The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 19: Her new boyfriend

The sudden fall shocked Ethan. Disoriented, he tried to understand what had just happened.

A moment ago, he had been kissing Mila. The next moment, he found himself on the ground. The jolt he had felt in his body was unmistakable.

Someone had pulled him away and tossed him aside as if he were weightless.

He gritted his teeth as he looked up, only to see the same stranger he had noticed in Mila’s place earlier.

The shock vanished. Fury overtook him.

"You again?" He scrunched up his face as he shot up to his feet. "I’m talking to my girlfriend. Get the hell out of here."

"Talking?" Dominic thundered. "You were clearly harassing her."

"Who the hell are you to tell me that?" Ethan stormed toward him. "You are nobody. Leave."

"It’s you who should leave," Dominic snapped back. "Don’t make a scene here. Or I’ll make you regret it."

At that, Ethan completely lost it. He swung his fist toward Dominic, confident that he would hit him just like before.

But this time, Dominic didn’t take the blow. He caught Ethan’s fist in the air effortlessly. His fingers tightened around his knuckles.

Pain shot up Ethan’s arm. He felt as though this man would crush his bones into dust. He tried to pull his fist back, but the force with Dominic held dismissed all his efforts.

Ethan’s expression shifted from rage to disbelief, then to fear quickly.

"You don’t learn a lesson, do you?" Dominic snarled.

He was already on edge because of what he had learned. A slight push would be enough to lose his control, and he would kill him.

But Mila’s presence was what was holding him back.

He shoved him hard. "Leave. Now."

Ethan staggered several steps, barely able to keep his balance. His face flushed instantly in humiliation. "Who do you think you are to tell me leave?" He wiped his mouth, then sneered. "I came to meet my girlfriend. You have no right to interfere."

"She is not your girlfriend," Dominic hissed through his bared teeth.

"Oh really?" Ethan’s tone turned mocking. "Then do you believe she is yours now? Let me tell you. She has been in love with me for five years. She is only angry with me. To make me regret, she is using you. And you mistook that she was serious about you."

"Stop it," Mila yelled, irritated that Ethan was twisting the fact.

But Ethan wouldn’t listen. "Many guys approached her, but she rejected each one of them. She only has me in her heart. It’s true even now. You are nothing but a stray bastard she has picked up out of pity. And you..."

His face twisted in rage. "You shamelessly took advantage of a misunderstanding between us to crawl into her life."

The word ’bastard’ acted like a match to gasoline. Dominic could never tolerate that word. The last thread of restraint was severed. He wanted to smash his head.

Just as he was about to take a step toward him, Mila interjected, "Enough."

Dominic blinked, coming to his senses. He forced himself to breathe.

"I already broke up with you," Mila said. "You have no right to stand here and question him."

She inched toward Dominic and interlaced her fingers with his. "He didn’t take advantage of me. The moment I saw him, I liked him. He is my new boyfriend."

Dominic looked down at her, stunned. He had not expected her to claim that openly. His anger faded as he met her eyes.

’She chose me.’ He curled his fingers around her hand, pleased.

Ethan looked at their interlaced fingers, disbelief shadowing over his face. "No, this is not true." He shook his head. "You are lying. You are saying this to make me jealous."

The sharpness in his tone vanished. Desperate, he apologized, "I’m sorry for hurting you. I realized my mistake. I promise I’ll cut ties with Bianca and never contact her. Just come back to me."

"Getting back to you is out of the question," Mila said with no hesitation. "We are done for good, Ethan. Accept it. Now, I found someone better."

She looked up at Dominic again. "He is more attractive than you, more passionate."

They looked at each other intently as if Ethan wasn’t there. Their gazes were soft, full of longing. And something else flickered between them – the unfulfilled desire from earlier that morning.

The fire rekindled. They wanted nothing but to have each other.

Mila rose on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Kiss me," she whispered.

There was no shyness, no hesitation in her eyes.

Dominic quirked his lips in satisfaction. "Gladly."

He locked his lips with hers.

She moved even closer, stood on his feet, and returned the kiss passionately.

Ethan froze. The woman he thought only had him in her heart was kissing another man without any hesitation, so boldly, right in front of him. The scene left him speechless. At the same time, he felt a suffocating anger and humiliation.

"Stop it," he shouted.

But Mila and Dominic were so lost in that passionate kiss that they barely listened to him.

Ethan felt an ache in his heart. He couldn’t see her with another man. It didn’t matter whether he loved her or not.

’What’s mine can only be mine.’ With that resolve, he stepped forward, intending to pull her away.

Dominic shifted, with one arm tightening around Mila’s waist. His free hand shot out and shoved Ethan. He didn’t break the kiss, not for a second.

The force sent Ethan stumbling backward. He lost his footing and fell on the hard, rough ground.

Dominic still held Mila firmly to his chest. If anything, the kiss deepened. He shot Ethan a warning glare.

That look was cold, deadly, enough to make others retreat. Ethan felt the chills spreading through his bones.

’This man isn’t as simple as he appears,’ he realized. ’He is dangerous.’

Something was terrifying in that calm expression.

Fear overpowered him. He thought he would be in danger if he stayed there a little longer.

Ethan scrambled to his feet and left. But humiliation that burned inside him refused to fade.

"Mila, you made a grave mistake," he muttered hatefully. "I’ll make you pay for this."

He disappeared down the street.