The Devil Who Claimed Me

Mila didn’t move from where she stood.

Her back was rigid, her fists trembling faintly at her sides. Anger burned within her, but beneath it, an overwhelming emotion settled deep in her chest.

She had stopped expecting kindness from them long ago. She knew they would only hurt her. But this... this went beyond anything she had imagined.

Even knowing Bianca hated her, Mila had never thought she would go this far, plotting to sell her into a brothel.

If Valentina had not been with her, that man would have kidnapped her. Mila shut her eyes briefly. She couldn’t even bear to finish that thought.

"Mila." Valentina drew her attention. "Are you okay?"

Mila shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "No, I am not."

Valentina’s emotionless face softened. She wrapped her arms around her. "If you want to cry, cry. Don’t hold it back."

Mila inhaled sharply, but then forced the tears back.

"I won’t cry," she said, her voice thickening with resolve. "They meant nothing to me. To them, I am already dead. And now... I’m cutting them off completely."

Valentina pulled back slightly, studying her, then gave a faint approving smile. "You are stronger than I thought. And you are right. They’ll fall. Slowly. Painfully. They will suffer every single day."

Mila shrugged. Her expression turned distant.

"I don’t care," she said quietly. "Whether they suffer or not, it’s no longer my concern."

She strode to her room.

Late at night...

Dominic rushed back to Mila. When he saw her sleeping peacefully in her room, his heart was at ease finally. For a moment, he just stood there, watching her, as if reassuring himself she was truly safe.

He wished he could pull her into his arms and hold her tightly. But his steps slowed as he approached the bed. Carefully, gently, he brushed his fingers on her forehead.

"I’m glad you are fine," he whispered.

Mila stirred. Her lashes fluttered open, and when she saw him, a soft smile spread across her lips.

Dominic paused, his fingers freezing in mid-air.

Under the dim light, Mila saw his face clearly. "Dominic," she whispered, smiling.

"I’m here." He caressed her hair.

"Mm..." She shifted closer, still half-asleep. "You said you’d be busy, that you wouldn’t come. And still, here you are."

"I heard about the kidnapping attempt," he said quietly. "I couldn’t stay away. I wanted to see you fine with my own eyes."

Mila lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him closer. "It was nothing," she murmured. "Valentina was there... I’m safe. Besides, there are guards secretly protecting me. How can anyone hurt me?"

Dominic held her tighter. "I know. But I needed to see you."

Her lips curved. "Then stay."

He hesitated. "I can’t," he said regretfully. "I still have things to deal with."

Her smile faded instantly. "Don’t go..."

Her grip tightened around him. Her chest tightened with uneasiness.

Dominic exhaled softly.

"I have to."

The memory of Lucas’s bloodstained body, lying motionless, flashed in his mind.

"Last time, Lucas was hurt. I can’t afford another mistake."

At that, Mila’s grip around him loosened. But the fear in her mind intensified. When she looked up at him, her eyes were watery.

"Are you on another mission?" she asked.

Dominic’s eyes softened. "No. It’s just a meeting."

He lied.

Mila was already scared, and he couldn’t scare her anymore.

Dominic hugged her. "When I’m done, I’ll come back."

She wanted to stop him, to keep him with her, and to take him far away from all of this. But she knew better. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Dominic wouldn’t leave. His world wouldn’t let him go. He had to deal with his enemies. Once he defeated them, only then would he have some peace.

"Fine," she murmured reluctantly. "Go."

Dominic pressed a kiss on her head. "I’ll come back as soon as I can."

He stood up to leave.

She grabbed his hand.

Dominic looked back at her.

"Stay safe," she rasped. "Don’t get hurt."

Dominic smiled, trying to ease her. "I will." He leaned down and kissed her.

Milla couldn’t hold back her tears. She threw herself onto him and kissed him back, desperately.

"Mila..."

She didn’t stop. Her lips moved against his with urgency, as if trying to hold him there through sheer force.

He pulled back, breathless. "If you keep kissing me like this," he said hoarsely, "I won’t be able to leave."

"Then don’t," she said in a pleading tone.

It snapped something in him.

"Mila...you are making things hard for me." He kissed her back, hungrily this time.

His restraint shattered. His hand slid to her waist, pulling her flush against him—no distance, no hesitation.

"Do you have any idea," he murmured, "how hard it was to stay away?"

His breath brushed against her ear.

A shiver ran through her. "Then stay with me," she whispered.

His gaze dropped to her lips. And then he kissed her again.

Mila gasped softly against his lips, her fingers instinctively gripping his shirt as he deepened the kiss. His hand moved down, pushing her nightdress up. The next minute, he removed it and tossed it aside.

"Dominic..." she breathed, barely able to keep up.

He didn’t stop. If anything, her seductive whisper only made it worse.

His lips moved from hers, trailing along her jaw, down to her neck, and then to her breasts.

Her head tilted back without her realizing, her breath unsteady.

"You are driving me insane," she whispered, her fingers tightening in his hair. "I can’t think of anything but you."

"Good," he murmured.

He removed his clothes in urgency.

"Dominic..." his name slipped from her lips again, filled with everything she couldn’t put into words.

From then on, they didn’t stop. There was nothing left between them but heat and urgency.

He slowed when she wanted more, held back when she reached for him, drawing her to the edge—again and again.

The tension broke all at once, overwhelming, consuming. Her breath shattered into soft gasps as the intensity finally overtook her, her fingers gripping him.

His name fell from her lips again breathlessly.

And when he followed, it was just as fierce and consuming, his hold tightening around her.

When it ended, Mila lay limp against him. He held her close, one hand gently running through her hair.

Mila fell asleep soon.

Dominic slowly slipped out of the bed and headed out.

By the time he returned to base, dawn was breaking.

His team was still waiting.

Lucas was pacing. The moment he saw Dominic, his expression darkened. Without a word, he strode forward and threw a punch.