The Devil Who Claimed Me

Valentina stared at him, disbelief written all over her face. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She had expected him to stand by her, to scold Mila, to put her back in her place. But instead, he was looking at her like she had crossed a line. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Facing his stern glare, she felt a shudder crawling up her arms.

"It’s her who hit me," Valentina still tried to explain. "Why are you scolding me? What did I do wrong?"

"You don’t know what you did wrong?" Dominic scowled at her with displeasure.

The air turned heavy.

"Those men molested her. They tried to rape her. And you—"

Dominic’s expression darkened. "You should have stood by her. "Instead, you questioned her, doubted her."

Valentina’s throat tightened.

"I only wanted to know what happened," she defended quickly. "Those men were saying—"

"So you believed their nonsense," he cut in sharply, his voice rising with restrained anger. "But you are not willing to trust her."

Valentina froze. "I..."

Nothing came out, no explanation, no justification.

"I saw everything," Dominic continued. "If it was fake, she wouldn’t have been in that state."

Valentina understood he wouldn’t listen to her. Her gaze slowly shifted to Mila. It was filled with pure loathing.

’This is your doing.’

Every insult, every cutting word, and every ounce of humiliation—all were because of her. She would never forget it.

Her nails dug into her palms.

"You said I seduced them," Mila chimed in. "If I had done that, I would have asked them to take me to a room. I wouldn’t have struggled in front of the restroom. I wouldn’t have been crying for help."

Her body trembled with rage and emotions. "If I really wanted to destroy the relationship between Dominic and Mr. Lee, I wouldn’t have been here. I wouldn’t have volunteered myself to be the interpreter in the first place."

Valentina seethed inside. Hatred crawled under her skin, burning hotter with every passing second.

And worst of all—Dominic believed her. That truth stung more than anything.

Her pride screamed at her to fight back. But something in his expression stopped her. This wasn’t something she could manipulate.

She swallowed her anger.

"I’m sorry," she muttered begrudgingly. "My questions weren’t meant to offend you. Yet if I hurt you with my words, I apologize."

She glanced at Dominic before storming away.

"Acting righteous," Valentina muttered under her breath. "Women like you know exactly how to play the victim. Behind that innocent face, you know how to attract attention. You bewitched him. And he can’t even take his eyes off you.

The jealousy she had tried to contain spilled out uncontrollably.

"You think you’ve won something?" she scoffed. "You are wrong. This phase will pass. Don’t get too comfortable. Because the higher you rise, the harder you fall."

Her eyes burned with hatred.

Behind her, Mila remained standing, her shoulders stiff, her gaze cold and unyielding. She saw the way Valentina had twisted her words, the way she had changed her tone the moment Dominic appeared.

Just seconds ago, Valentina had been accusing her of seducing those men and ruining the deal. But the moment Dominic appeared, she pretended as if she was just curious.

For a brief moment, Mila felt the urge to expose her, to tell Dominic exactly what kind of woman Valentina was. But the thought faded just as quickly.

’What’s the point? I’m leaving anyway.’

"Mila." Dominic’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I..."

"I’m tired," she said before he could finish his sentence. "I don’t want to talk."

"Alright. The room is ready. Come and rest. I’ll tell you once the surgery is over."

He led her down the quiet corridor to a private room.

The moment they stepped inside, Dominic guided her toward the bed and made her sit.

"Try to get some sleep," he said. "The guards are right outside. If you need anything, call them."

He turned to leave, but Mila clasped his hand. When he looked back at her, he saw something unsettling in her eyes. He thought she was scared.

"Don’t worry. You are safe here."

Mila knew it. Safety wasn’t what unsettled her. It was something else, something complicated. The thought that she would be leaving him finally should have brought relief.

But instead, there was a strange pull in her chest. Part of her was unwilling to part with him.

"What is it?" He stepped in closer, holding her face.

Mila held his gaze for a second before speaking. "Thanks. You saved me again. And you took my side. You didn’t care about the deal with Mr. Lee. That means a lot."

"I took the side of the truth," he said. "You were humiliated. I won’t tolerate anyone bullying my people."

His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek. And you...You are special. I’ll do anything to protect you. I’ll keep you always by my side."

Those words shook her to the core. That possessiveness, his obsession for her, terrified her. It seemed as if she could never get away from him. No matter how far she ran, he would find her and drag her back to his world.

She didn’t want this life, didn’t want to belong to this world.

’I’ll get away from here anyhow,’ she murmured in her mind, hardening her determination.

She forced a small smile, masking everything beneath it. "What is so special about me?"

"You risked your life for a stranger," he said. "You helped Mr. Lee despite everything he said to you."

His gaze softened. "Not everyone does that. But you did."

A faint smile touched his lips. "And you know Mandarin. It surprised me. You didn’t even want to talk to me, yet you agreed to help."

He clasped her hands. "Because of you, the deal was secured. You deserve a reward."

"Reward?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Hmm." He gave a firm nod. "Now tell me, what do you want? I’ll fulfill your demands, except letting you go."

The light in Mila’s eyes dimmed instantly. She wanted nothing but her freedom. What would she do with his reward?

All her interest vanished. She still forced a smile. "I don’t know. Let me think. I’ll tell you later what I want."

"Alright. I’ll wait." He gently released her hands. "Now sleep."

She nodded and obediently lay on the bed.

He stayed there for a moment before finally leaving the room.

The moment he was gone, she sat up instantly, her expression tightening. Her mind raced.

’The guards are outside. How would she find me? What to do?’

She clenched her fingers into the bedsheet. ’I need to get them away somehow.’

She needed to find an excuse to distract them. Her thoughts spun rapidly, searching for a way out.

Just then, a nurse entered. "Hello, Miss Mila."

Mila looked at her with surprise.

The woman smiled at her. "I am Faith. Lara sent me."

She pulled down the surgical mask, revealing her face.