Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

When Ivy woke up the next morning, she demanded to see their leader. Frank, unused to denying requests, shrugged. "Alright, I'll take you to meet him. Let's see what he has to say." "Alright," Ivy agreed, confident that if she asked to leave, their leader would allow it. If necessary, she could simply offer them more money.

However, when Justin opened the door, Ivy caught sight of Aurora, still fast asleep on a luxurious bed.

Their leader had stayed in the sroom with Aurora last night. Could it be that the two of them had already...? Ivy's disdain for Aurora deepened. So many people viewed Aurora as skind of pure goddess, but now, less than a day after leaving Julian, she had already spent the night with this man. Disgusting.

Ivy's own bed had been a tiny, shabby cot, while Aurora had the privilege of sleeping in such luxury. The room even had heating, which meant there was air conditioning, too. Ivy thought about how she'd woken up shivering multiple times during the night and felt a surge of resentment. Frank having his own room was already a luxury, as many others had to share cramped bunk beds.

"Boss, Miss Montgomery here wants us to let her off at the next port when we stop for supplies. We'll be there in a few hours. What do you think?" Frank asked, glancing at Justin.

Frank genuinely believed Ivy was a good person. The longer she stayed on the ship, the greater the danger she was in. He hoped to convince Justin to let her go.

The dim lighting on the ship last night had kept Ivy from getting a good look at Justin, but now she saw him clearly. He was tall, with a rugged face covered in stubble.

She was used to the polished appearance of corporate elites in tailored suits, and Justin's casual, almost wild demeanor felt foreign to her. His deep-set eyes, sharp as a predator's, seemed to pierce through her, making her shiver.

Despite her fear, Ivy spoke tentatively. "Thank you for savinglast night. Once I've contacted my family, I'll make sure to repay you. Please, just letoff at the next port." "Frank," Justin said, his voice icy, "didn't you tell her? Once you're on this ship, getting off isn't so easy." "Why?" Ivy's voice rose in panic. "You saved me, and I'm grateful. I'll pay you whatever you want, but I have no obligation to stay on your ship!" Justin's gaze was steely as he replied, "Payment? And what exactly do you plan to pay us with?" His tone sent a chill through Ivy. From the moment she'd spoken last night, Justin had disliked her. His instincts, honed over years of survival, told him she was not as innocent as she seemed. He wasn't as naïve as Frank.

"Nyour price," Ivy said, biting her lip. If Walsh could casually hand Zachary five million dollars, surely he'd help her now in such dire circumstances.

"I want your life," Justin said, each word deliberate and cold.

Ivy stared at him, her breath catching as she realized he wasn't joking. He was serious.

"You..." She frowned, trying to stay calm. "I can give you money." Justin leaned back, crossing his legs as he lit a cigarette. His movements were nonchalant, yet commanding. "It seems you still don't know who we are. Frank, why don't you tell her?" Ivy turned to Frank, her voice trembling. "Frank, who... who are you people?" Frank hesitated before answering. "We're... pirates." Pirates? Ivy's only concept of pirates cfrom amusement park rides or fictional movies. She never imagined they could exist in real life.

If she'd known her rescuers were pirates, she would have preferred to drown in the ocean.

She had lived a sheltered life in a peaceful country, far removed from the world's darker realities. But now, she was face-to-face with the grim truth: warlords, drug cartels, and pirates weren't just words in a book-they were real, and she was trapped among them.

"You... you're all pirates?" she stammered, looking around at the men surrounding her. Guns were holstered at their waists, and their eyes gleamed with malice.

Her heart sank. Was there anything worse than this? She had been grateful to the heavens last night for saving her, but now she felt utterly abandoned.

"Yes, we're pirates," Frank admitted, lowering his head. "The kind everyone hates." "Now that you know," Justin said, flicking ash from his cigarette, "you only have two options: jump into the sea and feed the sharks, or stay on this ship forever." "I beg you, please letgo! I have a family. I swear I won't tell anyone who rescued me," Ivy pleaded, her voice cracking. She couldn't imagine spending her life with these ruthless men.

"Everyone who boards this ship has two choices: die or live and die with the ship. That's the rule. No-anem breaks it If you can't accept it, you're free to return to the sea. After all, if we hadn't saved you last night, that's where you'd still be. You've lost nothing," Justin said coolly. "Boss, she's not a bad person. She's not one of our enemies. Can't we let her go?" Frank tried again to plead her case.

"Frank," Justin said sharply, "this ship doesn't take just anyone. And once they're here, they don't leave. You know my rules." "Yes, boss..." Frank muttered, his voice subdued.

Ivy's face was pale and drawn. "What about her?" she asked, pointing toward Aurora. "That woman you rescued last night-she can't leave either?"

"Of course not," Justin replied.

"Everyone's the same. But she m doesn't t have your luck-she hasn't even woken up yet. What's your connection to her?" He was curious. "What happened between the two of you for you both to end up in the sea?" "I have nothing to do with her!" Ivy snapped, though her frustration simmered beneath the surface.

She decided to play along for now. If she defied them, they might throw her overboard. For now, she had a place to stay.

Aurora was still unconscious, which made her an easy target. Ivy quickly formed a plan. She would wait for the right moment to act. There was no way she could let Aurora live. For now, she would bide her time.

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