Elias stared down at the crisp white paper in his hand. The black ink was bold, laying out a future that seemed impossible. Ten million dollars. Ten surgeons under his command. He wouldn't just be a doctor anymore; he would be a research king.
His hands were shaking, and it wasn't just from anger. This contract didn't offer a job; it offered a kingdom. A kingdom that required him to swear allegiance to the king.
"You are buying me," Elias said, his voice quiet in the dim consultation room. "You are just putting me in a cleaner, more expensive cage."
Dante was still standing dangerously close, his thumbs resting against Elias's neck. He didn't pull away. He just looked at Elias with that same predatory, possessive focus. "I am buying your future, Elias. The system you work for is broken. They make you save lives with limited funds, while I have billions to spend. Don't think of it as serving me. Think of it as a way to do your best work, without anyone telling you 'no'."
Elias swallowed hard. He hated Dante's logic. He hated that he was right. "And if I don't sign?"
Dante leaned in, his lips brushing against Elias's ear. He was weak, his breathing still shallow, but his presence was overwhelming. "You always have a choice, Elias. That is rule number three: you always have a choice. But if you walk away, you walk away with nothing. No funding. No prestige. Just double shifts and the constant fear that someone else will shoot me, and you won't be there to fix me."
Elias closed his eyes. The temptation was overwhelming. He looked up at Dante. "If I sign... you own me. Completely. You just told Julian that I was yours. You can't just go around saying that!"
Dante laughed, a short, rough sound that hurt his bandaged chest. "Elias, I said it because it's true. You belong to me. You saved me. And now, I will protect you. If any man touches you, I will make them bleed. That is my job. Your job is to make sure I am here to do it."
Elias looked at the contract one more time. He was a good doctor. A good man. He shouldn't be selling his soul to the Mafia.
But then, he looked at Dante's eyes. He saw the genuine, fierce possessiveness there. It was terrifying, yes. But for the first time in Elias's thirty-five years, he didn't feel like a replaceable tool. He felt... wanted. He felt like the center of someone's entire dangerous world.
His old, independent life was gone. He grabbed the black pen from his pocket. He didn't look back. With a trembling hand, he signed his name on the bottom line. Elias was now the exclusive doctor of the Moretti family.
Dante's predatory smile widened into a true, triumphant grin. He didn't even look at the signature. He reached out and grabbed Elias's hand, lacing their fingers together. The contract was signed, but the real binding had just begun.
Now that you are caught up, should we work on Chapter 9? In the next chapter, Dante will likely get out of the hospital, which means he is taking Elias to his Mafia Mansion.