Page 75 of Mafia King's Broken Vow
“Like fire,” I whisper, hating myself for the admission. “Like electricity under my skin. Like I matter as more than just a useful tool.”
The silence that follows is deafening. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, can feel my pulse jumping in my throat.
“You said you need to request a transfer. Have you already decided?”
“I have to.” The words feel like ripping off a bandage. “I can’t be his therapist anymore. Not when I’ve already?—”
I can’t finish the sentence. Can’t say it out loud.
“Go on, Mila.”
The words hang in the air like a blade. My mouth goes dry.
“I kissed him.” The confession feels like vomiting up glass. “He kissed me. It doesn’t matter who started it. It happened multiple times, and—” I stop, my whole body shaking now. There’s more. So much worse. “Elena, I?—”
The words stick in my throat like razors. I press my hands against my mouth, trying to hold back the worst of it.
“What else, Mila?”
“We slept together.” The admission rips out of me like a cry, doubling me over with the force of it. “I slept with my patient, Elena. I’ve destroyed my career.”
The shame is suffocating, crushing. I’ve breached every principle I’ve ever held, betrayed every standard of my profession. I’m not just a therapist who lost her way, I’m a therapist who committed one of the most serious ethical transgressions possible.
Elena is quiet for a long moment, processing the magnitude of what I’ve just confessed. When she speaks, her voice is careful and measured.
“Mila, this is…this is a very serious ethical violation.”
“I know.” The words come out broken. “I know exactly what I’ve done. My career is over, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily,” Elena says gently, but I can hear the gravity in her voice. “But it will require very careful handling. Full disclosure, immediate case transfer, ethics review.”
My stomach plummets. “Ethics review means?—”
“It means facing a professional board and accepting whatever consequences they deem appropriate.” She leans forward slightly. “But Mila, you’re here, being completely honestabout what happened. That voluntary disclosure counts for something.”
I want to believe her, but my chest feels crushed by the weight of what I’ve done.
“The question is: what do you want? Not what you think you should want, but what you actually want.”
The answer terrifies me.
“I want him,” I whisper, the confession scraping my throat raw. “I want to see where this goes, even knowing I will never practice again. Even knowing he’s dangerous.”
“Then that’s your answer.”
I look up at her, vision blurry with tears. “You think I’m insane.”
“I think you’re a woman who’s found something rare and is willing to pay the price for it.” Elena’s voice is steady. “But can you live with the consequences?”
The answer terrifies and frees me at the same time.
“I can,” I say, surprised by the steel in my voice despite my tears. “Whatever the cost, I can live with choosing him.”
“Then we’ll work on crisis management. Immediate case transfer, legal consultation if needed.” Elena’s tone is steady. “This won’t be easy, Mila. You’re facing potential license suspension, maybe worse. But if you handle it with complete honesty and accept responsibility, you might survive professionally.” She sighs and leans back in her chair. “And I’ll change my passwords tonight.”
The relief is so sharp it makes me dizzy. “Thank you,” I breathe. “For not…for not judging me.”
“I’m worried about you,” Elena says quietly. “But you’re not the first therapist to face this choice, and you won’t be the last.”
