Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Heather froze for a moment before quickly responding, "I'll go find the details on those ten people right away." Aurora frowned, tossing the pen in her hand onto the desk with a crisp snap. "So, after learning what happened, what exactly were you all doing?" This was the first tAurora had ever lost her temper with Heather. She had arrived over an hour late today, but even so, Heather should have reacted the moment she found out during work hours.

"I'm sorry, Miss Montgomery. I only heard about it when I got to the office," Heather stammered, panicking. "And even if you only found out when you got here, it's been more than an hour since then. What were you doing during that time?" Aurora's expression was icy cold. "Gather all the department heads. I want a meeting." "Yes, Miss Montgomery." Heather had never seen Aurora so furious before.

Aurora hadn't exploded upon hearing the initial news but was now seething over Heather and her team's inaction. She had given Mona a few days off, and Mona had flown back to New York the previous day. If Mona had been present, there would have already been progress.

Heather quickly summoned the company's department heads to the conference room. When they entered, Aurora was already there, seated at the head of the table.

The woman sat toying with a pen in her hand, spinning it deftly between her fingers. Without saying a word, her silent presence alone sent a chill down everyone's spines. "Miss Montgomery," they greeted her cautiously, overwhelmed by her commanding aura, not daring to move.

"Why are you still standing? Sit down," Aurora said curtly. Only then did the others hurriedly take their seats, each sitting straight and stiff like obedient schoolchildren. No one dared to even breathe loudly. They sat silently, waiting for Aurora to speak.

"Is there anyone here who doesn't know what just happened?" Aurora finally broke the silence. Her voice was as cold as a midwinter gale, biting and sharp.

The group exchanged glances before all shaking their heads. The last person to hear about the situation had been Heather.

"Good. Then tell me-when did you first learn about it?" Aurora didn't address the issue itself but instead asked this question.

Although they weren't sure where Aurora was going with this, everyone answered honestly.

"Miss Montgomery, I found out at two in the morning. I happened to check my phone when I got up to use the bathroom." "I learned about it this morning while having breakfast." "I heard..." One by one, they gave their answers. When the last person finished speaking, Aurora finally responded.

"Alright. So, all of you were aware of this early on. The last person to find out learned about it when they arrived at work. Let's not even discuss those who knew in the middle of the night. Let's talk about the tafter you learned about it at the office. From the moment you found out to the tI arrived, over an hour passed.

"You all knew the company was in trouble-not with a minor issue, but something serious. So, tell me, what did you do during that hour?" Aurora's voice was sharp, her tone unwavering.

"Miss Montgomery, we were planning to wait until you arrived to report it and let you make the decision," someone replied nervously.

"Wait forto decide? And if I hadn't cto the office today, would you have just let the issue spiral out of control? A good employee should take initiative when a problem arises, not sit idly by waiting for instructions. "This company doesn't hire robots; it hires elites. If you can't move without orders, then what good are you? An entire hour wasted, and none of you even took the tto find the source of the problem. You haven't even gathered the details on those ten people. Now tell me, what meaningful work did you accomplish in that time?" The pen in Aurora's hand dropped onto the desk with a crisp sound, startling everyone.

"Miss Montgomery, we were wrong," someone stammered.

"Since this is your first offense, I'll let it slide. But if it happens again, you can hand in your resignations. Remember, I hired you to help me. If you're not up to the job, then make way for someone who is." Aurora's every word struck a nerve. A competent manager would have already taken action at the slightest hint of trouble. Instead, they had done nothing, leaving her deeply disappointed.

Her anger wasn't directed at the person who had caused the rumors but at the team she had painstakingly built, only to find them lacking.

"Miss Montgomery, you're absolutely right. We won't make this mistake again," someone assured her.

"If you want to climb higher, then prove yourselves. Showwhat you're capable of. Meeting adjourned." Aurora was the first to leave, not offering any guidance on how to resolve the issue. She wanted to see what her team was truly capable of under pressure. This crisis was the perfect opportunity to test their competence.

The sound of Aurora's heels echoed down the hallway. Back in the conference room, the managers slumped in their chairs as if all their energy had been drained.

"Miss Montgomery was terrifying just now. I used to think my old boss was tough, but compared to her, they don't even cclose," someone muttered.

"No tfor complaints. Didn't you hear? This is her way of testing us. If we fail, she'll never trust us again," Heather snapped.

"But she didn't tell us what to do or how to meet her expectations." "Obviously, we need to resolve the crisis and turn the situation around. Miss Montgomery already hinted at a solution, but beyond that, we have to take the initiative and do more," Heather replied firmly.

"Alright, Heather. You're the one Miss Montgomery trusts the most. You must know what she's thinking." Heather shared the instructions Aurora had given her earlier, and everyone quickly got to work.

If you're loving the book, nel5sis where the adventure continues.poin us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! The sky outside was heavy with dark clouds, mirroring Aurora's mood. It was as though a storm loomed over her heart. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out who was behind the trouble.

She had offended many people, and it was highly likely that her success had provoked envy from competitors. A new company achieving such remarkable results was bound to stir resentment. Aurora sighed. Her life never seemed to have a moment of peace.

In a villa somewhere, a woman stood by the window. A maid knocked on the door.

"Miss, the flowers have arrived." The maid carried in a bouquet of vibrant plum blossoms, replacing the ones in the vase with practiced ease.

The woman plucked a single blossom from the vase. The delicate flower quickly beca crumpled mess under her fingers before she casually tossed it out the window. "The weather is lovely today," she said.

The maid glanced outside at the gloomy, overcast sky. It was clearly anything but lovely. Perhaps it was the woman's mood, not the weather, that had brightened.

"You may leave." "Yes, Miss." The woman by the window pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Your method worked perfectly," she said.

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