The Devil Who Claimed Me

Dominic rushed to the dock. He stopped short when he saw Lucas helping Valentina out of the boat. For a brief second, he didn’t move and simply watched.

Blood trickled down Valentina’s arm, staining her sleeve. The sight made him frown. He strode over.

"What is going on?"

Both Lucas and Valentina looked at him. Before Lucas could reply, Valentina spoke.

"There was a movement near the perimeter. A group of people tried to breach the island."

Her breath was slightly uneven. "I intercepted them before they got close."

Dominic’s expression turned even more serious.

"They were heavily armed," she continued. "But we handled it. Some were killed. The rest fled."

She ground her teeth in irritation. "I chased them. But they escaped."

She tightened her grip on her gun. "Those bastards are Marco’s people. They wanted retaliation for the recent attack. But I have my doubts."

His eyes narrowed.

"This didn’t feel like a full attack," Valentina explained. "It seemed like they were testing us, checking out defenses. I am worried they will come back. And the next time, it wouldn’t be a small group. It will be deadlier."

"Why wasn’t I informed?" Dominic asked coldly.

Valentina held his gaze. "Your injury has not healed completely, and you need rest. I didn’t want to disturb you. And this wasn’t something I couldn’t manage."

But Dominic was displeased. "That’s not the point. You shouldn’t have gone alone."

Tension passed between them. Valentina still argued. "You have bigger targets to deal with – take down Marco and then deal with Victor. You don’t need to waste your energy on small threats like this. I can handle this."

"Whether the threat was small or big, you should inform me," Dominic said. "I’ll decide who to handle. You said it was a small group. But what if they had a backup team ready there? What if they attacked with more forces? You risked yourself and the entire team."

Valentina fell silent. She parted her lips to counter. But when she thought back to what he had said, she realized her mistake.

It was a reckless move, and she had to admit it.

Dominic was clearly displeased with her actions this time. He wanted to scold her further, but when he noticed she was still bleeding, he swallowed his anger.

"You need treatment. Come with me."

He took her to the clinic.

"Remy," he called, his tone laced with urgency. "She is injured. Take a look at her."

Remy immediately stepped forward and guided Valentina to sit. "Let me check."

He began cleaning and dressing the wound. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Valentina barely noticed what Remy was doing. Her gaze kept drifting to Dominic.

He hadn’t left. He stood there, watching, making sure she got proper treatment.

And that alone was enough to flutter her heart. Warmth spread through her chest, washing away all the frustration and disappointment she had carried earlier.

’He still cares about me.’

Her lips curled subtly.

How could he forget years of togetherness? A few days’ attraction toward Mila couldn’t replace that bond.

’Mila is nothing,’ she whispered to herself. ’I’m the one that really matters to him.’

When Remy finished the bandage, he said, "The wounds aren’t deep. She’ll be fine."

Valentina stood up, adjusting the bandage. "I’ll take care of myself. No need to worry."

Dominic gave her a cold look and warned, "Don’t do that again. If there is intel, you report to me first. Don’t take an action on her own."

Valentina didn’t argue this time. "I’m sorry," she apologized. "I didn’t mean to challenge his authority. I just didn’t want to disturb you."

A flicker of regret crossed Dominic’s face. He had been distracted, busy playing with Mila, letting his desire to control him, while Valentina and her team had been out there eliminating the threats.

If something had gone wrong, he wouldn’t have faced himself. This feeling irritated him further.

"Rest," he said shortly and walked out of the clinic.

Valentina, however, wasn’t willing to let him go yet. She didn’t want him to go to Mila. She wanted to keep him by her side a little longer.

"Dominic." She hurried after him.

Dominic paused and turned.

Valentina stepped closer. "It’s been a while since we sat together and had a drink. How about we go to the bar?"

Dominic hesitated.

Fearing he would turn her down, she said urgently, "I’ll call my team members. Everyone will be happy."

Dominic thought for a while. Seeing her eagerness and also thinking she had risked herself to stop the enemies, he couldn’t say no to her.

"Alright," he agreed.

Valentina grinned, her face lighting up instantly. She called her team. "Bar. Now. We’ll celebrate tonight."

After ending the call, they left for the bar together.

The bar was a few kilometers from the mansion. By the time they arrived, the place was already alive. The team members were already there. They all sat down together, laughing and chatting.

When they saw Dominic, they all stood up and greeted him.

Dominic sat with them, drink after drink poured into his glass. His head pounded slightly with the pulsating music.

Everyone cheered. Some danced, while others simply continued drinking.

Dominic was tipsy, his cheeks flushing. He shook his head. "No more drinks."

But they wouldn’t listen.

"It’s rare the boss drinks with us. Tonight is a celebration. You can’t say no to the drinks."

Dominic had no choice but to comply. "Fine. I’ll drink."

Valentina’s joy knew no bounds. She watched him the entire time. A dangerous thought appeared in her mind.

"Tonight, I have a chance to sleep with him and make him mine. I won’t let him go to Mila."

Lucas arrived after some time and found Dominic already drunk. But the men kept pouring drinks for him. His expression changed instantly.

"That’s enough," he snapped, stepping forward and stopping the men. He shot a stern glare at them. "What’s wrong with you guys? He is drunk, and you kept letting him drink. Are you out of your mind?"

He grabbed Dominic by his arm and pulled him up. "I’m taking him back."

Valentina stood abruptly. "This is our night," she countered. "We are celebrating. Why are you interfering?"

Lucas pinned her with a cold glare. "Celebrating? A few hours ago, we were attacked. Instead of staying alert, you brought him to the bar. How could you be so careless?"

He told her he was taking him back to the mansion.

Valentina gritted her teeth as she watched them leave. Her plan to sleep with Dominic was ruined. Now Dominic would return to Mila.

The thought of him with Mila, sleeping on the same bed, being intimate, burned her chest.

She wanted to scream, to stop Lucas, and to tell Dominic to be with her. But all she did was stand there, motionless, seething in anger.

"This is not over. I won’t let her take him."