The Devil Who Claimed Me

The tension in the meeting rose when Mr. Lee questioned Dominic’s reliability.

Mila carefully added some points.

"You trusted Alejandro Russo once," she said in fluent Mandarin. "He chose Dominic as his successor, not out of obligations, but out of trust and his capability. He believed Dominic could carry forward everything he built."

Mr. Lee frowned slightly, but he grew interested in her.

"If you believed Alejandro back then, shouldn’t you trust his judgment now?" Mila held his gaze without flinching.

Silence fell over. Mr. Lee’s frown deepened, something flickering in his eyes.

Dominic looked at Mr. Lee and then returned his gaze to Mila. He was confused and at the same time intrigued by what she was saying.

Mila didn’t stop. "Dominic chose responsibility, while Marco chose betrayal. A person who can’t be loyal to his own people, do you think he can be loyal to you?"

That jab made Mr. Lee reconsider.

"He betrayed his own gang," Mila added. "He will deceive you if necessary. But the decision is yours."

Mila finally rested her words.

Mr. Lee remained quiet. He leaned back slowly.

Dominic watched him, his tension rising. He, however, managed to stay calm.

A faint smile appeared on Mr. Lee’s face. "You are impressive," he said in Mandarin. "I haven’t expected to see such a combination of beauty and talent here."

Dominic licked his lips as he glanced at Mila for a clue.

Mr. Lee nodded. "You won my heart, young lady. I’ll work with Dominic. The paperwork will be finalized once I discuss it with my team."

Mila grinned. "Thank you so much."

When she looked at Dominic, she found him already staring at her.

"What is he saying?" he asked impatiently.

"The deal is yours. He is ready to work with you."

His face lightened immediately. He was relieved and happy, yet his expression remained composed, almost indifferent.

Turning to Mr. Lee, he stretched his hand toward him. "Happy cooperation."

Mr. Lee shook hands with him.

While they were celebrating, Valentina seethed in fury. She downed another glass and walked away.

She slowed her steps when she heard two men talking about Mila. Her gaze flicked to them, and she instantly recognized them.

They were from Mr. Lee’s side.

"I didn’t expect someone like her here?" one man said, his gaze fixating on Mila. "She is hot."

"And talented."

The first one smirked. "Dominic is damn lucky. He has a beautiful woman like her beside him."

"I wish I could have her," the other one mused, his gaze lustful.

Valentina’s heart burned even more. How could Mila grab everyone’s attention?

She wished to smack their heads. But then a vile thought appeared in her mind.

’I can use them against Mila.’

She stepped toward them. "She is not part of the gang."

They turned to her immediately.

"She is an outsider. She is here only temporarily."

Both men exchanged a puzzled look.

"Dominic brought her here for fun," she added. "She is nothing but a prostitute. Once he gets tired of her, she’ll be gone."

The implication settled. Their expression shifted, and their interest in Mila grew.

"So she is just a prostitute," the men muttered to each other.

Valentina flashed a malicious smile. ’Let’s see how long you can stand untouched now.’

A few minutes later, Mila excused herself and headed to the restroom. Clicking of her heels filled the empty corridor. Just as she approached the restroom, two men moved forward and blocked her path.

Mila stepped back, alarmed. "Move," she demanded.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" one man smirked.

Mila frowned.

They stepped closer.

"We heard about you," the other one said. "No need to act so distant."

Mila’s stomach dropped. "I don’t want any trouble here. Please move aside."

But they didn’t step back. Instead, they moved closer to her.

Sensing danger, Mila turned to go back to the hall.

They took long strides and stood before her, one of them grabbing her hand.

She jerked his hand away instantly. "Let go."

"Don’t pretend to be innocent," the first one snapped. "We know what kind of woman you are. You sleep with anyone for money."

"We’ll pay you better than Dominic," the other one added.

Disgust surged through her. She had no idea why they had such thoughts about her.

"You are wrong," she shot back. "I’m not that kind of woman."

"Really?" They didn’t believe her and started laughing.

"If you aren’t, we will make you the one. Just spend the night with us."

"Step back," she spat, her eyes glazing with defiance. "Don’t come closer. Or Dominic will never let you go."

The men looked at each other and laughed as if they had heard a joke. "Dominic has just secured a deal with our boss. He won’t risk it just because of a woman. If anything, he will give you to us gladly."

"No..."

They didn’t listen to her. They pushed her backward.

Mila lost her balance and fell. Before she could stand up, they jumped over her.

"Stop," she cried, trying to get away.

Their patience snapped as she continued resisting.

"Stop fighting," a man thundered.

Their grip turned rough. Her dress was pulled, her movements restricted.

"Let go of me," she cried, her panic rising.

But there was no one to hear her. No one came to help her.

’This wasn’t supposed to happen.’

Tears brimmed in her eyes.

She had come here to secure her freedom, not to fall into something like this.

Hopelessness crept in. She couldn’t fight two men.

’Is this how it ends?’ She closed her eyes, feeling utterly helpless.

On the other end, Dominic grew restless. He checked his watch. ’Why is she taking so long?’ he wondered. ’Is she trying to escape?’

The thought unsettled him.

’Or is she in trouble?’

Whatever it was, Dominic couldn’t stay calm. He went to find her.

Valentina stepped forward and stopped him. "Dominic." She smiled. "Well, you secured the deal with Mr. Lee. Congratulations."

Dominic’s mind was on Mila. He could barely acknowledge her. Yet he gave her a curt nod and tried to walk past her.

She tugged at his arm. "Everyone is waiting for you. They want to hear something from you. Come with me."

"Not now." Dominic pulled his hand out of her grip. "I have something to do."

He strode away.

"Dominic..." she called from behind, but he didn’t slow his steps. She clenched her fists so tight that her fingers hurt.

Then she loosened her fingers, and her lips curled slightly. "I believe the two men have already done what should be done. You are late."