The Devil Who Claimed Me

Chapter 160: Meeting an old friend.

The words hit her cruelly, and disappointment filled her chest immediately.

It turned out that the man was Luke’s secretary. How could he be her Dominic?

But that voice...

It definitely sounded like Dominic’s.

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically.

Max narrowed his eyes. "What is to be sure about it?" he asked in confusion. "He said himself that he worked for my father as his secretary."

Mila’s last bit of hope was dashed. She didn’t question further, fearing he would start suspecting.

’Maybe I was too exhausted,’ she thought. ’That was why I was assuming things.’

But part of her still wanted to see that man and verify whether he was really Dominic.

"I just wanted to thank him," she said. "After all, he saved me. Can we invite him to dinner?"

Max thought for a while. "Inviting Dad’s secretary to a dinner? I don’t think it’s a good idea."

Mila frowned.

"My father is a proud man," he added. "He won’t like it."

"But..." She wanted to argue. Then she changed her mind in the end. "Fine. No need to invite him. Just send him a gratitude gift for saving me."

She lay back and turned around. She didn’t want to talk to him.

Max looked worried. "I’ll bring you something to eat."

He stood up and left.

Mila clasped the pillow and shed tears silently.

A few months passed. Mila’s baby bump started to show. Her body grew heavier. She stopped going to the hospital. Most of the time, she stayed at home.

But today, she left the house and went to a mall.

She purchased several dresses for herself and then picked some baby clothes. Her emotion stirred as she held the soft baby cloth.

"Baby," she whispered, caressing her belly. "Do you miss your daddy? I miss him too. But don’t worry. He will come and find us someday. I know."

Tears welled up in her eyes. But she blinked them away and forced a smile. "I’ll keep you safe until he comes back."

She put the cloth in the shopping cart softly and went to pay the bill. But her steps froze when she saw a familiar figure in front of the billing counter.

"Remy..." she whispered.

Memories surfaced. She moved toward him in a daze. "Remy," she called.

Remy turned. The moment she saw her, he froze. His eyes widened the next moment. "Mila?"

He stepped toward her, his gaze dropping to her belly. "You are alive and pregnant? I thought you... Oh my God." He pulled her into his arms.

His eyes turned watery. "You are still alive."

Mila pulled back and grabbed his arms. "What about the others? Are they alright?"

Remy sighed and shook his head. "The gang has been destroyed completely. Many were killed. Some ran away. I survived somehow and went to my hometown."

Mila’s own eyes welled up with tears. "I am happy that you survived. What are you doing now? If you need any help, let me know."

Remy smiled. "I opened a small clinic in my hometown," he said. "And I married a girl."

Mila smiled through her tears, genuinely happy for him. "Congratulations."

"And what about you?" Remy asked. "How did you survive?"

Mila’s smile faltered. "Let’s sit somewhere and talk."

"Okay."

After paying the bills, they left the mall together and headed to a nearby café.

They settled into a quiet corner.

Remy watched Mila carefully. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, making it obvious she hadn’t been sleeping well. Or perhaps she had spent countless nights crying herself to sleep.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Mila tried to smile, but the expression never fully formed. Instead, tears gathered in her eyes.

She lowered her head immediately, trying to hide them.

"Where is Dominic?" she asked in a trembling voice. "Please tell me something about him. Anything..."

Remy opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words right away.

After a long moment, he let out a heavy sigh.

"I don’t know much," he admitted quietly. "All I know is..."

His voice faltered.

"The news was that he was shot dead. After that, the entire gang fell into chaos."

Mila immediately shook her head.

"No." Her voice cracked. "I don’t believe that. It’s not true. It can’t be."

Remy fell silent.

Looking at her devastated expression, he suddenly felt sorry for her.

After a while, he spoke again.

"I don’t know whether the news is true or not," he said carefully. "But there is someone who might know the truth."

Hope instantly flickered inside Mila’s tear-filled eyes. "Who?" she asked eagerly.

"Valentina."

The moment the name left his mouth, Mila froze.

"Valentina..." she whispered.

Then a faint smile appeared on her lips. "She is alive?"

Remy nodded. "I thought she was dead, too. But I met her by accident."

His mind drifted back to that day.

"I had taken my wife to a small restaurant on the highway for her birthday," he explained. "I never expected to see Valentina there. Turns out she owns the place."

Mila quickly wiped her tears away. "Give me the address," she said immediately. "I want to go there right now."

Remy shook his head. "It’s already getting dark. That place is several hours from the city. Driving there now isn’t safe."

Mila could barely contain her impatience. "Then give me her number," she pleaded. "I’ll call her."

Remy hesitated. "I don’t think that’s a good idea."

Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. "She can’t expose her identity. If her enemies discover she is alive, they’ll kill her without hesitation."

Mila’s eyes became watery once more. "Please, Remy," she whispered desperately. "I need to talk to her."

Seeing the pain in her eyes, Remy finally relented. "Alright."

He took out his phone and gave her the number.

Mila immediately saved it. "Thank you, Remy."

She managed a weak smile.

Remy then slipped a business card across the table. "Call me if you ever need anything," he said sincerely. "I’d be happy to help."

Mila accepted the card and slipped it into her bag.

Remy glanced at his wristwatch. "It’s getting late. I should go."

He stood up, but before leaving, his gaze lingered on her for a moment.

"Take care of yourself, Mila."

With that, he walked out of the café.

Mila remained seated alone. For several moments, she simply stared at the phone number saved on her screen.

Her heart pounded. Questions flooded her mind.

Was Dominic really dead? Or was he still alive somewhere?

Taking a shaky breath, she pressed the call button.

"Hello?" A familiar voice echoed through the speaker.

Mila’s eyes instantly filled with tears. "Valentina..." she whispered, almost choking on the word.

"Mila?" Valentina’s voice trembled. "Is that really you?"

Mila covered her mouth as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

"It’s me," she managed to say.

"Oh, God..." Valentina breathed.

For a long moment, neither woman spoke. Both were overwhelmed by emotions and memories.

Finally, Mila blinked away her tears. "I want to see you," she whispered pleadingly. "Please."

The line fell silent again.

Several seconds passed. Then Valentina spoke softly. "Tomorrow. I’ll be at the hospital tomorrow."

Hope exploded inside Mila’s chest. Her eyes brightened despite the tears clinging to her lashes.

At last, she might finally get answers about Dominic.