The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 9: A stranger at Mila’s apartment

Ethan’s entire body burned with fury.

The man standing before him looked calm. He carried himself with authority as if he owned this place. What burned Ethan’s eyes was the bathrobe he had put on. It was the one he used to wear whenever he stayed over.

’How could Mila allow someone else to wear that?’

Ethan rolled his fists, glaring at Mila. "Why is this man here?"

Mila was calm. "You have lost the right to question me. Leave, Ethan."

At the end of the sentence, the calmness in her voice vanished.

"Oh, now I know." Ethan sneered. "Is he the reason you are breaking up with me?" He pointed at Dominic. "Do you even know him?"

Mila didn’t answer.

"Answer me," Ethan yelled, losing his temper completely.

"We already broke up," she replied coolly. "I can be with anyone I want."

Ethan felt the words land on his skin like a sharp slap. ’I definitely didn’t love her. But why am I panicking when I see a man in her house?’

He had been with her only for one reason – make her transfer her shares to Bianca and leave her. That had always been the plan. But he had no idea why he couldn’t tolerate the thought of her leaving him.

’She is mine. I won’t let her break up with me.’

He stepped closer to her. "You used to cling to me. You said I was the only man you’d ever love, that you’d never betray me."

His voice rose with every word. "You promised you would never leave me. And now, you brought a man into your apartment?"

Mila felt nothing but ridiculous.

Ethan had betrayed her, used her, and openly claimed that he never loved her. Yet he acted like the wronged one.

"Yes, I once loved you. But now I don’t. It’s only natural that I’ll find someone else."

"What did you say?"

Ethan stared at her with disbelief. Her indifference was sharper than any blade.

"You heard me. The love I had for you is dead. Now I find you disgusting."

Ethan’s face turned livid. The final word wounded his pride.

"You are saying this because of him. He is just a stranger. Do you know his background? He could be scamming you. He could put you in danger. How can you even trust him?"

Mila snorted. She had trusted him for so long, loved him for five years, and planned a future with him. But in the end, he had shattered her.

"Anyone is better than you," she muttered.

That was the final blow. Rage blinded him. He raised his hand, ready to slap her.

Dominic reacted quickly and caught his wrist in mid-air.

Ethan snapped his head, eyes blazing.

"How dare you touch me?" He tried to yank his hand free. But the man’s iron grip startled him.

"Let go of me." Ethan scowled, his wrist starting to hurt.

Dominic said nothing. He shoved him hard.

Ethan stumbled several steps before finally regaining his balance. Humiliation pierced his chest.

"You...Who do you think you are?" He lunged forward and held Dominic by his collar. "You are nobody. I can crush you in a blink. Get out of here if you want to live. Or I won’t give you time to regret it."

Dominic’s gaze dropped slowly to Ethan’s hands gripping his collar. No one had ever dared to touch him like this in years. A violent surge to pull his hands out of his body and shove them inside his mouth threatened to consume him.

But he stopped, reminding himself where he was standing. He would definitely make Ethan regret ever daring to cross him, but not now.

"She is not your woman," he said. "She doesn’t want you. Stop harassing her." With a sharp motion, he knocked Ethan’s hands from his collar.

Ethan’s breathing grew erratic. He flicked his eyes between them before settling them on her. "Are you living with him?"

Mila didn’t deny it. And her silence was louder than the words.

Ethan got his answer. Something inside him crashed. "You are sleeping with him?" he spat.

Mila found it laughable. Why would he care even if she was sleeping with a stranger?

He had been having sex with Bianca while planning her downfall. But he wouldn’t tolerate her being with another man.

"So what if I am? It’s none of your business."

Ethan couldn’t take it. The image of Mila entangling with someone else on the bed was enough to drive him mad. With a roar, he swung his fist toward Dominic.

"She is my woman. You shouldn’t touch her."

The punch landed squarely on Dominic’s jaw.

Mila gasped, shocked.

Dominic’s head snapped to the side. He staggered back a step, hand rising to his jaw. He could have blocked it easily, but he didn’t – because he wanted to see Mila’s reaction. And he got it.

Anger erupted inside her like an inferno. She stepped forward and slapped Ethan hard across the face.

Ethan stilled, stunned – not by the impact but by the fire in her eyes.

"You hit me for him." Disbelief was obvious on his face.

"You beat the man I took in," she barked, her voice shaking in fury. "The audacity. Get out." She shoved him away so hard that Ethan stumbled down.

The intensity in her gaze unsettled him.

"I don’t want to see you again. Don’t appear in front of me anymore."

Ethan curled his fists against the cold floor. He had endured humiliation, rejection, and then a slap – all for that man. His chest heaved with rage.

He rose to his feet and shot Dominic a murderous glare. "This is not over," he hissed, storming out the door.

Silence settled inside the room.

Mila remained rooted there, breathing unevenly. She was still shaking from what had happened.

Dominic allowed a small sneer to form on his lips. He was pleased to see how she had defended him.

’Pathetic,’ he muttered to himself, looking at the door through which Ethan had left just now.

He rolled his jaw once. It barely hurt. When he looked back at Mila, he regained his calm expression.

"You shouldn’t waste your energy on someone like that." He stepped toward her.

His voice snapped her out of her trance, and she turned around, only to see him standing close to her. She tried to step back instinctively, but twisted her ankle and staggered.

Without a word, he wrapped his strong arms around her, steadying her.

Their eyes met. The closeness sent a wave of current through her. She didn’t recoil from his touch. Instead, her body seemed to want to lean into him, feel his warmth.

Mila, however, forced herself to break free from his embrace. "Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

Dominic wasn’t in pain. But he hissed as he touched his jaw. "A bit."

She panicked.

His injuries were still raw, and on top of that, Ethan had hit him. Mila knew how much it might have hurt him.

"Sit here." She took him to the sofa. "Let me see."

Sitting down beside him, she held his chin. The skin along his jaw had already turned slightly red where Ethan’s fist had connected.

"Wait here."

She walked away. Fetching the first aid kit from the drawer, she returned to him. She dipped her fingers into the ointment and gently applied it to his jaw.

The proximity was dangerous. Her touch was gentle, careful not to hurt him. But to him, it was a torture.

Dominic’s breathing slowed, then deepened. Her face was so close to his that he could feel her warm breath on his skin. Feral desire stirred within him. His hands slightly tightened against his thighs.

"You are lucky that it didn’t swell more," she said.

Dominic wasn’t listening anymore. All he could focus on was her – the way her lashes fluttered, the softness of her expression, and her lips. His heart began to pound harder.

The urge to pin her to the sofa and claim her right there was hard to suppress. But he forced himself to stay still, not wanting to frighten her. Still, he couldn’t resist the temptation. Slowly, deliberately, he leaned toward her.

Mila’s fingers stilled where they were. The intensity in his eyes made her pulse quicken.

She should move back and stop him from further approaching. But she didn’t. She sat there, unmoving, enthralled by his charm.

The temperature between them shifted.

Her eyes flickered down to his mouth. Her resolve crumbled to the undeniable pull she had felt toward him the moment he had entered her life. She wanted to taste him, feel him.

’Maybe I should explore a new relationship.’

She closed her eyes, anticipating his kiss.

That might be the permission he was seeking. His hands rose to cup her face as he claimed her lips.

The kiss was soft at first.

Mila loosened herself. Her breath trembled against his mouth. She let go of the anger, heartbreak, and hatred that had clung to her heart. Her arms slowly moved around his neck as she kissed him back.

Dominic pulled her closer to his chest, his hands sliding from her cheeks to her waist. Her body fit against him perfectly. The restraint he had been holding shattered.

The kiss deepened.

Heat spread through her, pooling low in her stomach. She wasn’t thinking anything now, wasn’t guarding herself. She wanted this, wanted him to make her forget her name.

Just as she was about to surrender to him fully, she suddenly remembered he was still injured. She pulled back.

Dominic froze, his eyes wide, searching hers, demanding explanations.

"You should rest now." Mila ran into her room without looking back at him.