The Devil Who Claimed Me

Late at night...

Dominic slipped into Mila’s room. He paused by the bed, watching her sleep.

"At last, you are at peace," he mumbled. His eyes scanned her face, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Don’t ever think of escaping," he added quietly. "You won’t make it out of here. I won’t allow it."

He reached out and brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Stay here with me, okay? Accept me and my world."

Mila stirred and shifted onto her side.

Dominic quieted down, withdrawing his hand instantly. To his relief, Mila kept sleeping. He was supposed to return to his room, but he didn’t. He couldn’t walk out of the room.

The pull to be by her side, to feel her beside him, was too strong to resist. He slipped onto the bed, one arm wrapping around her.

His touch woke her up.

Mila flinched and turned sharply to see Dominic beside her. "You?" She sat up instantly and pulled the blanket over herself. "What are you doing here?"

Dominic propped himself up on one elbow, completely at ease. "What does it look like? Of course, I’m here to sleep."

Mila clasped the blanket tightly to her chest. "You should sleep in your room, not here."

Her argument amused him. A faint smirk touched his lips.

"This entire place is mine. I can be in any room I want. And you are my girlfriend. It’s only natural that I sleep beside you. Come on."

He reached out and drew her in closer. "Let’s sleep. It’s almost midnight now."

"I am not your girlfriend." She twisted out of his hold. "And I’m not sleeping with you."

In a blink, she shoved the blanket aside and moved to get off the bed.

Dominic reacted faster. He caught her arm, yanked her back, and pushed her onto the mattress, his heavy form pressing her down.

"Get off me." She struggled.

Dominic held her wrists and pinned them above her head. "What did you say?" he asked, his face hovering over hers.

Mila’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she glared at him. She was trapped beneath him, but she didn’t see a trace of submission.

"I said I’m not your girlfriend," she hissed, baring her teeth.

A storm flashed across his eyes. His grip around her wrists tightened.

"Is that so?" he grunted out. "It’s you who declared our relationship. You made me your boyfriend. I told you I don’t do temporary relationships, that my commitments are for life. You agreed to be with me forever. And now you want to walk away."

His fingers clamped around her jaw, enraged. "What do you take me for?" His voice grew heavier.

"You lied to me," she retorted. "I thought you were a victim who needed help. I thought you were just a normal person like me. But you...you are dangerous, who kills like it’s nothing."

"I don’t kill innocent people," Dominic also didn’t stay silent. "I kill those who are a threat to me, who are enemies. If I don’t, they will kill me."

"Well, well," Mila scoffed with disdain. "Shooting at point-blank, and you didn’t even blink. I saw how you killed those men ruthlessly. It didn’t look like self-defence, though."

Dominic narrowed his eyes, disbelief flickering across his face. "You are blaming me? Those guys weren’t there to welcome us. They were there to kill us. I protected you, got you out of that mess safely. You should be thanking me."

"Yeah?" Mila smiled bitterly. "Before you came into my life, I was living peacefully. No one ever attacked me with guns and explosives. But that night, everything changed. It’s all because of you. My house turned into ruins in just a few minutes. My life transformed overnight."

She twisted herself, trying to free her hands. But her struggles only made him tighten his grip.

"You kidnapped me, locked me up here. And you expect me to thank you?"

Her gaze burned with hatred. "You have never been honest with me. You lied to me from the beginning. About the accident, the amnesia – everything was a lie. Was there even a moment you were honest with me?"

Dominic’s jaw flexed. "Yes, I lied about the amnesia. I hid my identity. But everything I said about my past was true. My feelings for you are true. I genuinely like you."

"But I don’t." There was no hesitation in her, not even a bit of nostalgia.

Dominic’s expression changed instantly. Something twisted in his chest, and it was painful.

"Come again." He squeezed her jaw harder.

"You heard me." She met his gaze fiercely. "I don’t like you."

Both said nothing for a while. They kept glaring at each other.

"You are lying," said Dominic. He wouldn’t accept it. "You chose me. You said you loved me. You gave yourself to me willingly."

"I was wrong. Stupid," she yelled, violently thrashing beneath him. But her attempt to break free went in vain. Frustrated, she stopped struggling.

"I failed to see through you. But I do now. And I want nothing to do with you. Your world is different from mine. We should never have crossed paths. Let’s end this. I won’t say a word about you, and you shouldn’t bother me. Pretend we never met. Let me go. I swear you will never see me again."

She tried to break free from his iron grip yet again.

Something dangerous flickered across his face. He pressed her down harder.

"That’s not happening," he said coldly. "Once you are mine, that doesn’t change. I’m not someone you can use and discard as you please. Accept it. You belong to me. This is where you belong."

"I don’t belong to anyone, and I definitely don’t belong to this place," she shot back, her eyes blazing with defiance.

Using all her strength, she thrashed herself against him, making him lose his grip on her hands slightly. She took the chance to shove him against his chest, creating a narrow space between them. She slid out beneath him.

Before she could jump out of the bed, he drew her back.

"Ahh," she screamed. "Let go of me."

"Not a chance." He pushed her against the headboard, his big palm pressing on her chest to keep her in place.

Mila gasped, terror glinting in her eyes.

His other hand slammed beside her head.

Mila flinched, her heart pounding.

"You have no idea what is out there," he grumbled. "You are alive because you are here – with me. I’m keeping you safe."

Mila’s chest heaved. She didn’t care about the danger outside. But she felt constant fear being here. She felt suffocated being locked in this room. Escape was the only thing she could think about.

"You don’t have to decide what’s good for me. You don’t get to cage me here and call it protection."

"I am not imprisoning you. Why don’t you understand? I am keeping you alive."

For the first time, he was losing his composure. He didn’t know how to convince her, how to make her believe that whatever he was doing was to keep her safe.

"You are insane," she spat. "Do you even hear yourself? You are forcing me to stay here against my will. This is not protection. It calls abduction – a crime."

Dominic didn’t flinch. If anything, his expression turned even colder. "Think whatever you want. You are not leaving this place, and that’s final."