Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Walsh paused for a moment before replying, "My family moved to New York in the last century. Even though we immigrated, the elders in my family still missed Clothville. From the moment we're born, each generation is strictly required to learn about Clothville's culture and history. I might not visit often, but I know just as much as you do-if not more." "That explains why you seem even more local than I do," Ivy remarked with a smile. "Of course. Otherwise, I'd get in trouble at home," Walsh said, half-jokingly. "Your family is that strict?" Ivy's mind immediately conjured up the image of a stern, elderly patriarch.

"Strict is an understatement. It's downright insane," he replied with a bitter smile-a smile that concealed struggles only he could truly understand.

From the day becthe heir of the Walsh family, he was subjected to relentless demands. Tina, the previous heir, had undergone inhuman training since childhood. While Tina was naturally intelligent, her brilliance was largely forced out of her by the family's oppressive methods.

When Tina disappeared, the elders, fearing further unpredictability, decided to groom a backup heir. Initially, they chose Mira. But Mira, despite her young age, understood the crushing responsibilities of being the family head. She rejected the role, even threatening to take her own life to escape it.

At the time, many of the male members of the family, long dissatisfied with the women holding power, began scheming for control. That's how ended up in the awkward position of a "backup heir." The elders promised him that if Tina didn't return, he would officially becthe family head on his eighteenth birthday. From a young age, was indoctrinated with certain ideas: women should stay at hand raise children, and the family had been ruled by women for far too long.

Times had changed. The once-mysterious family legacy had broken apart with the modern age. Their ancient divination practices had faded, and the R family had carved out a space for themselves in the business world. However, most of the power in the family remained in the hands of women, causing long-standing resentment among the men.

When was thrust into the role of the backup heir, he was given a mission: to overturn the family's matriarchal power structure. Determined to surpass Tina, he studied tirelessly. In every aspect-academics, skills, and achievements-he committed himself completely. Like Tina, he skipped grades and excelled, earning recognition as a legitimate heir in the eyes of the family.

At first, had little personal desire for the family head position. But over time, after relentless brainwashing and his own growing ambition, the idea of becoming the family head consumed him.

Then, just as he was within reach of his goal, Tina returned.

All his efforts, everything he had worked so hard for, were abruptly taken away. The elders offered him a simple apology and a consolation prize: the promise of a future position as vice president of the family company.

If he had never hoped for the top, he wouldn't have felt the crushing disappointment of falling so far. They had raised him to the highest peak, only to let him plummet into the abyss. How could he not resent it? Since fate denied him the opportunity, he resolved to create his own. On the surface, he appeared loyal to Tina, but secretly, he worked harder than ever. He was determined to one day reclaim everything he believed he deserved.

"What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought," Ivy asked, noticing Mio's distraction.

"Nothing, just smemories from when I was young," replied, quickly masking the complex emotions on his face.

When Tina had returned just as he was about to achieve his goal, he had been too young and naïve to anticipate such an unexpected turn of events. He had believed the family head position was already his. But life had thrown him a curveball.

One mistake was enough. He vowed never to let it happen again. In recent years, Tina's health had been declining, and he grew stronger, more resourceful. It seemed he wouldn't even need to take action; Tina would exhaust herself and fade away naturally.

But then, another unexpected twist occurred. He met Aurora at the company-a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Tina.

During the years Tina had vanished, she had secretly given birth to a daughter. Fortunately, fate had been kind to him this time, revealing Aurora's existence.

If he could eliminate her completely, there would be no further threats. Tina wouldn't last much longer.

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! "Don't dwell on the past. We all need to look forward," Ivy said, assuming Mio's strict upbringing had left him with emotional scars.

"Yeah, I won't. It's tto look ahead," replied, curling his lips into a faint smile.

The next day was New Year's Eve. According to her agreement with Julian, Aurora would visit the Alvarez family for dinner the following evening. Tonight, however, she planned to host a gathering at her home.

Early in the morning, Aurora went out to buy groceries. Watching her busily preparing in the kitchen, Julian couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"Little Bunny, why don't I call Mrs. Hill back to help you?" he suggested.

"It's the holidays. Mrs. Hill has her own family to celebrate with, doesn't she?" Aurora replied.

"Then we can hire someone else," Julian said, unwilling to let her exhaust herself.

It wasn't that he didn't want to help-he had tried before. The last tAurora was washing and prepping vegetables, Julian confidently rolled up his sleeves and stepped into the kitchen.

"Little Bunny, lethelp you," he had declared.

"Sure, you can wash the vegetables while I handle the fish," Aurora replied, handing him the greens. "Make sure to pick off any old leaves while you're at it." "Got it," Julian said with a thumbs-up. As the CEO of a multinational corporation, how hard could washing vegetables be?

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! Minutes later, he proudly presented his work to Aurora.

"Little Bunny, I'm done!" Aurora looked at the basket of bare, leafless stalks and froze. "Uh... why did you strip off all the leaves?"

"Because I thought the leaves looked old," Julian said, his eyes sparkling with pride. He looked like a puppy waiting for praise, completely unaware of his mistake.

Aurora was torn between laughter and tears. Unable to scold him, she remembered the ginger tea he had once made for her-a memory that was both sweet and unforgettable. Silently, she consoled herself: nobody's perfect. He was already extraordinary; there was no need for him to be flawless.

"Little Bunny, did I do something wrong?" Julian asked, his confidence wavering.

"Ahem, not exactly wrong," Aurora said tactfully. "But with your method, how many vegetables would we need to make a single dish?" "But when we eat out, the portions are always so small," Julian countered, genuinely perplexed.

"That's different. At home, it's better to cook larger portions. Julian, maybe you should stick to other tasks," Aurora said with a sigh.

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