The Devil Who Claimed Me

The car rolled to a slow stop in front of a secluded estate, hidden deep within the outskirts of the city.

At first glance, it looked like an old, ordinary, two-story structure surrounded by high walls and overgrown trees. But the security told a different story.

Cameras were tucked into blind corners. Motion sensors lined the perimeter. Armed men stationed in the shadows.

This wasn’t a house. It was a fortress.

Jiang stepped out of the car first, his legs trembling slightly. Beneath his shirt, wires pressed against his skin.

The bomb was strapped around his waist. With each breath, he could feel the weight of it.

Behind him, Dominic stepped out. In his hand was the remote. One wrong move, and he would press the button. Within seconds, Jiang would be blown up.

Fear clawed at his chest, suffocating him. He could think of nothing but how to survive. For that, he was ready to betray his father.

Dominic’s eyes gleamed behind the mask.

The hunt wasn’t over. It had just begun.

"Move," he commanded.

Jiang swallowed hard and started walking toward the gate.

Two guards approached immediately.

"I need to see my father," Jiang said, hiding his fear.

"Stay here. I’ll go inform him." One guard stepped back.

The other one remained standing in front of Jiang, his expression unreadable and eyes sharp. But he didn’t notice the shadow moving in closer.

Within a minute, his throat was slit. He collapsed on the ground, choking on his own blood.

Jiang froze, horror flashing across his face as the man struggled on the ground.

"Keep walking," came Dominic’s voice from behind.

Jiang forced his legs to move.

Dominic’s men moved like ghosts. They erased one guard after another silently – no gunshot, no explosion. By the time Jiang reached the front door, no one was left outside to raise suspicion.

Inside the house...

Mr. Lee sat on the sofa casually, phone pressed to his ear.

"I told you already... Dominic won’t survive." His voice was firm and confident.

On the other end of the line, Marco remained unconvinced. "I don’t trust assumptions. I want confirmation. I’ll send someone to the hospital."

He was speaking Mandarin fluently.

Mr. Lee scoffed lightly. "Okay. If you want to verify, send someone. But I am sure. I shot him myself right through the heart."

A smirk formed on his lips. "He won’t survive."

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang, halting his conversation.

Mr. Lee went quiet.

’Who has come at this hour?’ He frowned.

"I’ll call you back," he said before ending the call.

He slipped the phone into his pocket and walked toward the door. He pulled it open and froze.

"Jiang?"

Confusion creased his face as he looked him over.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Weren’t you at the club?"

Jiang’s throat went dry. For a moment, he wanted to tell him everything and cry for help. Then his mind went to the bomb around his waist.

The remote was still in Dominic’s hand. Jiang didn’t want to die.

"I..." His voice came out strained. "I realized it wasn’t safe."

Mr. Lee narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

Jiang swallowed. "Dominic might be dying, but his men won’t sit still. They’ll be looking for us everywhere. The city isn’t safe right now."

He stepped forward slightly.

"This is the only place they won’t find," he added.

"Humph." Mr. Lee snorted. "You are realizing it now? I warned you before. But you wanted to have fun."

He turned and walked inside.

Jiang remained standing there, his eyes moving to the right. Dominic’s tall figure stepped forward from the shadows. Gun raised.

Jiang didn’t move. He didn’t even breathe. His mind screamed at him to warn his father, but fear sealed his mouth shut.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Lee called from inside. "Planning to stand there forever?"

He turned around, only to come face to face with a tall figure, his face concealed behind a devil mask. His breath caught, his eyes widening.

Shock was all over his face. He staggered, his legs almost giving out.

"Dominic...?" he whispered. "How... how are you here?"

Dominic snorted. He didn’t know a word he was speaking, but Mr. Lee’s expression told him everything. He stepped forward, the gun pointing at him.

"You thought you killed me. Yet here I am."

Mr. Lee’s legs shook, and he stumbled to the floor. "No... This can’t be. I shot you. I saw you fall—"

He had witnessed him collapsing, blood gushing out of his wound.

"How? How did you survive?"

Dominic removed the mask, revealing his face. "I’m still alive. Because the one you shot wasn’t me," he muttered. "It was Lucas."

A wave of chills crashed onto Mr. Lee as he saw his face. He realized he had been played.

"I trusted you," Dominic hissed. "I went out of my way to save your son. And this is how you repay me?"

His voice hardened.

"You betrayed us. You set the whole team up. You shot Lucas."

He stepped forward and pressed the gun to his head. "Now tell me, where is Marco?"

"Dad, tell him where Marco is," Jiang urged.

Mr. Lee’s eyes snapped to his son, who was kneeling on the floor, a tall man forcing him down.

"I-I don’t know." He trembled in fear, but he refused to open his mouth.

Dominic’s nostrils flared. "You have been working with him so closely, and you know where he is. Tell me, or you all will die."

"Dad, please. Tell him the truth."

Mr. Lee shot a glare at Jiang before looking at Dominic. "I have no reason to lie. I am already at your gunpoint."

Dominic held up the remote. "Alright. Then I’ll press the button and the whole place will blow up."

"Dad," Jiang shouted in panic. "Tell him. Please, tell him everything. There is a bomb on me. He’ll kill us both. Please... I don’t want to die."

The desperation in his voice shattered whatever resolve Mr. Lee had left.

His shoulders slumped. "Alright... alright. I’ll tell you."

He looked at Dominic. "But let my son go."

Jiang looked up at Dominic. "He is ready to tell you everything. But he wants you to let me go first."

Dominic’s grip on the gun tightened. "Let you go? You staged your own kidnapping. Helped Marco set a trap for me."

His eyes darkened. "And you expect mercy? No..."

Dominic shook his head.

"I’ll give you everything," Mr. Lee chimed in quickly. "Marco’s locations. His operations. Everything I know."

Jiang swallowed hard. "You want to destroy him? He can help you. Just don’t hurt us."

"You are not in a position to negotiate," Dominic hissed. "Your entire family is already under my control."

Jiang’s face paled. He went completely silent.

Mr. Lee’s gaze moved from Dominic to Jiang. "What is he saying? Tell me..."

Jiang muttered in a daze, "He has the entire family in his control."

The words broke Mr. Lee completely. He couldn’t lose his family.

"Please..." he begged. "Don’t hurt them. I’ll do whatever you say."

Dominic knew the look. He lowered the gun slightly. "Call him. Set up a meeting."

Mr. Lee swallowed.

"Tell him the syndicate wants to discuss his coronation."

A dangerous glint flickered in Dominic’s eyes.

"I’ll decide the time and place."