Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

"It's strange, really," Tina said, her voice tinged with curiosity. "Aurora shouldn't have been able to get pregnant. Even with just smedicine, the odds are slim. I can only assthat perhaps fate wanted to bless you two with a child. After all, there are so many things in this world that science just can't explain." Julian listened quietly, feeling unsettled. Rational and pragmatic, they didn't believe in the supernatural, but stories of unexplainable phenomena always seemed to linger.

"Julian..." Aurora's voice called from behind him, pulling him back to the moment. Reluctantly, he ended the call. After learning this secret, Julian found himself looking at Aurora differently. Despite his skepticism, Tina's words had planted a strange feeling in his heart. Could there really be forces beyond their understanding? "What were you doing out on the balcony?" Aurora asked, puzzled.

"Nothing much," Julian replied, his tone calm. "Just finalizing the meeting plans with Rock for tomorrow. It's late- you should rest now." Aurora yawned, her fatigue apparent. "I am tired. Stay withtonight." "Of course. Let's go." Julian took her hand and led her inside.

The days passed in a quiet rhythm. Aurora stayed home, focusing on her health. Julian didn't need to impose any restrictions; she had adapted to a slower pace of life naturally. Her mornings began late, around ten o'clock. After lunch, she rested again, often taking long naps.

Sometimes, she would read, letting the hours slip by. Julian made it a point to return hevery evening to have dinner with her. Afterward, they would take peaceful walks along the beach. Time, once equated to money for Aurora, now moved gently, and she didn't mind the change. She had more tto simply exist, to let her thoughts wander.

One afternoon, as Aurora finished her nap and prepared for her usual tea, an unexpected visitor arrived. "Miss, there's a guest here to see you," Mrs. Hill called out.

"I'll be right down," Aurora replied, rinsing her face quickly. Since her pregnancy, visitors had becfrequent. Irene often dropped by with lavish meals to help her stay nourished. On weekends, Heather and Willow would visit. Even distant relatives who rarely stayed in touch began making appearances. It seemed as though everyone wanted to share her joy.

The early spring weather was growing warmer. Aurora descended the stairs casually, dressed in her nightgown with a white robe draped loosely over her shoulders. She wasn't expecting Genevieve's entire family, let alone Ivy-who had returned-and a man by her side. It took Aurora a moment to recognize him.

"Frank?" Aurora asked, surprised.

"It's been a while, Miss Montgomery," Frank greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Frank, I can hardly believe it's you! You've changed so much-I almost didn't recognize you," Aurora remarked, recalling how unkempt he had been the last tthey'd crossed paths.

Frank chuckled. "Well, back on the ship, I didn't bother to clean up much. Now that I'm out and about, I thought I should make an effort. By the way, Ivy has something she wants to say to you." Aurora raised an eyebrow, taking a seat on the sofa. Compared to her demeanor at the office, she seemed more relaxed at home, though a faint chill lingered in her tone. After all, Ivy had been responsible for so much pain in her life-how could Aurora possibly greet her warmly? "What do you want?" Aurora asked bluntly. Her voice carried a quiet strength, one that reminded Ivy of the woman she had wronged so deeply.

Once, Aurora might have sought revenge for all that Ivy had done. Ivy had nearly cost her everything, including her unborn child. But now, perhaps because of the baby, Aurora had chosen to let go of her anger. She didn't retaliate. Instead, she had left Ivy to her own devices, indifferent to her fate.

Still, Aurora couldn't forget. Every encounter with Ivy had been hostile, and today, her demeanor was no different.

"Aurora... I'm sorry," Ivy said at last.

The words startled Aurora. She had never expected them from Ivy, who had always been consumed by her hatred.

"I've hated you for as long as I can remember," Ivy began, her voice trembling. "I always thought you'd stolen everything from me. I wanted to destroy you. When the fight over the shares started, I despised you even more. I wished you didn't exist so I could have everything I wanted.

"But then, I found out I'm not even my father's child. I'm just an illegitimate daughter. All my anger, my jealousy- I took it out on you.

"You were always better than me. Prettier than me. More capable. I hated you for it. That's why I believed when he toldto hurt you. I was so stupid.

"And then I was pushed into the sea. That's when I realized how foolish I'd been, how much harm I'd caused. If you or your baby had been hurt because of me, I'd never be able to forgive myself.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I don't expect it. But I needed to tell you-I'm sorry." Aurora stared at Ivy, astonished by her confession. But one detail caught her attention. "Wait... Did you just say told you to kill me? And that someone pushed you into the sea?"

Back when they were rescued by the pirate ship, Aurora hadn't thought much of Ivy's fall. The railing hadn seemed faulty-an accident, perhaps. But now, hearing Ivy's words, Aurora realized there was more to the story. What had really happened? And what did have to do with it? Her only memory of was a fleeting impression. She knew he was the vice president of R Company, but beyond that, she hadn't given him much thought.

"Didn't Julian tell you?" Ivy asked, surprised.

Genevieve had shared everything Julian had told her once Ivy returned home, and Frank had pieced together the rest han had rest vyhad assumed Julian would have already explained it to Aurora. But judging by her reaction, she knew nothing.

"He knew?" Aurora asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. She trusted Julian implicitly, never imagining he'd hide something from her. Lately, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of their baby. Would it be a boy or a girl? What nwould they choose? She hadn't spent a single moment dwelling on unpleasant matters. But Ivy's words suggested that something was amiss.

"After you disappeared, I contacted Mr. Barnet," Ivy explained. "He toldhad deceivedinto trying to kill you. You really didn't know any of this?" mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1