The Devil Who Claimed Me

At the hospital...

Mila stirred slowly. Her lashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened. The bright light made her blink in discomfort.

"You are finally awake," a voice echoed above her head.

Mila turned her head slightly and saw a nurse smiling at her.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice thick and hoarse.

"You are in the hospital," the nurse replied softly. "You’ve been unconscious for two days."

At that, Mila widened her eyes. "Two days?"

The woman nodded. "You were severely injured, remember?"

Memories flooded her mind. When she recalled those men hitting her, she shuddered in dread. Her head hurt.

"My head," she winced, pressing her fingers against her forehead.

"You had a concussion," the woman said. "Don’t panic. Stay calm. I’ll call the doctor."

"Wait..." Mila reached out and held her hand, stopping her. "Did – did anyone visit me while I was unconscious?" she asked cautiously.

The nurse smiled. "Your boyfriend never left your side. He stayed right here the whole time."

Mila blinked in confusion. "My... boyfriend?"

"Mr. Russo," the nurse said. "He was very worried about you."

Mila gaped at her with disbelief. ’Dominic... stayed with her? For two days?’

Her heart skipped.

A man like him, so busy, so powerful, had stayed by her side without leaving.

Mila’s heart skipped at the thought. She recalled him storming into the building and shooting those guys.

She didn’t know how he had found her, but the thought that he had come to rescue her warmed her heart. The disappointment, anger, and complaints she had with him started to disappear.

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"He stepped out to speak with the doctor," the nurse replied. "Let me check your vitals first."

After a quick check, the nurse smiled. "Everything looks stable. I’ll inform the doctor that you’re awake."

She left.

Mila let out a sigh, her lips curling slightly. ’Dominic stayed by me when I was unconscious,’ she thought. ’He didn’t go back to Serene.’

Hope and anticipation rose in her chest. ’Does he really care about me?’

Her pulse quickened at the thought. She wished she could know what he had in his heart.

The door opened. Dominic walked in.

The moment he saw her sitting up, something in his eyes changed.

"Mila..." He crossed the room in long strides and pulled her into his arms. "You are awake."

Relief washed over his face.

Mila hugged him back, instinctively melting into his embrace. For the first time, she felt completely safe.

"You scared me," he murmured, tightening his hold slightly. "If you hadn’t woken up today, I would have burned this entire hospital down."

He pulled back slightly to look at her. "It was unbearable seeing you lying unconscious for two days."

Mila pouted, pretending to be upset. "They were doing their job. Why did you scare them?"

"Because they couldn’t wake you up," he replied bluntly.

His hand came up to cup her face, his gaze locking onto hers intensely.

Mila’s heart softened under that look. "You came for me..." she whispered. "How did you find me?"

"Nothing can remain hidden from me for a long time," he said.

The certainty in his words, the confidence in his expression, clearly told her that he had eyes everywhere. No one could escape him. No one would hide anything from him.

Mila’s stomach knotted as dread seeped in. She had been hiding things from him. She had not told him how Marco had forced her to work for him.

If Dominic had found out about it, he would be angry with her. He might never forgive her for deceiving him.

The thought of him hating her made her chest tighten.

"I’m just glad I reached you in time," he said, brushing his thumbs gently over her cheeks. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have forgiven myself."

Something inside her fluttered under his tender gaze. This version of him, gentle and caring, reminded her of the man she had once saved.

It was the man she had fallen for. And now again, she was falling in love with him.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered.

"I don’t need your thanks," he hissed, his tone turning deeper. "I need you to stay safe."

He leaned in closer, his hand slipping behind her head. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, the door opened.

Mila stiffened and gently pushed him away. Her face flushed instantly.

A doctor approached.

Dominic straightened, his expression instantly turning cold. "Check her. Make sure she is fine."

It was not a request. It was an order.

The doctor looked flustered. He nodded quickly and examined Mila.

"Her vitals are stable," he said. "We’ll run a few more tests. If everything is normal, she can be discharged."

He left soon after.

Once they were alone, Mila shot Dominic a look.

He raised a brow. "What? Are you upset?"

Mila nodded. "Have you noticed the doctor closely?" she asked. "He looked disturbed. You scared him."

"No..." He denied it straight away. "I only warned him. If he felt threatened, that’s his problem. Not mine."

Mila rolled her eyes. "Can you be more polite? That doctor saved me, okay? You should thank him, not threaten him."

At that, he felt silent, his expression thoughtful. "Alright, I’ll reward him later. Happy now."

Mila’s lips curled involuntarily. But that smile didn’t last long when she recalled something. Her expression turned serious.

She hesitated whether to tell him or not.

’He will definitely be angry,’ she told herself. ’Maybe he will punish me. But I can no longer hide it. I have to tell him.’

She slowly reached out and held his hand. "I need to tell you something," she said cautiously. "But promise me you will not be angry."

Dominic stared at her for a while. "You made a mistake, didn’t you?"

He started to wonder if Serene had told the truth.

Mila pursed her lips, her pulse quickening in nervousness. "I-I hid something from you," she stuttered.

The doubt inside him deepened. He was almost convinced that she had tried to run away, and Serene had punished her for it.

"What did you hide from me?" he asked.

Mila swallowed.

"That night when I tried to escape..." she started, her mind racing to the incident. "Marco’s men didn’t hurt me. They never intended to."

Dominic’s brows furrowed faintly as he processed her words.

"Because Marco wanted to use me against you," she continued, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "He threatened to harm Lara if I didn’t obey him. He wants your secrets, your plans... everything."