The Devil Who Claimed Me

Inside the clinic...

Mila reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. "I got something for you," she said, sliding it toward him.

Remy blinked, surprised. "For me?"

Mila nodded. "I didn’t know what to buy at first. Then Valentina took me into a small gift shop nearby, and I found this."

Remy beamed with excitement as he carefully unwrapped the box and opened it. There was a watch.

His eyes lit up.

"I love it," he said instantly, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Mila grinned.

Remy’s eyes glistened as he looked at the watch.

Mila’s smile vanished. "What happened? Why do you look like you are going to cry?"

Remy blinked his tears away and forced a small smile. "I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years, ever since he was kidnapped," he said quietly, his fingers brushing over the watch.

Mila stilled.

"No one knew my birthday. No one remembered. No cake. No wishes. Nothing."

A faint, self-deprecating smile touched his lips. "Nobody had ever thought of gifting me. I got used to it."

He looked up at her. "But this..." He held up the watch slightly. "This is the first gift I’ve received in a long time. Thank you."

"Then from now on, you won’t be alone on your birthday. We’ll celebrate it together every year."

Mila’s smile resumed. Unaware of the storm waiting for her at the mansion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mila came back to the mansion.

"Miss, you are finally back." The maid came toward her with urgency lacing her tone. "Mr. Russo is already here. He has been looking for you."

Mila’s heart skipped. When she woke up this morning, she had not found him. She had been so worried all day. Hearing that he was back, she was excited.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"He is in his room."

Mila’s eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you."

She rushed upstairs and pushed open the door to his room.

Dominic stood by the window. Smoke curled around him.

Her smile widened. She tiptoed toward him, closing the distance without a sound. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she leaned into him.

"I missed you..." she murmured.

Dominic didn’t move. He didn’t turn to look at her. He didn’t respond to her either.

He was still angry, as he couldn’t forget the image of her smiling with Remy.

Her carefree smile was not for him, but for another man.

"Why did you leave without telling me? I was worried." She pouted slightly. "All day, I thought about you."

Dominic snorted as he extinguished the cigarette. "It didn’t look like you missed me, though." His tone was cold.

She was so happy with another man. How could she have time to miss him?

"You seemed pretty happy," he continued, "with another man."

Mila instantly stiffened. She cocked her head to look at his face and saw the deep vertical lines between his eyebrows, the tension in his jaw, and the storm in his eyes. She realized he had seen her with Remy and that he was jealous.

A flicker of amusement danced in her gaze.

"Oh..." Her smile returned. "You look adorable when you are jealous."

That made him turn sharply. Seeing her smile, he scowled deeper.

"I am not," he muttered.

It was a lie. Jealousy burned him inside out. He didn’t meet her eyes.

Mila’s smile only grew warmer. She stepped in front of him, rising slightly on her toes, her arms slipping around his neck.

"There is only one man in my heart. And that’s you."

Her words put him at ease, but not completely. The tightness in his chest didn’t disappear.

His face remained cold.

Mila studied him, then sighed lightly. "It was Remy’s birthday," she explained. "I just went to wish him. That’s all."

The tension in Dominic’s shoulders loosened a little, but the burn of jealousy still lingered.

"You forgot about me. You didn’t even check if I was back. How am I supposed to believe you missed me?"

That only made Mila smile even more widely. There was something almost boyish in his jealousy.

She found it cute.

"Then tell me, what should I do to make you believe me?" she asked gently, her eyes searching his.

Dominic’s anger was half gone. But he still pretended to be upset with her and turned his head aside stubbornly.

"I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years," he said suddenly.

Mila blinked. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"And you never even tried to find out when it is," he added. "What I like. What I don’t. But you have time to celebrate someone else’s birthday."

This time, her smile faded completely. Something in her chest tightened.

She lifted her hand and gently cupped his face. "When is your birthday?" she asked softly.

He turned aside, refusing to speak.

Mila made him look back at her. "Tell me. I promise... I’ll celebrate it. I’ll do anything to make you happy."

Dominic’s eyes dimmed, his mind racing back to the past. "I stopped celebrating my birthdays after my mother died," he said quietly. "I used to forget it, didn’t care enough to remember, and never bought a cake. I never thought it mattered."

The words hung heavy in the air. Mila’s heart clenched.

"Didn’t your friends wish you a happy birthday?" she asked.

Dominic let out a deep sigh. "We live in a world where every day could be our last. We don’t celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. What we celebrate is the success of an operation."

Silence fell between them.

He had also believed it was unnecessary. But when he heard her celebrating Remy’s birthday, he desired to celebrate his own.

Mila’s gaze softened. "We can celebrate it. Let’s throw a big party this year."

"No...I don’t like parties."

"Then..." She thought for a moment and said, "We will keep it private. It doesn’t have to be big. Just your friends."

Dominic watched her closely. "Every year on my birthday, I stay alone, staring at my mother’s photo," he said quietly.

"Your mother’s photo?" she repeated in a daze.

Dominic didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. From it, he took out an old, slightly worn photograph.

"This is my mother," he said.

Mila took a closer look and stilled. She had seen that face before in that old purse, tucked away in the drawer. At the time, she had wondered who that woman was and what relationship he had with her.

’So it’s his mother’s photo.’

"I miss her," he whispered, brushing his thumb over the photograph. "She struggled a lot to raise me. Then she fell sick. We didn’t have money for her treatment."

His jaw clenched and unclenched as he struggled with his tears. "No one helped us. I was helpless. I couldn’t save her..."

A bitter breath escaped him.

"Now I have everything. Money. Power. Influence. But she is not here."

His grip on the photo tightened slightly. "I wish... she could see me now."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I can’t replace her," she whispered. "I never can. But I can try to fill your life with happiness."

His heart melted. He held her chin and lifted her face, making her look at him. Then, suddenly, a sharp fear gripped him.

This world was too dangerous, too cruel, and too unpredictable. Anything could happen anytime. He had already lost one person he loved. He couldn’t, wouldn’t lose her, too.

If anything happened to her, he wouldn’t survive.

"I couldn’t save my mother. But I won’t lose you. I’ll keep you safe, no matter what it takes."

He leaned down and kissed her.

Mila responded instantly, her arms tightening around his neck, pouring all her worry, her longing, her love into that moment.