The Mafia King's Virgin Healer

Unexpected visitor

As the first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the thin hospital curtains, Maya stirred on the couch, a smile playing on her lips as fragments of a dream lingered in her mind—her father had finally come to visit Mara after weeks of absence. The memory brought comfort as she slowly opened her eyes, stretching her arms above her head.

It took her a moment to register the unfamiliar weight draped across her body. She glanced down, fingers tracing the expensive fabric of what was clearly a man's suit jacket. Confusion clouded her features as she quickly sat up, the jacket pooling around her waist. Her brows furrowed deeply, her stomach churning wildly when she detected the familiar expensive cologne from the suit. She turned her head toward her sister in alarm, only for her gaze to land on a figure that made her heart stutter in her chest.

Pedro.

He sat in the chair beside Mara's bed, his imposing frame somehow fitting the small hospital furniture, eyes closed in apparent slumber. His hair was slightly disheveled, arms folded across his chest as he slept peacefully. He appeared more human than the intimidating figure she'd fled from.

Maya squinted, rubbing her eyes vigorously before opening them again, certain her mind was playing tricks on her. But the image remained unchanged. Pedro was really here, in her sister's hospital room.

She gasped involuntarily, slapping a hand across her mouth to muffle the sound. What was he doing here? How had he found her? The questions swirled in her mind as she slowly rose from the couch, clutching his jacket unconsciously against her chest like a shield.

Moving carefully to avoid making noise, Maya approached his sleeping form, leaning in closer to study his face. Without the hard glint in his eyes or the menacing smirk he typically wore, he looked almost... harmless. The sharp angles of his face were softened in repose, and she found herself admiring his impressive facial features now that she was so close to him. The man could make all the goddesses fall for him without even lifting a finger.

'What am I thinking?' She scolded herself mentally; however, she didn't move away.

As if sensing her scrutiny, Pedro's eyes suddenly snapped open, startlingly alert for someone who had been asleep just seconds before. Maya's eyes widened in shock as she lost her balance, stumbling backward.

In one fluid motion, Pedro was on his feet, his strong arms catching her before she could crash to the floor. Time seemed to suspend as they froze in that position, with Pedro holding her waist, their faces inches apart and green eyes locking with blue in an intense gaze.

Maya unconsciously licked her lips, feeling her heart go into a frenzy from the sensational contact.

"You... should be careful," Pedro said, as if choosing to avoid the tempting act from her.

With the spell finally broken, Maya quickly collected herself and pulled away from his grasp, putting a safe distance between them as heat rushed to her cheeks.

"W-what are you doing here?" she stuttered, hating how flustered she sounded.

Pedro stretched languidly, completely at ease and unbothered, before extending his palm toward her.

Maya stared at his outstretched hand in confusion. "What?"

"My jacket," Pedro replied, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Oh, sorry," Maya blushed, realizing she was still clutching the expensive garment like a lifeline. She hastily handed it over, smoothing out the wrinkles with nervous hands.

"Last night, you instructed me to watch your sister very well while you got some sleep," Pedro said, a smile dancing in his eyes as he took the jacket. "I'm glad you found comfort in my jacket."

"I didn't at all," Maya defended quickly, heat rising to her cheeks again. "When did I tell you that?"

"But you were snoring happily after the instruction," Pedro countered, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"Wait, you spent the night here?" Maya thought aloud, feeling a cringe crawl up her spine.

"I was just following an order," Pedro chuckled.

Recognition dawned on Maya as memories from the night before slowly returned—waking briefly to see a figure by her side, mistaking him for her father in her drowsy state, mumbling instructions before falling back asleep. It hadn't been her father at all. It had been Pedro, and it hadn't been a dream.

Maya swallowed hard, licking her suddenly dry lips as she composed her features into a defensive mask. "That doesn't answer the question. What are you doing here? I don't want your job."

"It doesn't look that way to me," Pedro chuckled, his gaze sliding past her to where Mara lay sleeping. Maya's eyes followed his automatically, a protective instinct flaring as he regarded her sister.

Maya moved to stand protectively in front of her sister.

"Just admit it, you need my money," Pedro chuckled.

"I will look for other ways."

"You and I both know there's no easier and faster way for you than my money."

"I can see you have done your background check on me," Maya gritted her teeth.

"Of course," Pedro replied, one side of his lips curling in a smirk. "And as expected, nothing worthy and appealing."

Maya bit her inner lip, her fists balled tightly.

"Why are you doing this to me? What exactly do you want from me?" she asked, teeth gritted as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Pedro moved toward her with predatory grace, closing the distance between them until she could smell his expensive cologne. She held her ground, refusing to show fear despite the rapid beating of her heart. With surprising gentleness, he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a moment against her cheek.

"Just work for me, get the pay for your sister, and solve other problems with it. I'm generous, and I can be more generous once I see your performance. Easy, right?"

Maya silently let out a sigh of relief, lips slightly parted as she pondered the devil's unexpectedly gentle and convincing words. She knew this was truly the easiest and most rewarding way for her to get the money she needed. But one thing still gnawed at her heart.

"What do you need a nanny for?" She looked him in the eyes and asked. "What performance are you talking about? You don't even have a child!"

Maya saw something flash in Pedro's eyes before he composed his features once more.

"When you return," he replied smoothly, "you will find out about your job details."

"I'm not going back there," Maya insisted, though her voice lacked conviction even to her own ears.

Pedro's expression hardened, all traces of warmth vanishing in an instant. "You ran away from me," he stated, his tone dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Make sure to return of your own accord if you don't want anything bad to happen to those you cherish so much." His gaze drifted meaningfully to Mara's sleeping form. "I can do things you will never imagine."

As Pedro issued that threat, Maya gulped, fear gripping her as she visibly cowered. His aura suddenly felt so intimidating, and she found herself shrinking back despite her earlier defiance.

Just then, the door opened and Sarah walked into the room. She paused in the doorway, taking in the unexpected sight of a handsome, expensively dressed man standing with her daughter in the hospital room.