Page 27 of The Price of Mercy

Chapter 19

The Devil in the Details

Julian had always been good at noticing details. It was part of what made him a great doctor; the ability to see the small things others missed, the subtle signs that something was wrong. And lately, he’d started noticing details about Enzo. Not the obvious ones, like the way his presence commanded a room or the sharp edge of his temper. No, it was the smaller things. The quiet, almost imperceptible ways Enzo seemed to weave himself into Julian’s life, like a shadow that followed him everywhere.

It started with the food. Julian had been working late in the medical suite, reorganizing supplies and updating patient charts, when Enzo walked in carrying a tray. Julian hadn’t even realized how late it was until the smell of freshly cooked pasta filled the room, making his stomach growl in protest.

“You missed dinner,” Enzo said, setting the tray down on the counter. His tone was casual, but there was a firmness to it, a quiet insistence that Julian eat.

Julian blinked, caught off guard. “I wasn’t hungry.”

Enzo raised an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed. “You’re always hungry. You just forget to eat when you’re working.”

Julian opened his mouth to argue, but Enzo cut him off with a look. “Eat. You’re no use to anyone if you pass out from low blood sugar.”

It wasn’t a request. It was an order, delivered in that calm, commanding tone that left no room for argument. Julian sighed and picked up the fork, poking at the pasta. It was still warm, the sauce rich and fragrant, and despite himself, he took a bite. It was good. Really good.

Enzo watched him for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest, before nodding in satisfaction and walking out without another word.

Julian told himself it was just Enzo protecting his investment. After all, a doctor who couldn’t function wasn’t much use to him. But the thought didn’t sit right, not when he noticed the way Enzo always seemed to know when he hadn’t eaten, when he was tired, when he needed a break.

Then there was the coat. Julian had been standing on the terrace one evening, staring out at the city lights, when a chill swept through the air. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering slightly, but before he could head back inside, a heavy coat was draped over his shoulders.

Julian turned to see Enzo standing beside him, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “You’ll catch a cold,” Enzo said, his voice low. “And I don’t have time to deal with a sick doctor.”

Julian opened his mouth to protest, but Enzo was already walking away, leaving him standing there with the coat still warm from Enzo’s body. He told himself it was just practicality, that Enzo didn’t want to deal with the inconvenience of Julian getting sick. But the way Enzo’s hand had lingered on his shoulder for just a moment too long made his heart skip a beat.

The small gestures kept coming. A cup of coffee left on his desk when he’d been up all night. A blanket tossed over him when he fell asleep on the couch in the library. A quiet word to Luca to make sure Julian wasn’t disturbed when he was working. Each one was subtle, almost invisible, but Julian noticed. He couldn’t help but notice.

And it scared him.

Because the more he noticed, the harder it became to tell himself that Enzo’s actions were just about protecting his investment. There was something else there, something deeper and more complicated. Something that made Julian’s chest ache in a way he didn’t want to examine too closely.

One night, after another long day of patching up people in the hospital and dealing with the constant tension of life in the mansion, Julian found himself sitting in the library, a book open in his lap but his mind far away. He was exhausted, his body heavy with fatigue, but his thoughts wouldn’t let him rest.

Enzo walked in; his footsteps quiet on the thick carpet. He didn’t say anything, just crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from Julian, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud.

For a long moment, they sat in silence, the only sound the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Then Enzo spoke, his voice low and steady. “You’re thinking too much.”

Julian looked up, startled. “What?”

Enzo’s gaze was fixed on the fire, his expression unreadable. “I can see it. The way you overanalyze everything. It’s going to drive you insane.”

Julian frowned, his defenses rising. “I’m not overanalyzing. I’m just… trying to understand.”

Enzo turned to look at him, his dark eyes piercing. “Understand what?”

Julian hesitated, his heart pounding. He wanted to say it, to ask the question that had been burning in the back of his mind for weeks. But the words caught in his throat, tangled up in fear and uncertainty.

“You.”

Enzo's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Me?" he echoed, leaning back in his chair like a king surveying his subject. "What is there to understand, Doctor?"

Julian exhaled sharply, gripping the armrests of his chair. "You forced me into this world. Intoyourworld. And yet…" His voice wavered as he met Enzo’s gaze. "Sometimes, you don’t feel like a monster."

Enzo's expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes, something Julian couldn’t decipher.

"You expected a beast," Enzo murmured. "Cold. Ruthless. Maybe even cruel."

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