Chapter 8
The examination room smelled like antiseptic and cold metal, the bright fluorescent lights making everything feel too clinical. I sat stiffly on the cushioned table, my fingers curled into the fabric of my hospital gown.”
Ethan stood beside another doctor, flipping through my medical file. His brows were furrowed in concentration, but his expression was unreadable.
“Your condition is serious,” the other doctor–Dr. Chris, I think his name was–said, adjusting his glasses. “Late–stage brain cancer isn’t something we can just ignore.“}}
No shit.
I stayed quiet, my throat tightening. I already knew I was dying. What I didn’t know was how much time I had left.
Ethan glanced at me, his hazel eyes softer than usual. “There’s a new treatment.“@
I blinked. “A what?”
Dr. Chris nodded. “It’s still experimental, but we’ve had successful results in other patients.”
Experimental?}
I swallowed hard. “Meaning what? I’d be a lab rat?“}
“Meaning you have a chance,” Ethan corrected, closing the file. “A real one.“}
A chance. My heart thumped.}
I had already accepted my fate. I had made peace with the idea that I wouldn’t live long enough to see my revenge through. But now…
I wasn’t sure what to do with it.”
“I don’t know…” I whispered, staring down at my lap. “What if it doesn’t work?“}]
Ethan stepped closer, his voice firm. “And what if it does?“}
I inhaled shakily. The idea of living–really living–felt foreign to me now.
I wasn’t scared of death anymore. But I was scared of hoping for something and having it ripped away again. Still, I wasn’t stupid. If there was even a sliver of a chance, I had to take it.”
“Okay,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll do it.”
Ethan exhaled, relief flashing in his eyes. “Good.“”
Dr. Chris gave a small smile. “We’ll start immediately.“}
***2
The first few days of treatment were rough.
The headaches came in waves–sharp, relentless. Some nights, I couldn’t sleep. My body ached, my stomach twisted, and nausea clung to me like a second skin.
Ethan was always there.”
Sometimes he sat in the corner of my room, silently watching. Sometimes he hovered by my bedside, forcing me to drink water even wher. I didn’t want to.2
“You’re acting like a mother hen,” I grumbled one night, rolling onto my side.
Ethan smirked, leaning against the doorframe. “And you’re acting like a brat.”
I shot him a weak glare. “Screw you.“!!
‘Maybe later, he mused, amused.
I groaned, throwing a pillow at him. He caught it effortlessly, shaking his head.§
“You’re going to be fine, Seraphina,” he said after a beat, his voice quieter.
I closed my eyes. I wanted to believe him.”
One night, I woke up to a strange noise. My head was still groggy from the medication, but I could feel something was off.N
The hallway outside my room wasn’t as empty as it usually was. There were voices. Low. Gruff.N
Curious, I slid out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cool floor. The door was cracked open just enough for me to peek through. And what I saw made my breath catch. At the end of the hallway, several men stood in a perfect line, their heads bowed.
Heavily armed men. And in front of them?%
Ethan. He wasn’t in his usual doctor’s coat. Instead, he was dressed in all black, his posture radiating authority.N * Re, one of the men murmured, bowing lower. “We have secured the shipments. Everything is in place. “2
# Re?%
The King?
My stomach twisted as realization slammed into me. Ethan wasn’t just some doctor with connections. He was someone–something- eise entirely. I pressed a hand over my mouth, heart hammering &
Who the hell had I trusted my life with?
I must have made a noise, because suddenly Ethan’s head snapped in my direction &
Shit
8:30 PM
“Seraphina,” he said, his voice sharp.
The armed men turned, their gazes locking onto me. Panic surged up my throat.”
Ethan strode toward me, his eyes unreadable. Before I could back away, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into my room, shutting the door behind him.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded, yanking my arm free. “Who–who are you?“>
He exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face.}
“Ethan?” I pushed. “What are you not telling me?“}
His gaze met mine. And for the first time since I had known him, I saw something dangerous lurking beneath his usual calm.
“I told you I could keep you safe,” he said slowly. “I didn’t say how.“}
I swallowed. “You–you’re not just a doctor, are you?“>
“My medical profession is a front,” he admitted, his voice calm, almost too calm. “I’m not just a doctor, piccola.“}
I stared at him, my pulse hammering. “Then what are you?“}
He held my gaze, his next words making my stomach drop.}
“I am the King of the Mafia.”}
My breath hitched. Ethan watched me, waiting for my reaction. But I didn’t scream. I didn’t run.
Because suddenly, things made sense.
The way he always had the power to make things happen. The way people listened to him without question. The way danger clung to him, just beneath the surface.
I had thought I had lost everything.}
But now, standing before a man who had just revealed himself as the King of the underworld…
I realized I had gained something far more dangerous. And maybe–just maybe–far more powerful.}
