The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 42: She is not an enemy.

The moment Dominic entered the study, his composure cracked completely. Until now, he had been holding himself. But when he was alone, he let out his frustration and anger.

Crash

A glass flew across the room and shattered against the wall.

"Damn it." His breath came out harsh, uneven. "I trusted her, gave her freedom. But she didn’t appreciate it."

He dragged a hand through his hair. His calmness had gone. What remained was frustration.

"To get out of this place, she didn’t hesitate to steal a weapon. She even attacked the guard."

His chest felt tight, too tight. He had seen the anger in his men’s eyes. Their desperation didn’t go unnoticed by him. They were watching, waiting to see what he would do.

He couldn’t ignore it, no matter what Mila meant to him, no matter how much it hurt to see her in pain.

Locking her up again felt wrong. He knew it would hurt her, break her heart. But giving her freedom would be worse.

"I have no choice. She crossed the line. She has to be punished."

If he showed his weakness, he would lose control over everything. He might lose the trust of his men.

A knock came at the door.

He didn’t answer it. Instead, he took out a cigarette and lit it up.

Valentina pushed the door open and entered. Her gaze fell onto the broken shards of glasses scattered across the floor. She smiled sneakily.

’It’s the perfect time to turn him against Mila,’ she thought maliciously.

But she hid her satisfaction and made a worried look. "You shouldn’t have let her roam free. I warned you. She doesn’t want to be here. But you ignored my warning."

She stepped closer to him. "She is getting more and more dangerous. Today, she stole a knife and injured a guy. Tomorrow, she could do worse."

She waited for his response. But Dominic said nothing. He stood by the window, looking out as he continued smoking.

"She is a risk to everyone here," she pressed, "to this entire island. You brought an outsider into a place that runs on discipline and loyalty. And she is breaking both."

"I’ve already handled it," he finally said. "She is locked in her room. She won’t step out for the next few days. And I believe she will learn her lesson during this time."

Valentina’s eyes narrowed. "That’s it? Locking her up? That’s your punishment!"

She let out a snort with disbelief. "Dominic, she attacked your man. You have punished people far worse for small mistakes."

Her voice hardened. "You remember how you used to deal with situations like this? Blood for blood. But this time, you are being lenient."

Dominic’s teeth clenched so hard that his jaw hurt.

But Valentina didn’t stop there. "She could have killed him. And she even attacked me. I could have been injured too, if you had not stepped in..."

She tilted her head, frowning harder. "How can you ignore that?"

"I’m not ignoring it." Dominic’s tone turned icier.

"Then act like it," she shot back. "Or your men will start questioning you."

Dominic crushed the cigarette between his fingers and turned to her. "She didn’t mean to hurt him."

Valentina blinked. For a second, she thought she had heard wrong. "What?"

"She acted instinctively," he explained. "She was trying to get away. Anyone in her position would react the same way."

Valentina stared at him with disbelief written all over her face. "You are taking her side?"

"I’m stating the fact." He turned his back to her, his eyes drifting to the distance.

"You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement."

His eyes snapped to hers. "She is not an enemy," he thundered. "She was dragged into this world against her will. She is scared, desperate. Of course, she is going to fight back."

He turned aside. "I know what she did was wrong. And she has to face the consequences. But I can’t treat her like an enemy."

Valentina’s fists tightened at her sides. She could see Dominic getting soft for Mila, and that unsettled her.

’He has changed,’ she thought, ’because of her.’

"We need to be patient with her," he added.

"You are underestimating her," Valentina warned. "She is a threat. She can destroy everything we have built. You should let her go."

"She won’t. And if she does, I’ll deal with it."

The certainty in his voice made something twist in her chest. He believed in Mila more than he ever had in anyone. And this realization terrified her.

"Dominic, she will bring trouble for all of us."

"I’ve made my decision," he cut her off with finality.

Their eyes locked. Tension cracked in the air.

"Leave now."

Those words landed like a sharp blade. Valentina froze for a second. She wasn’t used to being dismissed like this. She took a slow breath, trying to steady herself. Without another word, she walked out.

The moment the door shut behind her, her face twisted in fury.

"He is defending her."

The words tasted bitter in her mouth. For years, she had stood beside him, bled for him, and protected his world. And now, he was siding with a stranger, risking everything.

"If he refuses to see the truth, I’ll make him see it."

She turned sharply and walked down the corridor, not toward her room, but to the lower wing where the injured guard was being treated.

The smell of antiseptic hit her senses as she entered the room.

The man straightened when he saw her. "Madam."

Valentina nodded at him. "How bad is it?" she asked.

"Just a small cut. Not deep."

Her gaze lingered on the bandage around his arm. "You are lucky. What if her aim had been a little better? What if she had gone for your throat instead?"

The man frowned slightly. He had not thought that way.

"She is a surgeon," Valentina continued. "She knows where to cut to injure someone badly."

A flicker of unease crossed his face. "But she didn’t."

"She could have," Valentina pressed. "That’s the point."

The man’s expression turned thoughtful.

"She is unstable. You saw it yourself. Today, it was your arm. Tomorrow, it could be someone else’s life."

The man swallowed, clearly disturbed.

Valentina watched him closely. "She is a threat, but Dominic is indebted to her for saving his life. He is not seeing things clearly. He does not see that she could be a danger to him. We should protect him."

The guard frowned, confused. "What should we do?"

"You tell him the truth he needs to hear."

"I already did."

"You said she attacked you suddenly, that you didn’t see she had a weapon. But that’s not entirely accurate, is it?"

The man frowned, unable to understand what she was trying to say.

"You tried to stop her, and she went straight to you without warning," she added. "Her intent was deadly. She is dangerous. If Dominic doesn’t realize that soon, more people will get hurt."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "You are part of this team. Your loyalty is to him and to everyone here. Protecting your boss and your fellow mates is your duty."

The man looked conflicted.

"I’m not asking you to lie. I’m asking you to understand the situation."

After a moment of pause, she added, "Think about it. If you all tell him what kind of threat she is to everyone here, he might consider letting her go. An outsider shouldn’t know much about our world, right?"

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly reflecting on what she had just said.

A small smile curled her lips. She turned to the door. "I hope you will consider what I said."

She walked out.