The Devil Who Claimed Me

"Miss." The guard’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Serene followed him down a long corridor.

He stopped in front of a room. "Sir is waiting for you inside."

Serene composed herself and pushed the door open.

The light was soft. A man in his late fifties sat behind a large wooden desk, his posture relaxed, yet commanding. His presence filled the room without effort.

It was Victor.

He gestured toward the chair across from him. "Sit."

Serene took her seat, her gaze steady.

Victor smirked. He had already learned about Marco. And he knew he was Dominic’s next target. But before that, he wanted to end his enemy.

Serene had approached him at the right moment. She, with her intelligence and beauty, could be useful for him in many ways.

"So... you finally decided to join me. What changed your mind so suddenly?"

She remembered the countless times he had reached out, requested her to join him, and even offered money and power. But every time, she had refused.

She had been loyal to Alejandro, to Dominic. She had never thought of betraying them.

Alejandro was gone. And Dominic... had made his choice. He had stopped loving her. He no longer needed her. Why should she stay with him?

"He humiliated me," she said sharply. She lifted her bandaged hand. "He shot me without hesitation."

A fake sympathy crossed his face. "That was unfortunate. Dominic was wrong to treat you that way. After all, you were once his woman."

He pushed a glass of water toward her. "Drink it."

Serene took the glass and took a sip.

"I can help you get your revenge," he added.

Serene’s eyes burned with fury. "I want Mila dead."

He chuckled and lit up a cigar. "I like that," he murmured. "But before I help you, you’ll do something for me."

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

Victor’s smile deepened.

"I want Dominic’s strength broken. Break his core team. My first target is Lucas."

Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

Victor watched her reaction with interest. "I want you to approach him," he continued calmly. "Convince him to join us."

"That’s impossible," Serene said firmly. "Lucas is too loyal to Dominic. It will be difficult to sway him."

Victor wouldn’t listen to her. "As long as Lucas stands beside him, Dominic cannot fall. His network, his intelligence, his men—everything runs through him."

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.

"Lucas is his backbone. To break Dominic, either kill Lucas or make him turn."

Serene silently stared at him, her heart pounding. His idea was good, but turning Lucas against Dominic was nearly impossible.

"I don’t want to kill him," Victor continued. "I don’t want to lose such a powerhouse. He can be useful for me."

Serene shook her head. "Lucas will never betray Dominic. He was indebted to Dominic for saving him. He won’t forget that."

Victor let out a chuckle. "Everyone has a breaking point."

His gaze locked onto hers. "You used to refuse my offers. But in the end, you contacted me on your own, didn’t you?"

Serene fell silent again. Her lips pressed together.

Victor was right.

She had indeed given up on Dominic. Now, she wanted to see his downfall.

"Fine," she finally agreed. "I’ll talk to him."

Victor’s smirk returned, satisfied.

~~~~~~~~~~

Serene arrived at the hospital the next day and met Lucas.

"I’m glad you are awake," she said softly, stepping closer.

Lucas looked up. His gaze immediately dropped to her hand, wrapped with a thick bandage.

His brows furrowed. "What happened to your hand?"

Her eyes shimmered instantly, her lips trembling as if holding back pain. She said exaggeratedly, "Dominic shot me because of Mila. I had misunderstood her for a spy and wanted to punish her. But Dominic..."

Her voice cracked harder. Then she wiped her tears away. "My hand is severely injured.

Serene lowered her gaze, her shoulders shaking faintly. "The damage is severe. The doctors said I may never use my hand properly again."

Lucas watched her, unblinking.

Valentina had already told him what really happened, how things had spiraled. She had already regretted what she had done with Mila. But Serene – she showed no trace of remorse.

Standing in front of him, she was only blaming Dominic.

He could see her pretension, her fake tears, and the way she twisted every detail to paint herself as the victim. But he said nothing.

Serene sniffed softly, wiping her tears.

She said she would leave soon. Dominic wanted to send her back to Italy. "I’ll be leaving soon," she said quietly. "Dominic is sending me back to Italy."

That made Lucas’s eyes narrow slightly. "Are you really leaving?" he asked with suspicion.

She nodded, her expression turning hollow. "There is nothing left for me here. I came back thinking maybe I could have him again."

A bitter smile touched her lips.

"But he has changed. He doesn’t want me anymore. He has forgotten everything we had. He found someone else."

Her head dropped. "I’m not important to him now."

Lucas remained silent, studying her. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I don’t want to stay and be humiliated," she added. "It’s better I leave."

She took a step closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Lucas."

The next moment, her tone shifted. "Dominic has changed. He used to put his people first. Now... his priority has changed. Mila is the most important one. For her, he can do anything, even shoot his own people."

Lucas’s jaw tightened.

"One day, he might even turn against you," she continued. "He will leave you behind someday and choose her."

Lucas frowned. A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

"You risked your life for him. Was it worth it?"

No answer.

"What happens when he chooses her over you?" she asked, her eyes locking onto his. "Will you still stay loyal?"

Her voice thickened. "Think about it. Dominic is powerful because of you. Without you, he is just a man."

Lucas’s eyes darkened.

"Dominic is powerful because of you. He stands where he is because you hold everything together. You are his strength. Without him, he is nothing but a normal guy. He is invincible because of his backup. Why stay under him when you could rise above? You could be the next king."

For a brief second, something flickered in Lucas’s eyes.

"Are you done?" he asked coldly.

Serene stilled, her words faltering.

"Don’t try to manipulate me," he warned her dangerously. "It won’t work. Leave. Or I’ll kill you."

Serene’s irritation flared instantly, threatening to shatter her composure. But she masked it, making a sad look.

"You’ll understand one day when he chooses Mila over you, when he turns against you. And when that day comes, you’ll remember what I said."

With that, she turned and walked out. The moment the door closed behind her, her expression dropped completely.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Lucas won’t sway," she muttered under her breath. "He even threatened to kill me."

On the other end, Victor remained calm.

"Don’t be impatient," he said slowly. "He will break."

At his reassurance, she was at ease. Her irritation vanished. But he still warned him, "He is not easy."

"No one is," Victor replied. "Until the right situation is created. I’ll make sure misunderstandings grow between them."

Serene quirked her lips. She liked his idea. "I want to be part of it."

"You are already in," said Victor.