Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Though the man last night had helped her avoid falling, it didn't mean anything to her. In Aurora's heart, Julian was the most important person.

When Julian wasn't around, she made sure to steer clear of men who showed interest in her. She believed that Julian, even while abroad, was just as loyal.

"It seems you dislike me, Miss Montgomery, to the point you won't even meet me," Kyle Raymond remarked. Truthfully, this was the first the had encountered a woman like Aurora.

Most women he met were opportunists, eager to gain something by clinging to him. Aurora, however, was different. Independent and strong, she was like a rare black rose, striking and unique.

"It's not that I dislike you, Mr. Raymond. It's just that I'm quite busy. I appreciate you givingthis ruby. To make things easier for both of us, why don't you giveyour account details? I'll transfer the money to you-it's the simplest solution." "What if I told you the reason I wanted to meet was to discuss a business collaboration? Your recent perflaunch was a remarkable success. I have high hopes for your brand and would like to work with you." Hearing this, Aurora's eyes lit up slightly. "What kind of collaboration?" "Your perfis like a child, just starting to learn to walk. While walking on your own is admirable, it's easy to stumble.

"You've begun to establish yourself in the Clothville market, but are you interested in expanding internationally? If so, feel free to contact me." Aurora, like any businessperson, was never satisfied with the status quo. To outsiders, her current success might seem impressive, but for Aurora, it was far from enough.

Clothville was merely the first step. Her ultimate goal was to break into global markets. Mira's recent achievements had only fueled her impatience to grow faster.

The gap between her and Mira was enormous. Aurora knew Mira had the advantage of experience, but she believed that with relentless effort, she would one day reach Mira's level.

Still, that pace felt too slow. Aurora wanted to rise faster, to surpass Mira altogether.

Her competitive spirit burned brightly. She wanted to prove herself and show Mira who was truly the most compatible with Julian.

Just as she sensed the man on the other end of the call was about to hang up, she quickly spoke. "Wait." "Miss Montgomery, have you changed your mind?" "Yes, I've changed my mind. May I ask for your name, sir?" "You'll find out when we meet. As for the collaboration, we'll discuss it in person. Miss Montgomery, you're busy-l wouldn't want to take up any more of your time." With that, the man hung up.

Aurora stared at the disconnected call. Damn it. This man knew exactly where her weakness lay.

Greed.

Yes, every human had their weaknesses. Hers wasn't money-it was her hunger for success. Her current rate of growth felt painfully slow.

Judging by how casually the man had bid in the auction last night, he was obviously wealthy. Perhaps he really could help her.

Whether or not he had ulterior motives, Aurora didn't care. All she wanted was a partnership. As a woman in the business world, she had long grown accustomed to dealing with opportunists and admirers.

Running away because someone was interested in her would mean losing out on deals and contracts. Aurora was no stranger to these situations.

She recalled the early days of her company, when a young, successful CEO from a New York-listed company had fallen for her at first sight. He bombarded her with gifts and relentless pursuit. But at the time, her heart was elsewhere, and eventually, his infatuation faded.

Since then, Aurora had taken a step back from the spotlight, letting Asher handle client meetings. This drastically reduced the number of admirers she had to deal with.

Aurora placed the ruby in a jewelry box, gathered herself, and tried to focus on her reports. After finishing her tasks, she planned to meet the man and then head hfor a relaxing soak in the bath.

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! Tflew, and before she realized it, it was noon. Aurora had been so engrossed in her work that she lost track of tuntil her phone rang, reminding her of the appointment.

"Miss Montgomery, I'm downstairs at your office." "Understood. I'll be right down. Please wait." Aurora hung up, her tone professional. She gave a few instructions to her secretary before leaving.

"Miss Montgomery, want to grab lunch together?" Heather asked as they crossed paths in the lobby. Aurora glanced briefly at Heather and lan standing together.

"I wouldn't want to be a third wheel. I already have plans for lunch. I won't be back this afternoon, so if anything comes up, talk to Mona." Aurora teased before hurrying off. Both Heather and lan blushed. "Miss Montgomery just left like that?" Typically, bosses were strict about office relationships. Although lan and Heather had kept their relationship discreet to avoid affecting work, they couldn't completely hide their exchanges of glances. Aurora's relaxed attitude almost felt like approval. "Miss Montgomery didn't look too well. Maybe she caught a cold last night." "She's a grown woman. She can take care of herself. Stop worrying. A new stone pot bibimbap place opened nearby-want to try it out?" lan suggested.

"Sure." As they left the office, they saw Aurora getting into a black car.

"Is Mr. Baback?" "That doesn't look like Mr. Barnet's car," Heather replied, shaking her head.

If you're loving the book, nel5sis where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter eagerly waiting for you! "Mr. Bahas so many cars. He probably just got a new one," lan said, enviously. He'd seen Julian with at least three different cars before. For the wealthy, switching cars was as easy as changing clothes. "What are you looking at?" Willow greeted them with a smile.

"Mr. Bagot another car. This Bentley is different from the last one I saw," lan remarked, his gaze lingering on the vehicle.

"It's nice, even the license plate number is perfect," Willow said, her love for numbers evident.

"When will we ever afford cars like that?" lan sighed.

"Maybe in another life," Heather joked, making the three laugh as they headed to lunch.

They all assumed Julian had picked Aurora up.

Meanwhile, Aurora had done sresearch and discovered the buyer of the ruby from the previous night.

Kyle Raymond.

Like Nick, he straddled both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds m Though he was now considered clean, his dark past lingered in the shadows. Crossing him would lead to dire consequences.

In the past, Aurora had been wary of such underworld figures. But after meeting Nick, she realizeḍ that even men like him were human in the face of love. Nick had loved Irene deeply, even though his affection was unrequited. With that in mind, Aurora decided to meet Kyle Raymond. Perhaps he wasn't as ruthless as his reputation suggested.

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