The Devil Who Claimed Me

Matteo stared at the photographs.

"All this time, he pretended to be loyal to us. He acted as though he cared about this company. He stood beside me while everything was falling apart."

His eyes burned. "And no one knew he was the one betraying us."

The assistant let out a deep sigh. "Technically, Luke was the one who manipulated Dominic first."

Matteo’s head snapped toward him. "What are you saying?"

"Your father plotted against the former don. He went after Dominic and nearly killed him and the woman he loved, even though she was pregnant at the time. He captured him, manipulated him, and used him against Mathius."

The assistant paused. "Dominic lost his gang because of Luke."

Matteo remained silent.

The assistant continued, "He is taking revenge." His voice became grim. "And now he won’t stop until he destroys the Bellini empire."

"In his dreams." Matteo’s voice thundered through the room. "I’ll never let him succeed."

"Sir, you don’t understand the situation." The assistant sounded increasingly anxious. "Dominic is dangerous. With Mathius behind him, he has become extremely powerful. We can’t defeat him."

Matteo’s jaw tightened.

"We shouldn’t go against him."

Matteo glared at him. "You want me to sit here and watch him take over my company?"

"No." The assistant shook his head. "I’m saying there may still be a way out."

Matteo’s eyes narrowed.

"His real enmity is with your father. Dominic is angry because Luke manipulated him, imprisoned him, and destroyed everything he had. But you had nothing to do with your father’s scheme."

The assistant lowered his voice. "Talk to him privately. Negotiate."

A bitter laugh escaped Matteo’s lips. "You want me to negotiate with that traitor?"

"I want you to survive." The assistant placed both hands on the desk. "Dominic is no longer the man who needed the Bellini family’s protection to survive. He has money, men, influence, and Mathius behind him. He already has the support of several board members."

He looked directly into Matteo’s eyes. "If we fight him now, we may lose everything. If you approach Dominic and acknowledge what happened, perhaps he will spare you."

Matteo’s face darkened. The rage burning inside him was no longer something he could contain.

"No. I will never make peace with him."

"Sir—"

"I don’t care what my father did to him." Matteo’s eyes filled with murderous hatred. "All I know is that he betrayed us. He chose to destroy my family. And I will make him pay."

The assistant’s face fell. "Sir, you don’t understand. Dominic isn’t someone you can simply eliminate anymore."

"I don’t care." Matteo slammed his fist against the desk. "I want him dead."

He stared at the photographs of Dominic and Mathius. "He tried to take my empire, my family’s power. Our legacy. He humiliated me."

A dark hatred filled his eyes. "I want Dominic to suffer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Dominic left the private estate after meeting with several directors.

The takeover was almost complete.

Dominic stepped outside and walked toward his car, adjusting the cuff of his shirt.

A few of his men were stationed nearby, keeping a discreet distance.

He smirked. He knew Matteo had sent people after him. For the past few days, they had been following him everywhere.

Tonight, he had told his men not to follow him. And as expected, Matteo’s men were circling him.

The street was too quiet. His eyes swept across the surroundings.

There was no movement.

He moved to his car. Before he could get in, several black SUVs screeched around the corner.

The doors flew open. Armed men jumped out.

Dominic reacted quickly. He immediately moved behind the car for cover and fired.

The street exploded into chaos.

The attackers returned fire, circling him.

Hearing the gunfire, several guards rushed out.

"Save the boss." They came over and fired back.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

"Protect the others," he ordered. "Move back."

His men tried to reach him, but the attackers had deliberately separated them from Dominic.

Two men rushed toward him. Dominic fought back, knocking one to the ground and disarming another.

But there were too many. A third attacker struck him hard from behind.

Pain exploded through his skull. Dominic staggered.

Another blow landed.

His vision blurred. He heard his men shouting his name.

"Boss..."

He tried to remain standing. Then a cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose.

A sharp chemical smell filled his lungs. Dominic’s body weakened. His knees buckled.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was one of his men firing desperately toward the attackers.

Then everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Dominic regained consciousness, darkness surrounded him. A dull ache throbbed through his head.

He tried to move. Metal scraped against metal.

His eyes snapped open.

Heavy iron shackles were fastened around his wrists, his arms stretched above him. His ankles were chained as well. He looked around.

The damp stone walls, the narrow barred window, the old iron door, the stale, suffocating air – everything was the same.

Dominic’s expression changed. He knew this place.

This was the same dungeon where Luke Bellini had once kept him imprisoned. It was the same place where he had been chained, beaten, and manipulated into becoming a weapon against Mathius.

And now he was back.

Dominic pulled the shackles hard. The chains rattled violently, but the metal restraints didn’t budge. He tried again, putting all his strength into it.

No matter what, he couldn’t break free.

His jaw tightened. Anger slowly rose inside him.

’They brought me back to the place to break me.

But they had made one mistake. They had assumed he was still the same man.

He sneered inwardly. He knew Matteo would come for revenge, and he had been preparing for this.

His men knew where he was going. They had been tracking him from a distance.

He had deliberately instructed them not to intervene unless he gave the signal. If his calculations were correct, they were already circling the whole place, waiting for the right moment to attack.

It was only a matter of time.

He simply had to wait.

Footsteps echoed through the dungeon.

Dominic lifted his head.

The heavy door opened, and Matteo entered. A smug smile spread across his face.

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