The Devil Who Claimed Me

A doctor stepped out, pulling down his mask slightly.

Mr. Lee rushed forward immediately. "Doctor?"

The man gave a small nod. "He is stable now."

A wave of relief spread across Mr. Lee.

"You brought him in at the right time," the doctor continued. "A delay of even a few minutes, and we might not have been able to save him."

Mr. Lee felt chills on his back. He staggered slightly, as if his legs had almost given out beneath him.

The doctor went on, "He has a blockage in his heart. We recommend surgery as soon as possible."

Mr. Lee nodded quickly. "Do whatever is needed."

The doctor gave a reassuring nod before walking away.

For a moment, Mr. Lee stood there in silence. Then he turned, his gaze falling on Mila. When he thought he had doubted her, blamed her, and dismissed her, he felt nothing but guilty. But she still helped his son.

Gratitude filled his heart.

"Miss Mila..." His voice trembled slightly. "I don’t know how to thank you."

"It was my duty," she said softly. "As a doctor, saving a life comes first."

Her calmness only deepened his guilt.

"I stopped you, doubted you, and even blamed you," he admitted, his eyes reddening. "Yet you still helped my son."

Mila didn’t respond. There was no accusation in her silence.

Mr. Lee let out a shaky breath, tears glistening faintly in his eyes. "Thanks again for saving my son."

Then he turned to Dominic, who stood a few steps away, his expression indifferent as always.

Mr. Lee hesitated for a second before speaking. "Dominic... thank you," he said sincerely. "If you hadn’t arranged everything so quickly, I don’t think we could have brought him here in time."

Mila instantly translated.

Dominic’s gaze remained steady. "It was my responsibility," he replied. "You came to my place for a meeting. What happened was under my watch. I couldn’t ignore it."

His tone didn’t change. "What I did... was the least I could do."

After a brief pause, he added coldly, "But I don’t regret what I did to those men. They crossed a line," he said. "And I punished them."

Mila slowly turned back to Mr. Lee and conveyed his message.

Mr. Lee nodded understandingly. "You are right," he admitted. "I should have done the same. I let my pride cloud my judgment and ended up blaming the wrong person."

His gaze flickered toward Mila again. "I’ll take care of them."

After a moment, he added, "The paperwork for the deal will be done soon."

Then, with a final nod, he turned and went to see his son.

The moment he left, Mila’s strength seemed to drain out of her. She sank into the nearest chair, her shoulders slumping slightly.

The adrenaline that had kept her going was gone. Now all that remained was exhaustion.

Dominic noticed it. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

Mila blinked, a little surprised. Only then did she realize her stomach felt empty.

She nodded slowly.

"Stay here. I’ll bring something."

He turned and strode away.

Mila watched his back until he disappeared. The moment he was gone, something shifted inside her. The sudden urge to get away surged inside her.

As she looked around, she saw two guards standing not very far from there. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

’Of course. Dominic has his men everywhere.’

Escaping wouldn’t be easy. But she didn’t want to give up so soon.

For the first time, she was off the island. This place was vast, busy, chaotic. If she could just slip away unnoticed, she might actually make it.

Her heart began to race. ’I can do this...’

But then reality struck. She didn’t have her phone or any money. What was she going to do?

Her thoughts scrambled desperately.

A name surfaced – Lara.

As a reporter, Lara had connections. She could help her.

’I need to call Lara.’

Mila stood up. Just as she took a step forward, the two guards moved instantly, blocking her path.

"You shouldn’t walk around," one of them said. "Boss’s orders."

Mila’s eyes turned cold. "I’m going to the restroom. What? I can’t even do that?"

The guards exchanged a glance.

"You can. But we’ll come with you."

Mila suppressed a groan. Arguing would only make things worse.

"Fine."

She let them follow her.

Once they reached the restroom, they almost followed her inside. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Mila stopped and turned, glaring at them. She pointed at the sign.

"It’s the ladies’ toilet. Are you planning to come inside, too?" Her tone was sharp. "I won’t disappear from inside the restroom."

They looked at each other awkwardly and stepped back. "We’ll wait outside."

Mila gave them one last irritated look before pushing the door open.

The moment it closed behind her, everything changed. Restless energy surged in. Her breathing quickened.

The restroom was empty. No one could help her. She went into a cubicle and sat on the toilet seat, her mind racing.

’Think, think fast...’ She stepped into a cubicle, sitting down briefly, her mind racing. ’How am I going to call Lara?’

Seconds ticked by.

A few moments later, she heard footsteps entering.

Mila’s head snapped up. She immediately stepped out of the cubicle.

A woman stood near the sink.

Mila walked toward her quickly. "Excuse me," she said urgently. "Can I borrow your phone for a minute?"

The woman looked at her doubtfully.

Mila forced herself to stay calm. "I brought a patient in during an emergency," she explained quickly. "I left my phone behind in the rush. I just need to call my family."

The woman’s expression softened slightly. After a moment, she nodded and handed over her phone.

"Thank you." Mila quickly dialed Lara’s number.

The call connected after a few rings.

"Who is this?" came the voice on the other end.

"Lara, it’s me."

There was a pause for a moment. "Mila? Is that really you?"

Mila’s eyes welled up with tears. She said, "It’s me."

"Oh my God... you are alive," Lara breathed. "I thought you were dead. Your apartment was blown up, and everyone believed you didn’t survive. And your father—"

She snorted. "He even held your funeral. Now he is trying to take all your shares and property. If you don’t come back soon, he’ll get everything."

Mila let out a cold breath. She hated that man. "He couldn’t even wait," she muttered.

"But where have you been?" Lara asked urgently. "Why didn’t you contact anyone? What happened to you?"

Mila glanced at the woman who was still looking at her. She stepped back a little away and said in a hushed tone. "I was kidnapped."

"What? Kidnapped?"

"I can’t explain everything now," Mila said quickly. "I’m in trouble. I need money, and I need someone to pick me up. Fast."

"Where are you?"

"I’m in a hospital," Mila said, quickly describing the location and surroundings. "Please... if they take me back to the island, I won’t get another chance."

"Wait... let me think," Lara said.

Mila could hear typing in the background.

"What’s the hospital’s name?"

"Genesis hospital."

There was a pause.

"Genesis... yes. There are only two branches. Coastal location..." Lara muttered. Then her voice steadied. "I know where you are."

Relief washed over Mila. She believed Lara could send someone to pick her up.

"Stay there. I’ll send someone. She’ll help you get out without alerting them."

"Thanks, Lara."

"Thank me when you’re safe," Lara replied. "I’ll be waiting."

The call ended.

Mila handed the phone back to the woman with a grateful smile. Then she turned toward the door. Her heart pounded.

This was it. She wasn’t going to waste her chance.