The Devil Who Claimed Me

The news of Max’s arrest reached Matteo within the hour. His face darkened with fury.

"I specifically told Roman to find Max and bring him to me," he snapped. "So why did the police get to him first?"

He slammed his palm against the desk. "Tell him to report to my office immediately."

Luke’s former assistant, now serving Matteo, replied carefully, "He hasn’t returned yet."

Matteo’s expression grew even uglier.

"Where is he?" he barked. "Call him. Tell him to get here right now. If he keeps ignoring my orders, he is fired."

The assistant hesitated.

Matteo had no idea that Roman was actually Dominic, nor did he know the man was far more than a secretary. He was Luke’s most trusted operative.

That secret could never be exposed.

"He must be handling another matter," the assistant said cautiously. "The moment he returns, I’ll send him to you."

"No." Matteo’s voice turned colder. "I want to speak to him now. Call him."

The assistant nodded and dialed Dominic’s number.

At that moment, Dominic was still inside the Vega mansion, holding Mila in his arms, when his phone vibrated.

Seeing the caller ID, he frowned. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her a little longer.

But he couldn’t.

He remembered Matteo ordering him to bring Max in.

Instead, he had gone to meet Mathius. He had never expected Max to head straight to the Vega mansion after nearly killing Felix.

"I have to go to the office," Dominic said reluctantly. "Wait for me. I’ll come back and take you somewhere safer."

Mila nodded obediently. "Go. I’ll wait."

Dominic looked at her for a long moment before gently stroking her hair. Reluctantly, he let her go and walked outside.

Only after leaving the mansion did he answer the call.

"Hello."

"Where are you?" the assistant asked anxiously. "Matteo is furious. Come to the office immediately."

"I’m on my way."

...

Dominic arrived at Bellini Group shortly afterward. The moment he stepped into Matteo’s office, an angry roar greeted him.

"My brother is lying in the ICU, fighting for his life." Matteo glared at him. "I ordered you to bring me the man responsible. But instead, I heard the police arrested him."

He slammed another file onto the desk. "Where were you? Why didn’t you get to him first?"

Dominic remained perfectly composed. "I had people watching him," he replied evenly. "This morning he went to his ex-wife’s house and caused another incident. He attempted to kidnap her and her child. The guards intervened before he could escape and handed him over to the police."

"I don’t want excuses," Matteo thundered. "I want Max. Do whatever it takes. Bail him out. Then bring him to me. I’ll punish him with my own hands."

Dominic lowered his gaze thoughtfully. ’The next stage begins.’

Before speaking again, he carefully chose his words. "You should consult Mr. Bellini first."

He looked up. "After all, he is still the head of the family. And Max is his favorite son."

He deliberately used the word ’favorite’ just to instigate Matteo.

"If anything happens to him, he may remove you from your position."

Matteo’s expression twisted with contempt. Dominic’s words successfully nailed his heart.

"Don’t lecture me," he thundered. "That old man has no authority anymore. He is weak. He is lying in a hospital bed. I run this family now. I’m the chairman of the company. I don’t need anyone’s permission."

Dominic wasn’t surprised.

Matteo’s pride would never allow him to bow his head.

"I’ve said what I needed to say." Dominic lowered his head respectfully. "But I’m only an employee. I can’t disobey my employer. I’ll go bail him out."

With a respectful bow, he turned and left. A faint smile curved his lips.

Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.

...

That afternoon, Dominic secured Max’s release.

The moment Max climbed into the car, he let out a long breath of relief.

"Thank you." His gratitude sounded genuine.

The next second, he winced sharply. "My leg..."

He gritted his teeth as pain shot through him. The bandage wrapped around his leg had already turned crimson.

"It hurts. I need a hospital. The bullet has to come out. If the wound gets infected, I might lose my leg."

Dominic shot him an icy glance. His fingers slowly brushed against the pistol hidden beneath his coat.

One bullet... That was all it would take.

But he forced himself to remain calm.

’No.’

He already had a better punishment prepared.

"You really are selfish." His voice dripped with disdain. "You nearly killed Felix. The doctors said he’ll never be able to walk again. And all you care about is your own leg?"

Max’s heart skipped a beat. The murderous look in Dominic’s eyes sent chills down his spine. Instinctively, he shifted toward the opposite side of the seat.

"I... I don’t know what you are talking about. I had nothing to do with Felix’s accident."

He looked away. He was convinced no one had witnessed what happened.

Technically, his car had never hit Felix’s. There shouldn’t have been any evidence. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling afraid.

Dominic let out a cold laugh. "You think Matteo doesn’t know who caused the accident? He has evidence."

Max’s face instantly drained of color. "No... You are lying."

"Am I?" Dominic’s voice turned razor-sharp. "You bribed the waitress. You tried to drug Felix. When that failed, you rammed your car toward them."

Max stared at him in horror. "H-How..." His voice trembled. "How do you know all that? Were you there?"

Dominic’s expression remained unreadable. He hadn’t been. But one of his men had.

Every step of Max’s plan had been recorded.

"You still underestimate the Bellini family." His lips curled mockingly. "You attacked Luke Bellini’s son. Did you really think they wouldn’t investigate?"

He reached into his coat and pulled out a document. "The waitress confessed. The laboratory confirmed what was in the alcohol."

He shoved the report into Max’s trembling hands. "You are a doctor. I’m sure you’ll understand every medical term."

Max scanned the report. His hands shook violently.

"That drug would have triggered a massive heart attack." Dominic’s voice remained cold. "You planned to kill him. But Felix never drank the poisoned liquor. You lost your temper. So you tried to finish the job with your car."

His voice rose as he continued speaking. "Felix was already drunk. When your car charged toward him, he lost control. Matteo now has enough evidence to bury you. He wants you dead. And you are asking me to take you to a hospital?"

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