Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 498: It Was Too Late Aurora's face was pale as she stepped outside. A light drizzle had begun to fall, and her mind was consumed with thoughts of her mother, who was about to turn forty.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the wet ground and suddenly slipped, falling hard. Denis Vukic, delayed only briefly by paying a bill, walked out just in tto see Aurora sprawled on the ground.

What was her connection to the mysterious R family? He thought back to the current head of the family, whom he had only seen from a distance once or twice. The more he considered it, the more he realized how strikingly similar Aurora looked to her. Their features were nearly seventy percent alike! Could it be? The current head of the R family had no children-was Aurora her daughter? Denis quickly stepped forward to help Aurora up. She seemed completely out of it, dazed and pale, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

The light winter rain continued to fall, cold and unrelenting. Aurora mumbled under her breath, "Is it true... I won't live past forty?" Denis immediately understood what she was referring to. He had mentioned the family's history just moments earlier, and now she was in this state.

Seeing Aurora like this only made him more certain of his theory. Perhaps she really was the daughter of the R family's head.

"Aurora," Denis said, his tone softer than usual, "what I told you earlier was just hearsay. I also mentioned that none of it has been verified." "You mean... it's not absolute, right?" Aurora asked, gripping his arm tightly.

"Of course not," Denis replied. "I told you, they're a mysterious family, and I'm an outsider. How could I possibly know everything? It could all just be a coincidence." Denis, typically cold and distant, rarely offered comfort to others. But Aurora was different.

Though he felt no romantic feelings for her, he had grown fond of her during their ttogether. She was like a student to him, or perhaps a friend. With Aurora and Asher around, his life had becfar less lonely, even joyful at times. He didn't want to lose this rare connection.

"You're right. The truth can't be that cruel," Aurora said, determination sparking in her eyes. "I need to ask her. I need to know the truth." Julian might have been right-her mother had left to protect her. Could it be related to the rumored curse? "Alright," Denis said. "Lettake you hfirst." He drove her back to her apartment. After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes, Aurora stepped out to find Denis still sitting on the couch, watching the morning news.

"You're still here?" she asked, surprised. Denis was always punctual and should have been at work by now.

He glanced at her briefly. "I wasn't comfortable leaving you alone. You were so out of sorts earlier-I was worried you might fall again." Denis, who rarely voiced his concerns, was unusually candid. He had softened a great deal compared to his former self.

"Thank you," Aurora said sincerely.

"No need to thank me. You're a woman; you need someone to look after you. He's not here, so it's my responsibility. Con, I'll take you there." Denis motioned for her to follow.

"Won't this delay your work? You're always busy," she asked.

"I took half a day off." Aurora felt honored. For a workaholic like Denis to take toff just to look after her felt as prestigious as being granted an audience with the president.

Outside, the rain intensified, drops splattering heavily against the car windows. The wipers struggled to keep up, clearing the glass only for more rain to fall. Pedestrians on the street shivered in the cold, while the car's heater created a warm, spring-like atmosphere inside.

But Aurora couldn't calm her nerves. She feared her suspicions were correct. She had only just reunited with her mother; even if they couldn't be together all the time, she just wanted her mother to live a happy, peaceful life.

Her fingers clutched the corner of her scarf tightly, a nervous habit Denis noticed immediately. He understood her anxiety.

"Try to stay positive," he said. "Things might not be as bad as you think." "I'm still worried," Aurora admitted.

"Worrying won't help. If it's true, you'll have to face reality, not run from it," Denis said firmly.

He spoke from experience. After Daria's death, he had spent a long trunning away.

He drowned himself in parties, drank excessively, and sought solace in fleeting encounters with women. But none of it had worked.

In the end, he realized that the only way to honor the dead was to live well. So he stopped avoiding his pain and channeled his energy into working harder.

"If disaster is coming, there's no escaping it," Denis continued. "That's just life. Speople give up and resign themselves to their fate, like fish on a chopping block. But others refuse to accept it. They fight to carve out their own destiny, like you and Julian." Aurora clenched her fists tightly. No matter what her true identity was, she refused to accept defeat. Her mother would be fine-she was sure of it.

When they arrived at R Enterprise, Denis gave her an encouraging nod. "Good luck. I'll be waiting to hear your good news." "Thanks!" Aurora said, stepping out of the car. She ignored the umbrella Denis offered and dashed into the rain. "What a headstrong girl," Denis muttered with a helpless smile. The honking of cars behind him forced him to drive away.

Aurora had passed by the R building many times before, but she hadm never dared to go inside. Today was different. Was her mother really working on the top floor of this building? The thought of being so close to her mother warmed Aurora's heart despite the cold rain.

Her arrival immediately caught the attention of the receptionists Her resemblance to Tiha was uncanny, impossible to ignore. "Do you have an appointment?" one of them asked.

"Yes," Aurora replied, showing her ID badge.

After checking the schedule and making a quick phone call, the receptionist gestured for her to proceed.

Aurora stepped into the elevator with a mix of anticipation and nerves. Would she finally meet her mother today? She hoped it would be Tina. She needed to ask her everything, to finally uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Erica was watching the elevator's surveillance footage Her expression darkened, and she rushed to the CEO's office. "Madam, Aurora is here!" she announced.

Tina set down her pen. "Who?" "Aurora! The girl who looks just like you." "Have security remove her immediately," Tina ordered. "It's too late-she's already on her way up." mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1