The Devil Who Claimed Me

Everyone froze in their places, shocked.

Dominic was equally stunned. A faint trace of blood touched the corner of his lips. He wiped it away with his thumb.

He squinted at him. "What’s wrong with you?"

"What’s wrong?" Lucas snapped. "You have the nerve to ask that? You abandoned the mission again. We were this close to nab that guy, and you left."

Dominic gritted his teeth and muttered, "Mila needed me."

"Is that so?" Lucas snapped. "Valentina confirmed that she was fine, that the threat had been removed. Yet, you left, abandoning everything."

He threw another punch at him, this time harder.

Dominic staggered, his jaw aching. No one intervened. No one could.

The rest of the team exchanged uneasy glances but stayed rooted in place.

Lucas’s eyes burned in fury. "Back then, I told you she would become your distraction. And it’s now becoming true. You value her more than anything else, more than us."

"Yes," Dominic shot back, his expression dark. "She is important to me. But I haven’t abandoned any of you."

"Really?" Lucas stood in front of him, holding his gaze.

The air between them was tense.

All the team members watched them in shock and disbelief. They had never seen them fight each other like that. It seemed that their friendship was going to end. There was a crack in the strong bond between them.

"You forgot what happened the last time," Lucas hissed. "I took the bullet for you. I almost died. But you didn’t learn anything."

He poked at his chest. "You still chose her over the team and the mission. You left everything for her."

Dominic’s gaze sharpened. "That’s none of your concern."

"It is my concern!" Lucas roared. "Because I’m the one who has to clean up the mess every time you lose control over that woman."

The temperature in the room dropped.

Dominic moved fast.

In the next second, Lucas was slammed against the wall, Dominic’s hand gripping his collar, pinning him in place.

"Watch your words."

Lucas didn’t flinch. His gaze locked onto Dominic’s. "She is your weakness. You will put everyone in danger because of her."

Dominic’s grip tightened.

A dangerous silence stretched between them.

"You abandoned a live situation," Lucas continued. "You risked exposure. All because you couldn’t stay away from her."

Dominic shoved him harder against the wall. "I made sure everything was under control before I left. My team and the mission are equally important to me. But I wanted to make sure of Mila’s safety first."

Lucas lowered his voice. "You are not thinking like a leader anymore."

That line crossed something.

Dominic’s expression turned ice-cold. "You are forgetting your place, Lucas."

The threat was clear.

But Lucas didn’t back down. "You know what, I am done arguing with you." He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "I’m out of this mission. I’m not risking my life again for someone who doesn’t give a damn about us."

He stormed out.

Dominic stood there, fists clenched, eyes dark.

Across the city...

Serene stared at her phone, a slow smile spreading across her lips as she looked at the message she had just received. It was a photograph of Lucas hitting Dominic.

"Finally, they are falling apart," she murmured. "That’s good."

"What makes you smile like that?"

The door opened, and a tall man came in.

It was Victor.

Serene turned, her lips stretching wider. "If you see it, you will also smile."

She walked toward him and held out her phone. "Take a look."

Victor glanced at the image and laughed. "I have expected this. And it happened sooner than I thought."

Serene smirked and leaned on his shoulder. "I never thought Lucas would raise his hand against Dominic," she said, amused. "He used to be his most loyal dog."

Victor sneered. "Loyalty has limits. Dominic crossed them."

A dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes. "He is crazy about that woman. And his obsession with her will drive him away from this team. Today, Lucas revolted. Tomorrow, the others will."

"Obsession makes leaders weak," Serene mused aloud. "And weak leaders fall."

Victor looked at her. "This is our chance. Reach out to Lucas. Pull him to our side."

Serene put a hand on his face. "I’ll do it."

She tiptoed and kissed him.

He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled her in closer, kissing her back.

The kiss grew hotter and deeper with every passing second. Serene slipped her fingers into his greying hair as she surrendered to him.

The next moment, her gown slipped to the ground around her ankles.

He lifted her off her feet and took her to the bed.

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

At the hospital...

"The wound is healing well," the doctor said. "But you need proper rest. And take your medication on time."

"Rest?" Lucas gave a dry chuckle. "That’s not an option."

The man looked at him with a troubled expression. "The wound from outside has healed, but internally, it will take time. You should rest and not get hurt again. Or complications will arise."

"Thanks." Lucas rose from the chair. "I know what to do."

He buttoned up his shirt as he walked out of the room.

Outside, he met Serene. Surprised, he slowed his steps.

"Lucas," she greeted with a soft smile. "What a coincidence. You came for a check-up?"

Lucas nodded.

"I also came to see the doctor." She looked down at her hands, fingers clenching and unclenching. "I’m recovering. It still hurts, but I can move my fingers now."

"Good." He tried to walk past her, but she moved in front of him and blocked his way.

"Have coffee with me. I need to talk."

Lucas frowned. "I have nothing to talk to you about," he said coldly.

"Don’t be like that," she said, reaching for his wrist. "We grew up together."

Lucas’s reaction was instant. He shoved her hand away. In the next second, his fingers closed around her throat.

"And you betrayed us. Don’t think that I know nothing. You joined the enemy gang."

"Yes," she said without hesitation. There was no flicker of regret in her eyes. "I joined Victor."

His grip tightened.

"It’s better than staying with Dominic," she continued. "He doesn’t care about us anymore. To him, Mila is the most important."

At that, his grip loosened.

Serene sneered inwardly as she saw the change in his expression. She had been waiting for this moment. But she hid her excitement and made a sad face.

"He killed for her. He shot me. You were injured because of her," she said softly. "He would destroy everything for her."

Lucas fell silent, conflicted.

"If you stay with him, you will fall into trouble," she pressed. "He is no longer fit to be a leader."

Silence enveloped Lucas. His brows pinched even harder.

"Come with me. I’ll take you to Victor. He will gladly accept you in the gang."

Lucas didn’t respond. But hesitation flickered in his eyes.

Serene wasn’t done yet.

"I know this isn’t easy for you," she went on, her tone softer but calculated. "But you need to start thinking about yourself. Staying with him isn’t wise anymore. The gang is already cracking apart. A weak leader can’t hold it together for long. Meanwhile, Victor is rising fast, and he has the backing of some very powerful people."

Lucas looked at her, something flickering in his eyes. "Powerful people?"

"Yes." She glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned closer, lowering her voice. "There is a group of six people. The real power lies with them. Whoever they support becomes the king. And the next king will be Victor."