The Devil Who Claimed Me

Mila came to the clinic. She was distracted all the time. She seemed to be checking the file, but she wasn’t actually reading. Her eyes were fixed on the page.

The black letters blurred together, meaningless. Even after an hour, she hadn’t turned a single page.

Remy noticed. He watched her for a while before finally speaking. "Mila."

She didn’t respond, nor even look up at him. It seemed as if she had not heard his voice.

"Mila," he called out again, this time a little louder.

She blinked and looked up, startled. "Hmm?"

"You’ve been staring at that file for a long time," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Are you alright?"

Mila finally snapped out of her reverie. "I’m fine," she replied quickly, forcing a faint smile.

Remy didn’t look convinced. He squinted at her doubtfully. "You’ve been like this for a while now. You are here, but your mind isn’t."

Mila couldn’t deny it. She couldn’t pay attention to her work. But she also couldn’t tell him the truth. How could she admit that she couldn’t stop thinking about Dominic having sex with Valentina?

She shrugged as she tried to get that thought out of her head.

"I said I’m fine," she repeated, a little more firmly. "I’ll finish this." She moved toward the medicine shelf. "I’ll arrange these."

But even there, her mind wandered. She picked up bottles, placing them absentmindedly, not even checking the labels.

A few minutes later, she paused. Her brows furrowed. The medicines didn’t match the labels at all.

Embarrassment flushed her face.

"What am I doing?" she muttered under her breath, quickly fixing the arrangement.

Remy watched her quietly. "You are distracted," he said plainly. "Something is bothering you."

He leaned against the table, arms crossed. "Tell me, what happened?"

Mila hesitated. For a moment, she wondered whether to talk to him or not.

"I heard Valentina got injured yesterday," she said, choosing her words carefully. "The maids were talking about it. They said Dominic was worried."

Mila cast a curious look at him. "Do you know what happened?" she asked. "How did Valentina get injured? What happened the day before?"

Remy studied her for a second, then nodded. "A group of armed men tried to breach the island," he explained. "Valentina got the intel and went to intercept them."

Mila’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the shelf.

"She managed to stop them," he continued. "Some were killed. Others escaped. And she got injured? Yeah. Not too serious, though."

He paused. "Dominic was concerned."

Mila’s chest tightened even more. She looked away.

’Valentina didn’t lie. Dominic was indeed worried about her.’

A sharp, uncomfortable feeling twisted inside her.

She shouldn’t care about his affairs. She had no right to feel this way. But it still ached her heart at the thought of him with another woman.

Mila ignored the emotions rising inside her. She didn’t even want to be here. Yet she couldn’t stop herself from asking, "Are they close? Are they in love with each other?"

Remy raised an eyebrow. There was a brief silence before he started explaining.

"They have known each other for years, even before I joined."

Mila turned toward him fully now, listening.

"I heard Dominic saved her," he continued. "From a human trafficking ring. She was about to be sold when he stepped in. He introduced her to his godfather, the then mafia king, Alejandro Russo."

A memory flashed in her mind – Dominic opening up about his past that night, the darkness he had lived through, that had shaped him.

He had almost died before someone took him in. It turned out that the mafia king had adopted him and brought him into this ruthless world.

Her expression softened a little. Part of her felt sympathy for him.

Dominic had seen and endured far too much from such a young age. When he was brought into this world, he couldn’t have possibly understood what he was stepping into. He might not have been aware of the danger and brutality of this world.

For a child, it was too much, an unbearable burden.

’No child should go through that,’ she thought quietly.

"It was Dominic who trained her," Remy added, pulling her back to the present. "And as far as I know, she is the only woman he has ever allowed to stay that close to him."

Mila’s expression dimmed.

"But love?" Remy shrugged. "I am not sure. They’ve never announced their relationship. And I’ve never seen them like that. Their dynamic felt more like that of a leader and his subordinate."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "But if he really had feelings for her, I don’t think he would’ve brought you here."

Mila wouldn’t believe it. She let out a bitter smile. "Or maybe I’m just a distraction, a toy. A powerful man like him could do anything."

Remy frowned immediately. "He is not like that."

"You are saying that because you are loyal to him," Mila replied. "He is your savior, and you don’t want to see his bad side."

"No, it’s not. It’s because I’ve seen him," Remy corrected. "If he really was looking for some casual flings, he didn’t lack women. It’s the first time he broke his own rules and brought an outsider to his personal island. It’s not just gratitude. It’s something else."

Mila’s heart wavered. Part of her wanted to believe that Dominic still cared about her and that whatever he had promised her wasn’t a lie. But the other part, the cautious, wounded one, refused.

He was a dangerous mafia lord who could do anything for his own selfish reasons. Who knew what his real purpose was to keep her here?

He said it was for her safety. But it could be what Valentina had told her earlier. He had found a toy to play with. And he wouldn’t let her go until he was tired of her.

"Don’t overthink it," Remy said gently. Dominic and Valentina are definitely not in an intimate relationship. He has taken you as his mistress, and this alone proves that you matter to him. You should cherish it and try to know him more."

Mila didn’t argue this time. She gave a small nod. "Thank you."

She turned back to her work. But her mind was far from settled.

On the other end, Dominic finally woke up and found himself in a completely different room. The ceiling above him was unfamiliar. The surrounding was not the same. The bed wasn’t as soft as his.

This wasn’t his room.

Alarmed, he looked for his weapon and noticed his gun right beside the pillow.

Instinct kicked in immediately. He took the gun.

Just as footsteps approached.

Footsteps echoed in the meantime. The door opened, and someone entered the room.

Dominic sat up sharply, pointing the gun at the figure.