The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 124: I realized my mistakes.

Ethan froze mid-step, his smile stiffening at the corners of his lips.

"Mila... I know you hate me," he said, his voice softening. "But believe me, I missed you. I never believed you were dead. I searched for you everywhere."

He took a step toward her.

Mila stepped back instantly.

"I realized my mistakes," he continued, stopping himself. "I broke up with Bianca. After losing you, I understood you were the one I truly loved."

Mila almost laughed. "What? You loved me?" she scoffed. "How dare you say that?"

Her eyes burned with anger.

"I heard everything you said to your friends," she continued sharply. "You said I disgusted you. Remember? You were only with me to please Bianca, to satisfy her whims."

Ethan shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but Mila didn’t give him the time.

"You don’t love me," she said coldly. "You only miss the girl who followed you everywhere, who did everything you asked. Now that she has gone, you suddenly miss her and think it’s love. But it’s not. A man like you can only love himself."

"No... that’s not true," he said urgently. "I do love you. I just didn’t realize it before. But now I do. You are the only one who matters to me."

He stepped forward. "The moment I realized it, I ended things with Bianca. When everyone said you were dead, I refused to believe it. I searched for you every single day."

A faint smile returned to his face. "And I was right. You are here. Alive."

He extended his hand toward her. "Come with me. Let’s start over."

Mila laughed, but her mouth twisted into a sneer. "Start over?" she repeated. "There is nothing left to start. What we had is over. I no longer love you."

"Don’t say that," Ethan insisted. "We were together for years. You can’t just move on like this. Give me another chance. I’ll change. I’ll treat you right this time—I’ll cherish you."

"I don’t need you," Mila said sharply. "Because I’ve already found someone else. And he is better than you in every way."

For a moment, Ethan couldn’t speak.

Mila had revolved around him for so long. Her eyes had only looked for him. Her mind had been full of his thoughts. She had been desperate to marry him. How could she forget that kind of love?

"You are lying," he snapped suddenly. "You are just angry with me."

He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "I’m ready to fix everything. Just forgive me and come back."

Mila shoved his hands off immediately. "That’s impossible," she said firmly. "I’ve already chosen someone else."

Ethan’s expression changed. A flicker of irritation crossed his face. "Is it because of that stranger?" he muttered. "He is good for nothing."

His tone turned mocking.

"The moment he entered your life, everything turned dangerous. Gunfire, bomb blast – that man is certainly a criminal. And you still want to be with him?"

Mila couldn’t let him know about Dominic’s background.

"Watch your words," she warned. "He is better than you. He saved me. I’m alive because of him."

"Really?" he snapped back. "The moment he appeared, you almost died. And you call him better than me?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "You knew me for years. You saw how Bianca and Camilla treated me. You still chose them. You conspired with them against me."

Her whole body trembled in rage as she recalled everything. "If I hadn’t found out, you would have taken everything from me and left me with nothing. But he..."

She paused briefly. Her eyes softened as Dominic’s face crossed her mind.

"He stood by me without question," she continued quietly. "He protected me. He fought everyone who tried to hurt me."

Ethan was stunned. At that point, he thought he had lost her completely, that he would never be able to reclaim her.

Her eyes lifted again, unwavering. "He chose me every time, and you never did."

Ethan’s chest tightened. For the first time, he felt he had truly lost her.

"I was wrong," he said, desperation creeping into his voice. "But I can fix it. Just give me one chance."

He reached for her again.

"Get your hands off her," a voice thundered, echoing in the corridor.

Ethan snapped his head and saw a woman in a black shirt and black trousers approaching them like a storm. Facing the fire in her eyes, he withdrew his hands.

Valentina shoved him away. "Stay back," he muttered.

Ethan’s gaze flickered at Mila. "Who is this woman?"

Mila stepped forward, standing tall in front of him. "My friend, and my protector. Stay away from me."

With that, she turned and walked into the restroom.

Valentina shot him a warning glare before following Mila. When they entered the restroom, she said, "I’m sorry," Valentina said. "I stopped to take a call."

"It’s okay. Don’t worry. I can handle such small matters."

Valentina studied her. "Who is he?"

Mila exhaled slowly. "My ex-boyfriend," she said. "He cheated on me. So I left him."

Valentina frowned.

"And now he wants me back?"

Valentina’s face twisted with annoyance. "That bastard. Let him get close to you. I’ll rip his hands off his body."

"Don’t waste your energy on him," Mila said dismissively. "He can do nothing."

However, Ethan wasn’t ready to give up easily. He stood still, his gaze fixed on the restroom door.

His expression slowly hardened. "So you are back..." he muttered under his breath.

His lips curled into something darker. "Then I’ll take you back too."

His eyes gleamed with determination. "You were mine. And you will be mine again."

He turned and walked away.

When Mila and Valentina stepped out, he was gone.

Mila let out a quiet breath.

"Let’s go. Max must be bored by now."

They laughed.

Valentina’s phone rang again. "Go on ahead," she said. "I need to take this."

"Alright, don’t take too long."

She gave a slight nod and stepped aside to answer the call, while Mila headed back into the restaurant.

"Any news?" Valentina asked, her expression turning sharp.

"Yes. She is planning something dangerous," a voice reported from the other end. "She has been in contact with a local thug. I’ve sent you his photos. Take a look."

Valentina pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the screen, where images of Bianca with a man appeared.

"Who is this guy?" Valentina asked.

"A local thug," came the reply. "He is involved in drug dealing and human trafficking. His influence is growing. The police are after him. He has been arrested multiple times, but he always gets out within months. His network keeps expanding."

"Hmm," Valentina scoffed. "No matter how much power he has gained, he is nothing compared to me. Let’s see what he is up to."