The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 24: Let her wait.

Mila checked the time. Two hours had already passed.

"This is too much." Her expression changed. "He is doing this deliberately. I can’t waste more time here."

Inside the conference room down the corridor, Ethan sat at the head of a long table. The executives were presenting reports one after another, but his mind wasn’t on the discussion.

His assistant had already informed him. ’Miss Mila is waiting in your office.’

Ethan could have ended the meeting a long time ago and had gone to see her. But he didn’t.

’Let her wait,’ he thought.

His expression was calm, but his thoughts were far from peaceful. His fingers tapped lightly on the table.

Last night’s scenes replayed in his mind – Mila standing beside that stranger, interlacing her fingers. She hadn’t stopped at that. She had declared another guy to be her new boyfriend and had even kissed him, not caring about his presence.

The memory ignited sharp irritation in his chest.

’She humiliated me.’

For five years, Mila had followed him like a shadow. She had adored him, listened to him, and obeyed him. To him, it had always been natural. He had never doubted it.

Mila had been devoted to him. She loved him so much that she couldn’t stay away from him for a long time.

Ethan knew she would crawl back to him. And here she was waiting for him, just like before. A faint smile touched his lips, proud and cold.

’But that doesn’t mean I’ll forgive her easily.’

If Mila thought she would go find another man to piss him off and then come back to him when she needed help, she was mistaken.

’Things don’t work like that. I’ll make her remember her place.’

Another hour passed.

The meeting finally ended, yet Ethan didn’t return to his office. Instead, he stayed in the conference room.

"Sir, Miss Mila is..." the assistant started.

"Let her wait a little longer," said Ethan casually.

"But, sir. It’s already three hours. Aren’t you afraid she will get mad and leave?"

Ethan snorted. "She needs me to save the company," he said with confidence. "She won’t do anything stupid now. She will wait."

He motioned at him. "Bring the files here."

The assistant nodded and left. After some time, he returned with a stack of files and put them on the table.

"These are the documents you need to review and sign." He paused for a moment before asking, "Are you sure you want to do it here? It may take another hour or so."

Instead of answering him, Ethan took a file and started checking.

The assistant fell silent. He stepped back and slipped out of the conference room quietly.

When he finally finished checking all the files, another hour slipped by.

His assistant was already there to collect the files.

Ethan checked the clock. And a satisfied smile curled his lips.

’Now I can go and see her.’

He stood up and adjusted his suit. "Cancel the rest of today’s appointments."

"Yes, Mr. Shaw. I’ll send coffee and snacks to your office."

Ethan hummed softly as he headed back to his office. When he pushed the door open, his eyes scanned the room until they rested on Mila’s form.

She had fallen asleep. Her body leaned against the armrest, one hand loosely resting on her lap. Her long hair slipped over her shoulder, framing her face.

Ethan simply stood there, unable to take his eyes off of her. Something strange stirred inside him. He walked closer.

Mila’s breathing was soft and easy. She was completely unaware of his presence.

Ethan lowered himself slightly, studying her face. It was the first time he had ever looked at her carefully.

They had been together for five years, yet somehow, he had never really looked at her. His mind was always with Bianca. Her smile, her beauty, everything about her captivated him. He couldn’t think beyond her.

But now, seeing Mila like this, he suddenly realized something he had never noticed before.

Mila was beautiful – not the dazzling kind of beauty that immediately demanded attention like Bianca. Hers was gentler, softer, the kind that slowly captured someone’s heart.

His eyes traced the curl of her eyelashes, the smooth line of her cheeks, the fullness of her lips. His chest tightened slightly as memories surfaced one after another – Mila asking him to go out to dine together, sit and watch a movie, go shopping. But he had turned her down every single time.

’I’m busy.’

’Maybe another day.’

’Don’t bother me now.’

These were his excuses.

Back then, he had never thought much about it. But now, he started to regret it.

’If I had given her a little more time, maybe she wouldn’t have thought about breaking up with me.’

Ethan exhaled. "It’s not late yet," he mumbled. "I still have the chance to make up to her."

He extended his hand and reached out to her face. Just as his fingers were about to touch her cheek, Mila opened her eyes slowly.

Ethan’s hand paused right there.

Mila immediately saw something very close to her face. Alarmed, her eyes widened. The moment she realized it was his hand, she slapped it away.

"What are you doing?" she demanded sharply, sitting upright.

Her sudden reaction caught him by surprise.

"Were you trying to take advantage of me while I was sleeping?"

Sadness and disappointment hit him together. He frowned. "Taking advantage of you?" he repeated with disbelief. "Mila, I’m your boyfriend. Intimacy between us is natural. This is not the first time I’m touching you. We’ve kissed before and even slept together. Why are you acting like this now?"

Mila’s gaze turned cold. She stood up. "That was in the past. We’ve already broken up. There is no longer any relationship between us. So what you were trying to do was improper."

For a moment, silence enveloped the office. Ethan then chuckled and went to his desk.

"I see." He sat on his chair, arms crossed. "I thought you came here today to patch up things with me, to save the Vega Biocorp."

His eyes locked onto hers. "But with this attitude, things won’t work. Why should I help you?"

His voice turned cold. "If you insist on breaking up with me, I won’t stop either. I’ll destroy the company. Completely."