The Devil Who Claimed Me

Dominic beat him, throwing his punches on his face, chest, and stomach again and again.

Marco’s groans echoed inside the room. Blood spilled from his lips, streaking down his chin, staining the sheets beneath him.

But Dominic didn’t stop. He kept hitting him until Marco was almost unconscious.

Marco’s face was barely recognizable—bruised, swollen, and his breathing ragged and uneven. He coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. But he grinned through his pain.

There was not a trace of fear in his eyes.

"Go on..." Marco rasped. "Kill me."

Dominic tightened his fist again and leaned forward. For a moment, it truly looked like he would smash his head.

But he pulled back.

"No, I won’t kill you." Dominic got out of bed. "You’ll stay alive. And I’ll make you regret it."

Marco laughed. "You are already losing, Dominic. It doesn’t matter if I live or die. I’m just a pawn."

Marco coughed again, his chest rising and falling painfully. But the mocking smile lingered on his lips. But the force working behind this is too powerful. They are far beyond you."

He shook his head. "You can’t beat them. Either you have to surrender to them and do as they want, or you will die just like Alejandro."

Dominic fell into a stunned silence for a moment. He had thought it was Marco who had killed Alejandro and betrayed the gang for the king’s position. But the truth was deeper than he had imagined.

"Who was behind Alejandro’s death?"

Marco only sneered in response.

His silence only added to his anger. Dominic grabbed his throat and demanded, "Answer me."

"I don’t know," Marco choked out. "I have never seen who the real player is. I got orders through phone calls."

"Don’t lie to me." Dominic’s grip around his throat tightened further.

Marco smiled faintly. "You think I killed Alejandro for power, that I betrayed the gang for the throne? You still don’t understand anything."

"Who?" he demanded, his voice turning deadly. "Who was behind his death?"

Marco dragged in a shallow breath. "Back then, Alejandro refused to follow orders. So he was eliminated."

Dominic froze. His grip faltered slightly.

"And you..." Marco continued. "He named you as his successor. They didn’t want you. They wanted someone who would obey—someone like me."

Dominic slowly released his hold. His mind raced.

Everything he had believed, everything he thought he understood, was all wrong.

"Who are they?"

Marco released a slow breath. "It’s a group of filthy rich people. They own everything. The police, the politicians, the law—everything is in their hands. You can’t touch them. You can’t even see them, let alone defeat them."

Dominic said nothing. But he could feel an invisible grip tightening around his throat.

"If you want to survive, if you really want to save your people, join them," Marco went on. "Obey them. Become one of them. Or you’ll end up like Alejandro."

Dominic was silent. His grip on Marco’s throat tightened a bit more as he asked, "Who else is the traitor?"

Marco sneered. "You still don’t get it. Even if you kill every traitor, another will rise. Someone would still betray you for money, power, and fear. You’ll end up destroying your own people. This war is too dangerous, and you can never win unless you surrender and become a part of them."

Dominic’s expression went completely still. Then he stepped back, lifted the gun, and pointed it straight at Marco.

"Any last wish?"

Marco stared at him. His eyes softened. For the first time, guilt flickered in them.

"You are already granting it by killing me." A broken breath escaped him. His tone turned serious the next moment. "But listen to me. As an old friend, I want to warn you—let Mila go. Cut ties with her. It’s the only way you can save her."

Dominic’s fingers trembled on the trigger, the words hitting him harder than anything Marco had said.

"Accept Serene. She can give you a breakthrough."

Dominic’s eyes turned ice-cold. "We could have fought together against all of them. We could have ruled everything. But you chose to betray us."

The words squeezed out through his gritted teeth. "I’ll never forgive you."

He steadied his finger on the trigger. "I won’t let my people fall, even if I have to sacrifice everything, including my life."

Marco closed his eyes.

Dominic scrunched up his face. "Goodbye, Marco."

He pulled the trigger.

The bullet pierced his forehead.

Dominic turned and walked out, not even glancing back at him.

His men rushed over.

"Burn everything down," Dominic commanded as he strode out of the villa.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dominic arrived at the hospital, the afternoon light filtering through the glass walls. He went straight to the doctor’s office.

The doctor stood up. "Mr. Russo. Please sit down."

Dominic sat down across from him. "How is Lucas?" he asked. "How is his condition now?"

"He is stable now," the doctor replied. "We’ve shifted him to a ward."

Dominic sighed in relief. His shoulders eased slightly.

"Can I see him?" he asked.

The doctor nodded. "You can. But he is still unconscious. He needs rest."

"I won’t disturb him."

With that, Dominic left the office and headed down the corridor. As he reached the turn toward Lucas’s room, a voice called him from behind.

"Dominic."

He paused and turned around.

Serene came forward, a faint smile on her lips. "Did you come to see me?" she asked softly.

Dominic didn’t reply. His gaze landed on the thick bandage wrapping around her hand, slightly stained by blood.

"How is your hand?" he asked, his tone flat.

Serene’s eyes dimmed as she looked down at her hand. "It will take time," she said quietly. "Some nerves are damaged. I might not regain full function."

Dominic’s expression remained stoic. He didn’t show any sign of sympathy or regret.

Marco’s final warning replayed in his mind—’Accept Serene... she can give you a breakthrough...’

He understood Marco had clearly known that Serene had some connections with those powerful people.

For a brief moment, he thought of following his advice. But he quickly dismissed that idea. He would never believe a traitor, and there was no way he would leave Mila or deceive her.

"I’ll arrange for you to return to Italy," Dominic said coldly.

Serene froze. "What...?" Her voice cracked. "No... Dominic, no..."

She stepped forward and grabbed his hand desperately. "Don’t send me away."

Dominic shook her hand off as if it burned him. "You crossed the line," he said sharply. "I won’t let you stay anywhere near Mila."

Serene’s composure was shattered.

"Why are you treating me like this?" Her voice trembled with anger and hurt. "We were together for years. You loved me."

Her eyes glistened. "And now? You are pushing me away for her?" she choked. "A woman you barely know? You didn’t even hesitate to shoot her."

Something in Dominic snapped. Fire flashed in his eyes. "You are the one who ended it. You are the one who cheated."

Serene went still. Each word landed like a slap.

"In my life," he continued coldly, "I can be with whoever I want. That’s none of your concern."

"I’ve already moved on," he finished. "Don’t come to me again."

Without another glance, he walked past her.

Serene stood frozen, her nails digging into her palm, her expression dangerously cold.

"I’ll rip you both apart," she muttered under her breath. "You won’t get your happy ending."

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Come pick me up," she said quietly.

Several minutes later, a luxurious car pulled over in front of the hospital. Serene got in.

Hidden in the shadows, Dominic watched the car drive away. It was not the one he had arranged for her.

He noted down the license plate number.

"So it’s you," he muttered.

He made a call. "Watch Serene closely. I want every move tracked—who she meets, where she goes, what she does. Don’t miss a thing."