Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

If it weren't for that broken railing, Heather wouldn't have been so panicked. But now, she was utterly at a loss, teetering on the brink of hysteria.

She gripped the sleeve of her shirt tightly, forcing herself to stay calm. Aurora had always warned her: no matter what happens, never lose control. Panic only makes mistakes more likely.

Even though Heather kept telling herself this, it was easier said than done. Aurora was never a frivolous person. She didn't enjoy flattery, let alone entertain random advances. It wasn't like her to wander off without reason.

"Mr. Warden, I'm with Miss Montgomery. We've met before. Please open the door-I need to speak with you." Heather's voice trembled from nervousness.

"Ugh, how annoying," Mr. Warden's female companion complained irritably.

"Don't worry, darling. I'll be right back. Miss Montgomery is not someone to offend. If someone from her party comes looking forthis late, it must be serious." Mr. Warden hurriedly reassured the woman, threw on a robe, and rushed to open the door. "What's going on?" Mr. Warden asked, clearly concerned as he looked at Heather. "Miss Montgomery was outside earlier, enjoying the sea breeze. She said she would return to her room soon, but when I went back to check, she wasn't there. To be precise, she never returned. I've searched everywhere, but I can't find her. I'm worried something might have happened to her." "What could possibly happen? There are so many handsome, successful men on this ship. Maybe she hit it off with one of them and went to his room. Why are you overreacting?" A woman in a towel stepped forward, her tone dismissive.

Heather knew exactly what the two had been doing before she interrupted, but the urgency of the situation left no room for propriety.

"That's not possible. Miss Montgomery isn't that kind of person. She left earlier because too many people were trying to flirt with her. While I was searching for her, I noticed that sof the ship's railings had been tampered with-several were broken. I can't find Miss Montgomery anywhere. I'm afraid she..." Heather's voice broke as tears welled up in her eyes. At this point, she didn't care where Aurora was, even if it meant finding her in another man's room. She just wanted her safe.

Hearing this, Mr. Warden's expression darkened. Everyone knew Aurora's reputation. She was a woman of principle, not someone who would vanish without explanation. He hadn't seen her all evening, despite intentionally looking for her a few times.

"Broken railings? My yacht undergoes yearly inspections. That shouldn't be possible." "I'm not lying, Mr. Warden. I saw someone fixing the railings while I was searching for Miss Montgomery. Please, helpfind her. Mr. Bawill be back tomorrow, and if something happens to her..." Heather couldn't even finish the thought.

Everyone knew about Julian and Aurora's relationship-it was plain for all to see. Aurora couldn't afford to have anything happen to her.

"Don't worry. I'll search every room on this ship if I have to. We'll find her. Please, calm down." Mr. Warden couldn't afford to treat this lightly.

Even if not for Aurora's sake, he wouldn't dare cross Julian. The man's devotion to Aurora was well-known. If anything happened to her-even a single hair out of place- Julian would lose his mind.

Without even changing out of his robe, Mr. Warden stormed out of the room.

Heather followed as they began checking rooms one by one, methodically searching for Aurora.

At this hour, most passengers were either deeply asleep or engrossed in more intimate activities. Normally, Heather would have been shocked by such scenes, but tonight, she couldn't care less. Her only focus was finding Aurora.

Later, she would vividly recall the absurd sights of that night-the wild and uninhibited moments she had inadvertently witnessed.

But for now, room after room turned up nothing. Not even a strand of Aurora's hair. They even checked the control room, but Aurora was nowhere to be found.

Mr. Warden was starting to panic. How could a person just vanish into thin air? "Did Miss Montgomery fall overboard?" Heather's face turned pale as fear gripped her heart.

"Don't say such things! Gather everyone in the main hall. Let's see if anyone else is missing," Mr. Warden ordered, trying to stay composed despite his growing dread.

If someone went missing on his yacht-especially Aurora Montgomery-he would bear the responsibility.

Disheveled passengers began gathering in the hall, yawning and complaining.

"Mr. Warden, what's going on? Are you throwing a midnight party or something?" "I apologize for the disturbance," Mr. Warden addressed them. "I need to ask if anyone has seen Miss Montgomery tonight." "Miss Montgomery? We haven't seen her all evening. What's wrong?" "She... has disappeared," Mr. Warden said heavily, struggling to phrase it. But the truth was undeniable. Aurora was gone.

"Disappeared? Are you joking? How does a person just disappear? We're on a boat, for God's sake." "Could she have fallen overboard?" someone suggested, and the room fell silent as the horrifying possibility sank in.

"We've searched every level of the ship, sir, but there's no sign of Miss Montgomery," a crew member reported.

Mr. Warden had gathered everyone not just for questioning but also to discreetly check the fooms. He suspected someone might have drugged Aurora and hidden her. But even this strategy yielded no results.

Mr. Warden's palms were slick with sweat. If Aurora truly was gone, m then... "Everyone, take@good look around. Is anyone else missing?" Mr.

Warden asked, forcing himself to stay calm. The crowd exchanged glances before a woman hesitantly spoke up. "That new girl... I haven't seen her." "What new girl?" Mr. Warden asked sharply.

The woman hesitated, realizing she might have said too much. "Uh, just a new friend of ours. She was on the deck earlier, but we haven't seen her since." "Her name?" "She said her nwas Vivienne," the woman replied.

"Vivienne... Vivienne..." Heather murmured the name, a spark of m realization flashing through her mind. Could it be ivy? Aurora had mentioned someone watching her before. Heather quickly pulled up a photo on her phone. "Is this her?" mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1