Episode 3

Carlos opened the door, allowing the men outside to enter. All of them were armed, unaware of what they would find inside. Carlos stood by the door, next to that man.

"What do you think you're doing, Paulo?" the man said. "Put your weapons down. There's no enemy here."

The man reprimanded his men, causing them to lower their weapons. Carlos held one arm around his own body and with the other, he held onto the collar of his robe, unable to deny that he was scared. Unlike the hospital, in his house, he was alone and no one would see if they killed him there.

"I apologize, my men need better manners," he apologized, trying to reassure Carlos.

Carlos nodded, accepting his apology.

"I saw blood bags thrown over there. Did you do a transfusion on me?" the man asked, intrigued.

"You lost a lot of blood and needed it. I had my blood stored for emergencies, so I had to use it," Carlos replied, worried that the man would feel offended by having his blood used on him.

The man approached Carlos, raising an eyebrow. "So now, I have your blood running through my veins, Doctor? Can we say we are bound by blood?" he finished speaking and gave a smirk.

Carlos swallowed hard and looked away from the man. They moved away from the door and headed towards the couch. The man asked for his gun and Carlos pointed to the table in the corner. Paulo grabbed the gun and put it away. The man put on his shoes and looked at Carlos again.

"As for the medical expenses, I would like you to give me your account to deposit the amount," the man said, patting his pants in search of his phone.

"You don't owe me anything. I didn't do this for fees. I'm a doctor and I swore to save lives, regardless of who it is. And if you're looking for your phone, it's charging right over there," Carlos replied firmly, staring at the man. He didn't want anything to do with them, so he clearly didn't want to receive payment from them.

"Well, then, how can I thank you, Doctor... we haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Alberto, Alberto Castelhano," Alberto said, extending his hand to Carlos.

Carlos couldn't help but shake Alberto's hand. He introduced himself, "I'm Carlos. The last name doesn't matter."

At that moment, he was worried. In a single night, he met two mobsters from the two most dangerous families in the city. If it wasn't bad luck, he didn't know what it was.

Alberto asked Paulo for a card and handed it to Carlos.

"This is my card, Carlos. Call me if you need anything. You saved my life, so from today on, I have a debt to you."

Carlos took the card, looking at the number. He had no intention of calling, but it was better not to say that. He just wanted Alberto to leave as soon as possible.

Alberto told his men to leave and wait in the car. They all left immediately and Alberto approached Carlos. He looked into Carlos's eyes and spoke satisfactorily.

"Thank you. I want you to know that what I said was true. I have a debt to you. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything. If anyone threatens you, whatever the reason, I will come immediately."

Alberto took Carlos's hand and kissed it. He smirked and turned to leave the house. Carlos felt his heart race as Alberto said those words, looking into his eyes and kissing his hand like that.

No one had ever said something like that before, that they would come immediately if he needed them. Carlos shook his head, regaining his senses. He couldn't let himself be carried away by need, even though that man was attractive, seductive, and very powerful. That offer was just out of gratitude.

Carlos ran to the door, closing it and looking through the peephole to make sure they had really left. They were just getting into the car. Carlos pressed the button, closing the gate again before they could change their minds and come back.

He was exhausted, barely realizing that he had fallen asleep like that next to Alberto. Carlos headed towards the bedroom to sleep. He closed the curtains and flopped onto the bed, just wanting to sleep and forget the worst night of his life.

Alberto got into the car followed by Paulo. He hadn't even closed the door properly, and Alberto was already giving orders.

"Get in touch with Michael. I want all the information about Carlos, from his bank account to how many times he goes to the bathroom. Don't let anything slip, I want it as soon as possible," he ordered, and Paulo looked slightly intrigued but signaled that he would do it.

"I want someone watching him. If the Marastrove find out that I was saved by him, they might want to hurt him. If you see someone lurking around him, whether at his house or work, let me know."

Alberto gritted his teeth, a look of hatred crossing his face as he remembered Andrey and how he was betrayed by Pablo.

"Find that damned Pablo and bring him to me alive. His betrayal won't go unpunished."

Paulo and another man exchanged glances. They knew Alberto was loyal, hated betrayals and deceit, and they could only imagine that he was furious. They didn't know what he might do when he encountered Pablo again.

Alberto had met Pablo at one of his nightclubs. Pablo seemed to be the naive and inexperienced type. Slowly, he gained Alberto's trust, until he reached his bed.

Alberto took care of and protected Pablo, as he had reported that he had only had one boyfriend in his life and it was an abusive relationship. However, after a year, he was stabbed by Pablo, who had set up an ambush with Andrey to kill him.

He found out later that day that Pablo was having an affair with Andrey, and that it had all been a ruse to deceive Alberto. Pablo was shot during the exchange of gunfire, and he didn't know if he was alive or not, but if he was, it wouldn't be for much longer. Alberto was definitely going to kill him.

Andrey was anxious to know about Alberto's whereabouts.

"Find that bastard, discover in which hospital he is, or in which alley he died. Just find him, dammit! If he's alive, he must be weak, as he lost a lot of blood. It'll be easier to finish the job. Don't leave Pablo alone at the clinic. Even though it's ours, we can't take any risks."

Andrey wanted to prove to his father that he could handle the business. This task had to be finished quickly and successfully. He touched his shoulder where he was hit by that bullet.

He remembered Alberto and the hatred between them, but at the same time, he remembered Carlos while undergoing treatment. Andrey smirked and called his subordinate.

"Find out more about that doctor, the days he works, where he lives. I want a complete report. Those eyes are stuck in my head."

Carlos woke up well past noon and still felt tired. Maybe all that change in his routine had stressed him too much. He took a shower and decided to eat out, he needed to breathe fresh air and get away from there for a while. Every time he passed through the living room, he could see Alberto lying on the couch. He wanted to forget about that whole hospital experience, as well as his own house.

Carlos looked through the intercom's screen and the external cameras to make sure there was no one waiting there. He locked the doors, got into the car, and opened the gate, still with a racing heart. He headed towards the avenue and didn't notice a motorcycle parked near his house. As soon as Carlos left, the motorcycle started following him from a distance.

"Sir, the doctor left the house," the man on the motorcycle said.

"Alright, follow him from a distance and don't let him notice he's being followed. Don't get close or interfere, unless absolutely necessary. If Marastrove's men show up, let me know immediately."

Alberto ended the call and focused his attention again on the doctor in front of him. He was in a private clinic that they used when they got injured. He had to recover as quickly as possible from that wound. The doctor said that, even though it was something improvised, the work was well done, and he recovered fast, but he couldn't exert himself too much.

Unaware that he was being followed, Carlos headed to the restaurant he used to go. After sitting down, he saw a couple at the front table and immediately regretted going to that place. That was where he asked Lucas to be his boyfriend and where they always went to eat or celebrate something. He needed to find another place that didn't bring back memories of his ex.

Outside, the man who was following him reported to Alberto where Carlos was. That was one of the Castelhano family's restaurants. Alberto smiled and told him to keep following. Alberto called the restaurant and instructed them not to charge Carlos for the meal, gave his full description, and asked them to come up with some promotion or something similar.

Carlos enjoyed the meal while looking at the view. He still found himself thinking about the events of the night, the fear he felt at the hospital, the way Alberto held his robe so his men wouldn't see his chest.

As he thought about the last event, his lips unconsciously curled up. Realizing he was smiling, he cleared his throat and looked around. There was no reason to smile at that gesture from Alberto, after all, he wouldn't see that man again.

Carlos asked for the bill, and the waiter informed him that it had already been paid. As a regular customer, he was taking advantage of a promotion.

Carlos didn't find it strange and thanked before leaving the restaurant. He was close to the mall and decided to stop by there. He looked at some shop windows, bought a few things, and then decided to head back home.

Arriving at the parking lot, Carlos went towards his car. He saw a black car approaching and parking near him.

Carlos felt apprehensive for a moment and saw a man getting out of the car. He was dressed elegantly, with the blazer thrown over his shoulder, sunglasses, and a cigarette in his hands.

Andrey approached Carlos with a smile, and Carlos took two steps back.

"If it isn't my dear Dr. Carlos. So, doctor, how have you been?" Carlos looked around at the other men before responding. He tried to maintain the same calmness he had at the hospital.

"I'm fine. Looks like you're recovering quite well."

"Thanks to your treatment, doctor. Since we're here, could you join me for a coffee?"

Carlos thought carefully before replying, "I'm sorry, but let's leave it for another time. I have some things to take care of before returning to my shift."

Carlos nodded farewell and made his way to the car. Andrey's companion, who had been aggressive at the hospital, stepped forward but was stopped by Andrey, who gave him a stern look.

"Feisty, huh? But mark my words, doctor, I'll still win you over." Andrey smiled and got into the car, driving off to park elsewhere.

Carlos got into the car and ran his hand over his face, trying to calm himself. He pondered if it would always be like this, having to meet with mobsters all the time. That feeling of no longer being in control was eating him up inside.

In another part of the city, Alberto had already received the news of Carlos's meeting with Andrey, which intrigued and worried him. Had Andrey found out that he had helped him, or did they already know each other? Alberto called Michael again.

"Find out how Andrey knows the doctor you're investigating. I want that information by today." That information bothered him in such a way that he didn't even understand why.

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