The Impotent King Rises

David's Demand

David delivered the final push. An ultimate surge of energy.

*ZIIING!*

Elena convulsed violently. Her mouth opened in a silent scream. Her body trembled, undergoing a *Soul Tremor*—a spiritual climax where the body expels all negative energy in a single burst of euphoria.

Elena's skin pores opened wide. Thick, oily, metallic-smelling black sweat poured out from her entire body, soaking her nightgown and David's hands. It was the Widow's Kiss poison that had accumulated over the year, now forced out by the passion and the system's energy.

Elena slumped, falling back against David's chest. Her breath hitched, her eyes tightly shut. She felt empty, yet light. The pain in her chest was gone. The heaviness in her head vanished. She felt... clean.

David slowly released his embrace, allowing Elena to lie back on the pillow. David's hands were black with the poison, but he didn't care. He saw a notification on his retina.

[Mission Complete: Healing Elena Moretti.]

[Energy Bonus: +7 Days of Life.]

[Relationship Status: Absolute Worship.]

David grabbed a towel from the nightstand, gently wiping the black sweat from Elena's face.

"It is done, Princess, and my name is David," David said softly.

Elena opened her eyes. The haze of passion slowly receded, but did not vanish completely. Her gaze was now clear, yet the intensity within it hadn't diminished. She looked at David no longer as a stranger, nor as a doctor.

She looked at David the way a devotee looks at their prophet. This man had seen her at her most vulnerable, most shameful, and most honest. This man had dominated her, hurt her, and healed her in a single breath.

Elena felt a strange bond in her chest. A possessive sense of ownership. She reached out with a still-trembling hand, touching David's rough cheek.

"You..." Elena's voice was hoarse, but filled with awe. "Who are you, really? You are no ordinary man."

"I am just a man passing through," David replied, allowing the touch.

Tang...Tang!

The sound of the clock chimed, signaling that David had been with Elena for one hour.

The bedroom door suddenly burst open. Don Moretti and Sal stormed in with drawn pistols, their faces panicked from hearing Elena's earlier scream.

"Elena!" Don Moretti shouted.

The Don's steps halted. He saw the scene before him. His daughter lay weak, drenched in horrific black sweat, the bedsheets stained with dark spots. Yet, Elena's face... it was radiant. A pink flush colored her cheeks, her eyes were alive, and she was smiling.

A smile Don Moretti hadn't seen in two years.

"Father..." Elena greeted, weak but firm. "I'm hungry. I want a steak."

The pistol in Don Moretti's hand dropped to the floor.

*Clang!*

He ran to embrace his daughter, heedless of the smell of the poison. "My God... you're back, my Princess!"

Sal stared at David, mouth agape. He saw the black sweat and realized David hadn't been boasting. "He actually got it out."

David stood up, cleaning his hands with the remainder of the towel. He retreated to the corner of the room, allowing the father-daughter moment to unfold. He just wanted his payment.

After a few minutes, Elena released her father's embrace. She looked at David again. That look made Don Moretti realize that the dynamic had shifted. His daughter wasn't looking at her father with respect, but was looking at the strange man with... love?

"David," Elena called. She didn't ask for his last name; to her, David was the only name that mattered now.

David stepped forward. "Yes, Miss?"

Elena sat up straight, ignoring her messy appearance. Her Mafia Princess aura began to return, mixed with a desire to please her savior.

"You saved my life. You gave me a second breath," Elena said seriously. "My father can give you money, gold, or territory. But I want to give you something you personally desire."

Elena looked deep into David's blue eyes. "Tell me. What is your payment? What do you want from me?"

David offered a thin smile. A cold, calculating smile, yet one that held a dangerous allure. He didn't ask for money. Money could be found at a gambling table. He wanted power. He wanted the beginning of his empire.

And his first step was to destroy the woman who had insulted him.

"It's simple, Miss Elena," David replied, his voice calm yet echoing in the room. "The Titan Corp building in Manhattan... that belongs to your family, doesn't it?"

"That's right. It's one of our legal assets," Elena answered, confused.

"I want you to fire the General Manager of that building. Her name is Maura Lannigan," David said.

Don Moretti frowned. "That's all? Firing a flunky? That's easy. But why?"

David didn't answer the Don. He looked straight at Elena, locking her gaze.

"Fire her. Destroy her career. Make sure she can't get a job anywhere in this city," David continued, his tone sharpening. "And one more thing..."

David took a step closer, bowing slightly in a theatrical gesture of respect.

"Give me her position. Give Maura Lannigan's seat, office, and power to me. Starting tomorrow morning."

Elena smiled widely, a smile that showed she was ready to burn the world down for this man.

"Consider it done, My Lord," Elena replied. "Tomorrow morning, Maura Lannigan will know she made a mistake by touching what is mine."

****

Morning on the 40th floor of the Titan Corp building began with a piercing scream, shattering the calm of the office routine like glass hitting the floor.

"Garbage! This is all garbage!"

Maura Lannigan threw a stack of monthly reports at the face of Sarah, her secretary, who was trembling with fear. The papers scattered in the air, landing on the expensive carpet as if a snow of failure were falling.

Maura stood behind her large desk, her beautiful face distorted by unreasonable anger. She wore a tight white blazer that perfectly hugged her body, a symbol of the absolute power she held in this division.

"How many times have I told you, Sarah? I want the profit margins on this chart to be neon green, not forest green! Are you colorblind or just stupid?" Maura snapped, her finger jabbing toward Sarah's nose.

"B-but Ms. Maura," Sarah stammered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "That's the standard format from headquarters. I can't change—"

"Don't argue with me!" Maura cut her off sharply. She walked around the desk, the sound of her stiletto heels clicking against the floor in a rhythm of intimidation. "On this floor, I am the center. I am the law. If I tell you to change it, you change it! Or do you want to end up like that impotent janitor I fired before? Crying in the lobby begging for pity?"

Maura laughed mockingly, pleased with her own analogy. She felt untouchable. She felt like a goddess holding the fate of these worker ants in the palm of her hand.

"Now pick up this garbage and redo it. I want it on my desk in ten minutes. Get out!"

Sarah quickly knelt, picking up the papers with trembling hands. Maura smiled cynically, turning to look out the large window that displayed the Manhattan panorama. She felt the world was beneath her feet.

However, that satisfaction didn't last long.

*CRASH!*

The double doors of her office burst open roughly without a knock. It wasn't Sarah returning, nor was it an employee looking for a signature.

Three men in black suits entered with firm steps. Between them, a middle-aged woman with thick-rimmed glasses and an ice-cold face held a leather folder. It was Mrs. Halloway, the Head of Central HR, who rarely descended from on high unless there was a major issue.

"Who authorized you to enter?!" Maura spun around, her eyes blazing with anger. "Mrs. Halloway? What is the meaning of this? I am busy!"

"You're not busy anymore, Maura," Mrs. Halloway replied flatly. She didn't bother to sit down. She tossed a thick brown envelope onto Maura's desk. "Sign this. It's a termination letter."