Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 497: A Mysterious Origin "It's nothing, I'm just a little curious. I'm supposed to discuss a contract with R Enterprise today, but I don't know much about the company," Aurora said casually, making up an excuse.

Denis Vukic had just finished swallowing his toast and taken a sip of hot milk. He wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth and said, "Speaking of R Enterprise, it's tied to a mysterious family." "How mysterious?" Aurora asked eagerly.

"Well, I don't know much, and I can't guarantee the accuracy of what I do know, but I'll share it with you." "Go ahead," Aurora replied, sitting attentively, ready to listen.

Denis Vukic began, "Over a hundred years ago, Clothville was in chaos, a tof war and turmoil. Society was in complete disarray.

During that period, swell-off families migrated to New York to start anew. The R family was one of them. They're considered mysterious for several reasons.

First, think about the norms of that era. Back then, weren't most families patriarchal? Women had to follow strict rules and were expected to submit to men." Aurora nodded. She hadn't expected Denis Vukic to start recounting history, but she had read about the chaotic times in Clothville in history books.

Back then, the country was in turmoil. Years of war had crushed the spirits of both commoners and officials. Other nations had later invaded as well. Aurora had only studied this history to pass exams, yet hearing Denis talk about it now gave her a strange sense of connection. It felt as though the events were no longer just words in a textbook but something closer, more real.

"Exactly. Women had little status in the family, no voting rights, and had to tolerate their husbands taking multiple wives. You've probably seen this depicted in period s," Denis continued.

"But imagine this-within that societal backdrop, there was a family that defied the norm. They revered women above all.

The family's major decisions were all controlled by women. Not only were the heads of the family always women, but every child born to them was a girl without exception." This detail surprised Aurora. She shook her head. "I've never heard of such a family. Could a family like that really exist in such a time?" "They did. It's said they were an ancient family. If you trace their origins, it would go back several centuries.

No one knows how they managed to survive for so long. I don't know if it's because they only gave birth to daughters or if male heirs were abandoned.

Either way, the family head has always been a woman. Men marry into the family. Even a hundred years later, the CEO of R Enterprise is still a woman-she's the current head of the R family." As Denis mentioned the family head, Aurora's heart skipped a beat. He was talking about her mother! "And what's the second mysterious thing about them?" she asked, trying to keep her composure.

"The second thing I've heard, though I haven't verified it, is that the women in their family are cursed. Each generation lives a shorter life than the one before." "What do you mean?" Aurora asked, her voice trembling.

"For example, when they migrated to New York a hundred years ago, the great-grandmother of the current family head led the family. She lived to be seventy.

Her grandmother lived to be sixty. And her mother lived to be fifty. Do you see the pattern?" Aurora felt her chest tighten. "Are you saying each generation's lifespan is ten years shorter?" "Exactly. In theory, with modern medical advancements, people are living longer than ever. But why is it that their family's lifespans are getting shorter? And the timing is eerily precise-each generation losing ten years. If this pattern holds, the current head of the family will only live to..." Before Denis could finish, Aurora's hand trembled, and the glass of hot milk she was holding slipped from her grasp. It shattered on the table, the milk spilling and spreading across the surface.

The loud noise drew everyone's attention. Aurora sat frozen, her face pale. If she remembered correctly, her mother was thirty-nine this year.

A waiter hurried over to clean up the mess. Denis handed Aurora a napkin to wipe off the milk that had splashed on her, but she seemed paralyzed, as though her soul had left her body.

"What's wrong with you?" Denis waved a hand in front of her face. Aurora didn't respond. He pinched her arm, snapping her out of her daze.

Aurora jolted back to reality, but her expression was one of fear and unease. Denis looked worried. What was going on with her? "Are you okay? You look so pale," he asked.

"I... I want to know how the previous family heads died," Aurora stammered, wishing desperately that this was all just a coincidence. Surely, such a bizarre thing couldn't be real.

"They all died of illness. Strangely, no one could ever determine what the illness was. They just... passed," Denis said calmly. "Does this R family have anything to do with you?" "No, nothing at all," Aurora said quickly. "Telleverything else you know about them. Everything." Her emotions were in turmoil. She clutched Denis's arm tightly, like a drowning person grabbing onto a lifeline.

Seeing her like this, Denis had no choice but to continue. "That's the second mystery. The third thing I've heard is that their curse might be related to their family's practice of divination."

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 En waiting for you! "Divination?" Aurora asked, feeling that the story was becoming more surreal by the second. "Yes. Throughout history, divination has always been popular, whether in ancient times or today.

Common fortune-tellers might read omens for ordinary people, like checking burial sites or house placements. These are small matters.

But the R family is different. They were said to be mystics who only performed divination for emperors, predicting the fate of nations.

In this line of work, many fortune-tellers were blind. It's said they lost their sight as punishment for revealing the secrets of heaven.

I don't know if that's true, but perhaps the R family's dwindling lifespans are a result of their ancestors revealing too many secrets, bringing divine retribution-or a curse-upon their descendants." Aurora couldn't believe what she was hearing. Things that seemed like they belonged in a movie were now unfolding in her own life. Denis was a pragmatic man, not one to believe in tall tales.

The fact that he was saying all this gave it an air of credibility.

The world was full of things that couldn't be explained. But could this really be true? If it was, her mother would be turning forty this year.

Did that mean... Aurora didn't dare finish the thought. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions. Could this have anything to do with her mother's decision to distance herself from her? "I'm done eating. I need to go. I have a contract to negotiate later," Aurora said abruptly, standing up. "I'll take you," Denis offered, concerned about her dazed state.

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