Page 15 of Diavolo

"A close friend of my client."

"May I ask," Elyse demanded, "who recommended me?"

"Such information is confidential," Mr. Schmid replied cryptically, "until you accept the job and sign a non-disclosure agreement."

"I see."

She doubted that Dr. Schwartz had anything nice to say about her. Elyse could only assume this nameless, glowing reference had come from one of her mentors from medical school. Dr. Liu had been fond of her. Or maybe it had been Dr. Notrica? She'd liked her, too.

Mr. Schmid's voice interrupted Elyse's skeptical train of thought. "Please think this through carefully, Dr. Romero. What I am offering you could change your life. All for the better."

A quiet alarm bell sounded in her head. "Sounds too good to be true."

"You will never have to worry about money again."

She couldn't shake the feeling that Mr. Schmid knew more about her financial troubles than he was letting on. With distrust laced in her voice, Elyse requested, "At least, tell me the name of your client. How can I work for someone if I don't know anything about the person?"

"He insists on remaining anonymous until your in-person meeting."

¿Qué chingados? What the fuck?She muttered, "Your client doesn't seem suspicious at all."

"I hope you are not being sarcastic."

"Of course not.”

The bite in her tone did nothing to sway Mr. Schmid's resolve. He stood firm. "I sense that you are displeased with me. Whileyour concerns are valid, this matter remains non-negotiable. My client made his expectations very clear to me. If you choose to accept the position, it will, naturally, require a leap of faith on your end. No pressure, though. The ball is entirely in your court."

"I see," Elyse grumbled again.No pressure, her ass.A lawyer of Mr. Schmid's caliber wouldn't be hounding her from halfway across the world if he wasn't trying to strongarm her into accepting his client's offer.

One week later, he sent Elyse a legitimate-looking job offer outlining the strict terms of her employment. Elyse read the contract carefully. She even reached out to an old college friend who was now working as an international corporate lawyer. He reviewed the documents for her, and everything seemed to check out.

Per the terms of employment, Elyse would need to relocate to Zurich, Switzerland. Mr. Schmid promised to help her obtain a work permit and reimburse her travel costs as well as the move overseas.

As a private physician, she would be on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Elyse wouldn't be allowed to live independently. She'd be required to reside with her new employer.But the location wouldn't be fixed. Apparently, the man owned multiple properties around the world and traveled extensively for business. She'd need to be willing to travel alongside him.

A mandatory medical examination would be scheduled to ensure that she was healthy enough to perform her duties.

Elyse would also be expected to sign an iron-clad NDA. Mr. Schmid informed Elyse that his client was an insanely private man. He wished to shield every aspect of his personal life from the public eye, and his employees were legally bound to protect his privacy no matter what.

The salary tripled what the Mercy Medical Center was offering her, which would be enough to cover her monthly expenses with extra on the side to pay off her father's debts. For the first time in years, Elyse's heart glimmered with hope. She began to feel cautiously optimistic about Mr. Schmid and his enigmatic client. Maybe shecouldescape from Stefano once and for all. Surely, the Mancinis didn't have eyes and ears in Switzerland as well?

Like a woman possessed, Elyse weighed the pros and cons from every angle. Red flags fluttered along the edges of her conscience, but she ignored each and every one of them. Desperation made her blind. Perhaps, she rationalized, God had finally heard her prayers. Even if He was answering through a devil, the offer from Mr. Schmid was too tempting to turn down.

All she had to do was sign her name on the dotted line.

When Elyse was a child,Papáused to warn her,"No todo lo que brilla es oro, mija."Not everything that shines is gold, my daughter.

Against his advice, Elyse decided to take a leap of faith. There wasn't much to lose. Her life in the States was hell.Papáwas a vegetable. The mafia was out for her blood. Shit couldn't get any shittier in Switzerland, right?

Elyse accepted the job offer. Once she sent the signed documents back to Mr. Schmid, the lawyer didn't waste a single second. He secured her passport, visa, work permit, and one-way plane ticket from JFK to ZRH in a matter of weeks. It felt shockingly easy to quit her job and walk away from New York City.

In early September, Elyse prepared to relocate across the pond in a big, scary way. She took care to keep her mouth shutabout moving overseas. Mikey was still missing, but Stefano was very much alive. ThePendejowould definitely try to stop her. Elyse only packed the essentials and left behind everything else. Furniture. Kitchen appliances. Most of her clothes and shoes. Just in case Stefano barged in at random and noticed that her apartment was becoming a bit too empty. Material goods were replaceable, but a fresh start was priceless.

The flight from New York City to Zurich spanned nine hours. Elyse landed in Zurich Airport on a crisp, sun-kissed afternoon. The welcoming weather felt like a favorable omen.Nothing but blues skies ahead.Again and again, Elyse assured herself that she made the right decision to come here. An entire ocean now separated her from the Mancinis. Already, Elyse's heart felt lighter, her mood—happier.

A driver came to pick her up in a sleek black Benz. Shortly after Elyse collected her suitcases from baggage claim, they left the airport. Mr. Schmid rang her up around this time. The lawyer informed Elyse that his client was awaiting her arrival at his house, "Nils will take you to him."

"Thank you, Mr. Schmid, for all of your help."

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