Page 7 of The Price of Mercy

The days blurred together for Julian, each one heavier than the last. The weight of Enzo’s offer pressed down on him, a constant shadow he couldn’t escape. He tried to focus on his work, on the patients who needed him, but his mind kept circling back to the same impossible choice. He couldn’t work for Enzo. He couldn’t. But the stack of unpaid bills on his desk, the calls from debt collectors, the looming threat of losing everything; it all screamed at him that he had no other option.

Every night, Julian returned to his small, modest apartment, the walls feeling like they were closing in on him. The stack of bills on his desk seemed to grow taller each day, a mountain of debt he couldn’t climb. He’d sit at his desk, staring at the numbers, his stomach churning as he tried to figure out how to make ends meet.

His mother’s medical bills alone were staggering, a cruel reminder of the years he’d spent watching her fight a losing battle with cancer. And then there were his student loans, the credit card debt, the interest that just kept piling up. No matter how many shifts he picked up at the hospital, no matter how many extra hours he worked, it was never enough.

He thought about Enzo’s offer constantly. The mafia boss had promised him a way out, a lifeline that would clear his debts and give him a fresh start. But at what cost? Julian had spent his entire life trying to do the right thing, to help people, to make a difference. Working for Enzo would mean stepping into a world of violence and corruption, a world where the rules he’d lived by no longer applied.

Could he really do that? Could he really become the kind of person who turned a blind eye to the things Enzo and his men were involved in?

But then he’d look at the bills again, at the red numbers screaming at him from the page, and he’d feel the walls closing in. He had no choice. Not really.

He wanted to scream.

???

The Moretti family estate was unlike anything Julian had ever seen. The SUV passed through towering iron gates, flanked by high stone walls topped with security cameras. The driveway stretched on for what felt like miles, lined with perfectly manicured hedges and ancient oak trees. At the end of it stood the mansion, a sprawling structure of stone and glass that exuded power and wealth. It was both beautiful and intimidating, a fortress designed to keep the world out.

The SUV came to a stop in front of the grand entrance, and Luca and Matteo ushered Julian out. He stumbled slightly, his legs unsteady, but they didn’t give him time to recover. They marched him up the steps and through the massive doubledoors, into a foyer that could have been lifted straight from a palace. Marble floors gleamed under the light of a crystal chandelier, and sweeping staircases curved up to the second floor. The air smelled faintly of leather and cedar, a subtle reminder of the wealth that surrounded him.

Julian barely had time to take it all in before they were moving again, down a hallway lined with oil paintings and antique furniture. They stopped in front of a set of heavy wooden doors, and Luca knocked once before pushing them open.

“He’s here,” Luca announced, stepping aside to let Julian through.

The office was as imposing as the man who occupied it. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, filled with leather-bound volumes and rare artifacts. A massive mahogany desk sat in the center of the room; its surface polished to a mirror shine. Behind it, Enzo Moretti stood, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out the window at the sprawling grounds below. He turned as Julian entered, his dark eyes locking onto him with an intensity that made Julian’s stomach twist.

“Leave us,” Enzo said, his voice calm but commanding.

Luca and Matteo obeyed without a word, closing the doors behind them and leaving Julian alone with the mafia boss. The room was silent, the weight of Enzo’s presence filling the space like a storm cloud.

“Sit,” Enzo said, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Julian hesitated, his legs trembling beneath him. “What’s going on? Why did you bring me here?”

Enzo raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think I’d let you avoid me forever, did you? You’ve had time to think. Now it’s time to decide.”

Julian’s heart pounded in his chest. “I… I can’t do what you’re asking. I’m a doctor. I save lives. I don’t…”

“You don’t what?” Enzo interrupted; his voice sharp. “You don’t want to get your hands dirty? You think you’re too good for this?”

Julian shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t say that.”

Enzo walked around the desk, stopping in front of Julian. He was close enough that Julian could smell the faint scent of his cologne, something dark and expensive. “You’re drowning, Julian. I’m offering you a way out. All you have to do is say yes.”

Julian’s eyes flicked to the desk, where a stack of papers sat. He didn’t need to see them to know what they were; his debts, his life, laid bare for Enzo to dissect. The mafia boss had done his homework, and he knew exactly how to twist the knife.

“What happens if I say no?” Julian asked, though he already knew the answer.

Enzo smiled, a cold, humorless smile that sent a shiver down Julian’s spine. “You don’t want to find out.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and final. Julian’s mind raced, searching for a way out, a loophole, anything. But there was none. He was trapped, caught between a rock and a hard place, and Enzo knew it.

“I’ll do it,” Julian said finally, his voice barely audible. “I’ll work for you.”

Enzo’s smile widened, and he clapped a hand on Julian’s shoulder. “Smart choice. You won’t regret it.”

But as Julian sat there, his hands trembling and his future hanging in the balance, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he already did.

Chapter 6

---