I made you suffer. Lettake you hnow, okay?" "Okay." Ivy looked into Frank's weary eyes, noticing the exhaustion etched into his face. He must have been running around for days without proper rest. "But why don't you rest for the night before leaving?" "That might be a good idea," Frank admitted. He was indeed tired. Finding this remote village had been no easy task. There were even places with the snthat had sent him on a wild goose chase.

The tension he had carried since losing track of Ivy finally melted away now that she was safe in front of him. "You haven't been resting properly this whole time. Take it easy tonight. Are you hungry? I'll cook something for you," Ivy offered. Ever since her ton the ship, she had been forced to learn sbasic cooking skills.

Frank was a little taken aback by her warmth. Ivy had never been cold toward him before, but she had never shown him such enthusiasm either.

"Letdo it. You hate dealing with the mess and the grease," Frank said with a small smile.

Ivy flushed with embarrassment. The first tshe tried to clean a fish, she had been terrified, and Frank had witnessed it all. But now, off the ship and away from Justin's orders, she felt she could manage.

"You two just sit tight-I'll handle it," an elderly woman said with a warm smile as she entered the room.

Ivy introduced her. "This is Mrs. Hartwell. She's the one who tookin. If it weren't for her, I might still be wandering aimlessly." "Thank you, ma'am," Frank said sincerely.

"No need to thank me. I'll cook you snoodles. Just don't complain if it's not up to your standards," Mrs. Hartwell chuckled kindly.

Ivy led Frank into the house. "You look exhausted. Why don't you get srest? I'll wake you when the food is ready." "It's better if I eat first. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't wake up again," Frank admitted. He hadn't closed his eyes properly for over a day and a night. Even during the days spent searching for Ivy, his sleep had been broken and restless. If he let himself sleep now, he might not wake up until much later.

Ivy gently touched his unkempt beard. When she had first seen it on the ship, she hadn't liked it much. But now, it felt like a reassuring presence, a symbol of his steadfastness.

"You've been through so much," Frank said, gazing at her. There was something different about Ivy now. She seemed softer, more tender. Her entire demeanor had shifted, though he couldn't quite put his finger on how.

Ivy shook her head. "It wasn't that bad. It's just karma, really-what I deserved." "What do you mean?" Ivy suddenly looked at Frank with a seriousness that made his heart skip a beat. "Frank, do you still mean what you said that day?" "What did I say?" Frank asked, his pulse quickening under her gentle gaze.

"You said that if he didn't wantanymore, I could always cto you. You said you loved me," Ivy said softly, a hint of shyness in her voice.

After everything she had been through, Ivy realized how deeply Frank had rooted himself in her heart. had been the perfect lover, but Frank gave her something never could-security.

Perhaps had always been an illusion, a fleeting dream, while Frank was the steady rhythm of daily life, simple but indispensable. She hadn't realized his importance until she almost lost him.

Frank's eyes lit up with joy. "Of course I meant it. I'm a man of my word. If you want to marry me, I'll be ready anytime." Ivy met his sincere gaze. This was the look of someone who truly loved her, not the polished charm of someone like Mio.

"Frank, before we go any further, I need to be honest with you about who I am. If, after hearing my story, you still love me, we can be together. But if you don't-if you think I'm disgusting-I'll understand and I won't hold it against you." "Go ahead," Frank said, unsure of what she was about to reveal but sensing that this was a rare moment of vulnerability.

When Ivy had been with Mio, she had done everything in her power to hide her unsavory past from him, terrified that he would find her repulsive. She had wanted to remain perfect in his eyes, even going to the extent of keeping her makeup on during intimate moments.

But with Frank, she didn't want to lie. He was an honest man and didn't deserve to be deceived.

Taking a deep breath, Ivy began her story. "I'm not the person you think I am. In fact, I'm a terrible woman." Frank frowned slightly, confused. "Ivy..." "I was born into a wealthy family-the Aurora family, which you've probably heard of..." 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!

Ivy recounted everything to Frank, sparing no details. She told him about the tshe was raped b}'à beggar, her decision to trade her body to save Genevieve from prison, and how she had been swept off her feet by Mio's charm in Rome. "I thought was my greatest stroke of luck in life. I cherished that luck so carefully, terrified of breaking it.

He toldAurora was a threat to him, so I sneaked onto the ship, determined to kill her.

Can you believe it? Someone like me, who can't even kill a fish, wanted to murder someone-someone who's even related toby blood."

She looked at Frank with a self-deprecating smile. "Maybe you think I only cto you because abandoned me. But in that tree hollow, all I could think about was you.

When I finally got hold of a phone, you were the first person I called. Everything that's happened has maderealize how foolish I've been. This is who ram-a complete and flawed Ivy. I'm not as good as you think, and I'm probably worse than most women. Knowing all this, do you still love me?" As she finished, Ivy felt a weight lift from her chest. For the first time, she had laid bare all the secrets she had buried for so long.

"My body, my soul-they're both dirty. You're the kindest person I've ever met, the one who's treatedbest in this life.

I don't want to deceive you. If we're really going to be together, you deserve to know everything.

All my darkness, my cruelty, my stupidity, my failures-I don't even know how I've managed to survive this long," she said with a bitter laugh.

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