The Devil Who Claimed Me

It was late at night. Mila was still awake. She couldn’t sleep, though exhaustion clung to her body. Her eyes were swollen, her face drawn and tired, but her mind refused to quiet down.

It kept replaying the scene from the afternoon.

What hurt the most was that Dominic hadn’t stopped it. He had let Serene kiss him.

"Why am I even thinking about this?" she muttered, turning onto her side restlessly. "It doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter. I’ll leave this place one day and go back to my life. There is no future for us."

She clutched the blanket tightly to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to sleep. Just as she began to drift, the faint sound of the door opening reached her ears, followed by steady footsteps drawing closer.

Her eyes snapped open. She pushed herself upright immediately.

Under the dim light of the room, she noticed a tall figure moving toward the bed.

"Dominic?"

"Still awake?" he said, coming in closer. "Why didn’t you come to my room?"

He sat beside her. Before Mila could pull away, his hand lifted and tilted her chin up. "Have you forgotten your duty? You are supposed to serve me every night."

She slapped his hand aside. "Why would you need me?" she shot back. "Your beloved is back. Shouldn’t you be with her?"

"Beloved?" He frowned, caught off guard. "You mean Serene?"

’Wow!’ Mila snorted in her mind.

The word ’beloved’ explained Serene.

It confirmed what she had already believed. A bitter smile spread on her lips.

"Who else? You should go back to her. She is probably waiting for you."

She tried to move away, but he caught her wrists and pulled her back. Mila stumbled straight into his chest.

In a flash, his arms wrapped tightly around her, locking her in place.

"Who told you this?" he asked.

Mila chuckled. "Everyone knows. They all talk about how you used to follow her everywhere, how she was your queen." Her voice sharpened. "So go back to her and let me go."

She twisted her body against his hold. "You should return to her."

Dominic didn’t loosen his grip. He held her firmly. "Are you jealous?"

The question stunned her.

She stopped moving, her expression faltering. ’Am I jealous?’ she wondered, confused.

She didn’t know. But she knew she hadn’t liked seeing him with Serene. The thought of his feelings for another woman burned inside her, leaving behind a sharp, unfamiliar ache. She felt betrayed.

His lips quirked slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You are jealous."

The certainty in his voice only made her chest tighten. It was infuriating and humiliating.

How could he read her so easily?

"No, I’m not." She struggled again, this time with more force.

She finally managed to break free from his hold.

"I’m just stepping aside. Your first love is back. You’ll reconcile sooner or later—maybe even get engaged or married. I don’t want to stand in the middle like some third wheel."

His smile disappeared, his features tightening. "Stop talking nonsense," he snarled. "You are not a third wheel."

She stilled yet again. She narrowed her eyes as she studied him.

"Serene is my past," he added. "She left me three years ago and ended everything. I accepted it and never went after her again. Just because she is back doesn’t mean I’ll take her in."

Mila held his gaze, searching for even the slightest trace of deception, but found none. He looked serious.

He cupped her face. "You are the only one. Serene means nothing to me."

Her heartbeat quickened. She wanted to believe what he said. But she was afraid of trusting him.

Mila had already experienced betrayal before. And she couldn’t afford to fall into the same trap again.

Moreover, a man like Dominic wouldn’t believe in love and marriage. Commitment in a relationship wasn’t a thing he believed in.

To him, she was temporary, replaceable, someone he could discard once he was done. She couldn’t stay.

"Then what am I to you? A maid? Someone you share a bed with? Or just a helpless woman surviving under your protection?"

His expression turned dangerously cold. "Do I need to remind you who you are?" he said coldly, his fingers tightening under her chin.

Mila whimpered. She felt as if he would crush her bones.

"I don’t care what you think about yourself—a maid or something else. Keep in mind one thing: you are my woman, mine to own, mine to love, mine to torment. There is no escape."

Mila’s chest heaved at his possessive claim. She felt suffocated.

"No one can come between us—no Serene, no Jiang..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed her.

The moment his lips touched hers, it wasn’t just a kiss. It was a storm.

Mila’s eyes widened in shock and fear at the ferocity of his kiss. He pushed against his chest, trying to create distance, trying to breathe. But he didn’t budge. He pulled her closer, pressing her onto the bed and caging her beneath him.

There was no pause, no space for her to gather herself. His lips were still on hers, devouring, demanding, overwhelming. His hand slid to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss as if he wanted to erase every trace of anyone else from her existence.

Mila struggled beneath him, her fingers pressing against his shoulders, her body tense with resistance. She turned her face slightly, trying to break away, but he only chased her lips again, refusing to let her go.

His kiss burned.

It stole her breath; her thoughts scattered. It made it harder and harder to hold on to that resistance she clung to.

The heat of his touch spread through her. Her heartbeat lost its rhythm. She didn’t want to respond to him like this. Her mind whispered to stop, to push him away, to fight. But her body wasn’t listening.

Her fingers slowly curled into his shirt instead. Her resistance slipped, piece by piece. Her lips parted under his without her realizing it.

When he finally eased back just slightly, Mila fluttered her eyes open, dazed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

She didn’t remember when she had stopped resisting. She only knew she had.

Shame burned her cheeks.

He smirked. "I know you want me too," he whispered. "Tonight, I’ll give you unforgettable pleasure."