The Devil Who Claimed Me

More tears gathered in Mila’s eyes. She slammed her fists against his chest.

"How could you do that to me?" she cried. "You left me alone and never contacted me. Everyone said you were dead, but I refused to believe them. I kept believing you would come back to me."

Her voice faltered.

"I even married Max, hoping you would show up and stop me," she said between sobs. "But you never did. When Luke Bellini held that party, I expected you to appear."

She grabbed his collar and looked straight into his eyes.

"You did come. But why didn’t you come to the hospital? Why didn’t you take me away?"

Dominic’s expression softened. He had countless things he wanted to say, yet none of them seemed enough.

"Every day, I waited for you," Mila continued, pounding his chest again. "Every time I checked my phone, I hoped to see a message from you. But there was never anything."

"Mila..."

"I’m not finished."

Tears streamed down her face. "Even after finding out I was pregnant, you stayed away from me. You didn’t care about our baby or me."

"No." Dominic immediately shook his head. "That’s not true. I care about both of you more than anything."

"Then why didn’t you come sooner?" she demanded. "That night at the party, you had the chance to come to me. Why did you keep your distance? Why?"

The more she spoke, the more desperate she became.

Dominic remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

"After the accident, I was imprisoned."

Mila froze.

"I was locked up and chained for two months. Luke Bellini did that."

Shock flooded her face.

Luke Bellini?

The man who had protected her all this time, the one who had convinced her Dominic was dead, the person who had persuaded her to marry Max for her own safety—he actually kidnapped Dominic!

A chill ran down her spine.

"He told me you were dead," she whispered. "But he was actually keeping you captive?"

The more she thought about it, the more wrong everything felt.

"I think he may have orchestrated the attack." A dangerous glint flashed through Dominic’s eyes. "No one who hurt us will go unpunished."

His voice was cold and resolute. "I’ll make every one of them pay."

He cupped her face gently. "When I heard you married Max, I refused to believe it. I thought Luke was lying to manipulate me."

Pain flickered across his face. "But then I saw you at the party."

His jaw tightened. "You were smiling. You looked happy."

A bitter smile touched his lips. "And my heart shattered."

Mila shook her head immediately. "I wasn’t happy."

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "I married him because I thought it was the only way to protect our baby."

"I know." Regret filled Dominic’s eyes. "I know that now."

Then determination replaced the regret. "You don’t need to stay in that marriage anymore. He is cheating on you."

"What?" Shock flashed across her face. "Max is cheating on me?"

Dominic nodded. "He spent last night with another woman."

He handed her his phone.

Mila stared at the photograph of Max leaving a bar with an unfamiliar woman.

Then Dominic showed her another photograph. This time, Max was leaving a hotel room.

"He stayed there all night."

Mila looked at the photographs silently. At first, disbelief crossed her face. Then she simply shrugged.

"It doesn’t matter." Her voice was calm and detached. "I don’t love him. This marriage was only a contract. I’m ending it anyway. He can be with whoever he wants."

Dominic’s eyes darkened. "But Luke Bellini matters."

Fury burned inside him. "He is the one pulling the strings. He lied to both of us. He manipulated everything."

His fists clenched. "He forced you to marry his son, and he used you to control me."

His voice turned colder. "I suspect he was involved in the attack and the destruction of my organization. He forced me to work for him."

Mila’s heart sank.

"Right now, I don’t have proof," Dominic continued. "But I’m investigating. I’ll uncover the truth. And when I do, I’ll destroy him for good."

Mila believed him completely. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"Do whatever you need to do." Her voice trembled. "But don’t leave me again."

Dominic hugged her tightly and stroked her hair. "I’ll never leave you." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Relief flooded through her. Then he added quietly, "But we can’t be together openly yet."

Panic instantly flashed across her face.

"No." She tightened her arms around him. "I don’t want to be alone anymore."

"I’m not leaving." Dominic kissed the top of her head. "We just can’t let anyone discover our relationship yet. I still have enemies to deal with."

His hand settled protectively on her stomach. "Give me a little more time."

Mila looked into his eyes. "Okay."

Tears glistened on her lashes. "Take all the time you need. But don’t you dare die."

Her voice cracked. "Our baby and I are waiting for you."

Emotion surged through Dominic. He cupped her face. Then he kissed her.

The kiss was gentle at first.

Months of separation and longing. Months of sleepless nights and unanswered prayers. Everything melted away in that moment.

Mila’s tears slipped down her cheeks as she kissed him back. Her fingers curled into his shirt, afraid he would disappear again if she let go.

Dominic held her as though she were the most precious thing in the world. The kiss deepened naturally, carrying all the love, pain, and yearning they had endured apart.

Neither wanted to let go. Neither wanted the moment to end.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together.

Dominic’s hand remained on her rounded belly. "No one will separate us again."

His voice carried unwavering certainty. "This time, I’ll win."

His gaze softened. "I’ll secure our future."

Mila smiled through her tears. "I know you will."

Then her expression turned vulnerable. "But can you come see me often? I want you beside me every night."

Dominic’s heart ached. He couldn’t promise that, but neither could he refuse her completely.

"I can’t guarantee it," he admitted. "But whenever I can, I’ll come."

Mila nodded. That was enough for now. "Okay."

A small smile appeared on her face. "I’ll wait for you."

Dominic kissed her forehead. "You must be exhausted."

"Hold me."

The simple request nearly broke his heart. Without hesitation, he removed his glasses and placed them on the nightstand. Then he lay beside her and wrapped an arm around her. His hand rested gently on her baby bump.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Then Dominic whispered, "Baby, I’m sorry."

Emotion thickened his voice. "Dad wasn’t there when you needed him."

His fingers gently stroked her stomach. "But I promise you this."

Determination filled his eyes. "I’ll give you a better future. A safe one. A peaceful one."

Warmth spread through Mila’s chest. She placed her hand over his. "Our baby trusts you."

A smile finally appeared on Dominic’s face. He kissed her hair. "I love both of you."

Mila snuggled closer to him. "And we love you too."