The Devil Who Claimed Me

Max’s outstretched arms froze in midair. The warmth on his face vanished at Mila’s icy tone, replaced by a flicker of hurt. It disappeared just as quickly.

A mocking smile curled across his lips.

"I thought you’d welcome me a little more warmly," he drawled, lowering his arms. "I was expecting you to tell me you missed me."

Mila met his gaze without a trace of emotion. She couldn’t understand when he had become so shameless. Or had he simply been pretending to be the perfect gentleman all those years?

"You treated me terribly," Max continued with exaggerated grievance. "You ruined my reputation, threw me out of the research team, and divorced me. Yet I’m not holding a grudge. The moment I heard you’d given birth, I came to see you."

His smile widened. "Where is my son? I want to meet him."

Mila’s patience finally snapped.

"He is not your son." She rose from the sofa, her voice sharp enough to cut through the room. "I have nothing to do with you anymore. Stop bothering me and leave."

Max’s expression darkened.

"Not my son?" he growled. "I married you to protect that child. I gave him my name. How is he not my son?"

"You tricked me into that marriage," Mila shot back. "You lied to me. Then you broke every promise you made. We are divorced now. Stay away from my son and me."

In two quick strides, Max closed the distance between them and seized her wrist.

"You think you can escape me?" he hissed. "That divorce certificate means nothing."

His grip tightened. "You were my wife." His eyes burned with obsession. "And you’ll be my wife again. That child belongs to me too."

Mila shoved him with all her strength. "Get away from me."

Max stumbled back a step.

Rubbing her aching wrist, Mila glared at him.

For a fleeting moment, she had believed he had come to apologize, that he regretted everything he had done.

She couldn’t have been more wrong. There wasn’t an ounce of remorse in him. If anything, he had become even more dangerous.

She bitterly regretted allowing him into the house.

"You used to be a gentleman," she said with disappointment. "You were kind, considerate, and someone I respected. But now you are nothing more than a thug."

Her eyes filled with disgust. "You don’t regret any of the pain you caused."

"Regret?" Max scoffed. "I saved you back then."

"How much longer are you going to keep lying?" Mila’s voice echoed through the living room. "You never saved me."

Her breathing grew ragged. "That accident was planned from the beginning. Your father orchestrated everything just to separate Dominic and me."

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "If it hadn’t been for your scheme, Dominic and I would never have been torn apart."

Max froze. ’She knows...’

Shock flashed across his face. But it lasted only for a second.

Then he laughed. "So what if we lied?"

His expression turned frighteningly calm. "My father promised he’d help me win the woman I loved. He planned everything. The accident. Dominic’s imprisonment. And the rumors about his death. All were premeditated."

Mila felt as though someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart. She had already known the truth. Yet hearing him admit it so casually was infinitely more painful.

"You were part of it..." Her eyes blurred with tears. "It was you all along."

Her voice cracked. "I trusted you. I thought you were my friend."

She struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat.

Max’s face twisted with resentment. "You only saw me as your friend. I loved you for years and kept my feelings to myself. I watched you fall for Ethan."

His jaw clenched. "It broke me so badly that I left the country. When I came back, you had already broken up with him and found another man. I couldn’t accept it."

The madness in his eyes was evident.

"You let a stranger into your heart... But you never once looked at me. You never even gave me a chance."

His chest heaved as his breathing grew faster. "When my father realized how much I loved you, he said he’d help me. He told me to trust him. So I did."

Mila’s face drained of color. She instinctively stepped backward.

Max moved toward her one step at a time. "I was happy."

His smile sent chills down her spine. "I was finally going to have the woman I’d loved all those years."

"You’re insane."

Fear crept into Mila’s voice. "Get out."

Ignoring her, Max grabbed her arm again.

"I married you." His grip tightened. "I was willing to raise your child as my own. I was ready to give you everything."

His voice suddenly turned vicious. "And yet you kept thinking about that gangster."

Mila struggled to pull free.

His fingers only dug in deeper. He dragged her closer until their faces were only inches apart.

"You think Dominic can protect you?" A cruel smile spread across his lips. "He can’t."

"The only reason he is still alive is because my father spared him."

He leaned closer and murmured in her ear, "But the day my father changes his mind, Dominic dies."

His eyes gleamed with menace.

A wave of icy fear washed over Mila.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, Max smiled in satisfaction.

"When he is gone, who’ll protect you? Be sensible, Mila. Stop being stubborn. Come back to me. I’ll forget everything you’ve done... And I’ll even forgive you."

The arrogance in his voice made Mila feel sick. Her stomach churned. Summoning every ounce of strength, she shoved him away.

"I don’t need your forgiveness." Her voice rang through the room. "You are completely insane."

She pointed at the front door.

"I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than ever go back to you. Now get the hell out of my house. Or I’ll call security."

Max didn’t even flinch. He simply smiled.

The smile made Mila’s blood run cold. She couldn’t understand what he was planning.

"You won’t leave?" She grabbed her phone. "Fine. I’m calling the guards."

As she unlocked the screen, she suddenly remembered something.

Dominic had given her a phone number.

"If you are ever in real danger, call this immediately."

"Help will arrive soon."

His words echoed in her mind.

Realizing the mansion guards might not be enough to stop Max, she dialed the number.

Max laughed.

"Call whoever you want. It won’t change anything."

Before she could react, he suddenly sprinted toward the staircase.

Mila’s heart nearly stopped.

"No..." Her body turned ice-cold.

The phone slipped from her trembling fingers and crashed onto the marble floor.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

Without thinking, she ran after him.

The call connected.

A man’s voice came through the speaker.

"Hello?"

But Mila was already racing upstairs.

"Stop," she cried desperately.

Max ignored her. He rushed into the bedroom. His eyes immediately landed on the crib.

The baby was sleeping peacefully. A triumphant smile spread across his face.

Mila’s eyes widened in horror. She let out a heart-wrenching scream. Before she could reach him, Max scooped the baby into his arms.

Mila froze. Every drop of blood drained from her face. Her legs felt rooted to the floor.

"Put him down..." Her voice shook violently. "Please..."

Tears blurred her vision. "Don’t hurt my baby."

Max looked down at the infant and smiled smugly. Then he lifted his eyes to hers.

"The baby is perfectly safe with me as long as you come with me."

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