HER DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Zamiel's eyes seemed to bore into the woman's soul as he repeated his question. "Are you willing to pay the price?"

But the woman was not intimidated. Instead, she took a step forward, her eyes blazing with a mix of fear and desperation. "Who exactly are you?" she demanded.

Zamiel's smile was low and menacing. "I am known as the devil," he said, his voice dripping with an otherworldly authority. "I give life, I heal the sick...and I also take something in return."

The woman's eyes widened as she grasped the implications of Zamiel's words. She glanced at her child, lying pale and still in the hospital bed, and then back at Zamiel.

"It seems your child is...indisposed," Zamiel continued, his eyes glinting with a malevolent light. "And if you permit me to heal her, I can do so. But I will take something in return."

The woman's face was a mask of anguish as she considered Zamiel's offer. She knew that she had no other options, no other hope. But at what cost?

The woman's voice trembled as she asked, "So what is your price?"

Zamiel's smile was cold and calculating. "Your life," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

The woman's eyes widened in horror. "What do you mean? How would you take my life? Who would take care of my child then?"

Zamiel's expression remained unyielding. "That does not concern me. All I know is that I will give your child life, and take yours. It's a simple transaction."

The woman's face twisted in disgust. "I'm not interested," she spat, turning her back on Zamiel.

But Zamiel just chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "We'll see about that," he said, glancing at his wristwatch. "In the next thirty minutes, the doctors will announce your child's death. I hope you'll reconsider my offer by then. You can call on me when you need my help."

With that, Zamiel vanished into thin air, leaving the woman alone and desperate. She glanced at her child, her heart heavy with grief. Thirty minutes. That's all she had left.

She collapsed to the floor, her mind racing with impossible choices. If she gave her life, who would take care of her child? She was a single mother, and the thought of leaving her child alone in the world was unbearable.

But what choice did she have? The clock was ticking, and her child's life was slipping away. She buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her face as she whispered a desperate prayer.

The woman sat by her child's bedside, waiting for the inevitable. She had come to a heartbreaking conclusion: she couldn't bear the thought of giving her life in exchange for her child's. Not because she couldn't sacrifice herself for her child, but because she knew that her child, only eight years old, would be left all alone.

As the minutes ticked by, the woman's anxiety grew. Exactly thirty minutes later, the beeping sound of the oxygen machine grew louder, and her child's breathing became rapid and shallow. The woman rushed to call the doctors, who came running into the room, but it was too late. The child's life slipped away, and the doctors shook their heads, disconnecting the oxygen machine.

The woman's world went dark. She slowly walked away from the hospital bed, her eyes empty and her heart shattered. Without a word, she walked out of the hospital room, and to the rooftop of the building.

In a desperate, grief-stricken moment, she jumped off the roof, plummeting towards the ground below dying instantly.

Zamiel, the devil, stood on the rooftop, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Foolish human," he chuckled to himself. "They want help, but they don't want to pay the price. And now, she's thrown away her own life, and her child's soul will be left to wander, unguided."

Zamiel vanished into the night, leaving behind a scene of chaos and tragedy. People gathered around the woman's lifeless body, shocked and horrified by what had happened.

"Oh my God, who is she?" someone asked, as the ambulance and hospital staff rushed to the scene.

As they identified the woman, they realized that she was the same woman who had just lost her child. The tragedy was too much to bear, and the crowd could only stand by, helpless.

************************

The next morning, Elena sat in the backseat Elena her car, scrolling through her ipad as her secretary drove her to her first appointment. As she checked the stock prices, she looked up and asked, "What's my schedule for today?"

Her secretary, glancing at her through the rearview mirror, replied, "Your first is a date with Mister Felix, CEO of co. Limited."

Elena's eyes narrowed as she raised an eyebrow. "Felix?" she repeated, her voice laced with disdain.

She hated Felix with a passion, and the fact that her father had set her up with him made her blood boil. It was all about the money, she thought bitterly. Her father didn't care about her feelings; all he cared about was securing a business deal with Felix's company.

"I don't understand why this is in my schedule," Elena said, her frustration evident.

Her secretary hesitated before speaking. "The chairman...I mean, your father, called me and instructed me to add it to your schedule, ma'am."

Elena shook her head, exasperated. "That man is something else," she muttered. "Fine, take me there."

The secretary nodded and continued driving, while Elena sat back, seething with resentment.

Elena arrived at a grand, upscale restaurant, the car pulling up to the entrance with a soft purr. She stepped out, her extravagant outfit turning heads as she checked her wristwatch. The time read 8:54, almost nine.

She couldn't believe her father was setting her up with Felix, of all people. Felix was arrogant, self-absorbed, and made no effort to hide his disdain for those he considered beneath him. Elena's skin crawled at the thought of being in the same room as him.

Adjusting her fancy clothes, she took a deep breath and marched into the restaurant, her secretary remaining in the car. "Let's end this once and for all," she muttered to herself.

As she entered the restaurant, the staff bowed and greeted her, but Elena ignored them, her mind focused on Felix. What would she say to him? How could she convince him to leave her alone?

A maître d' approached her, bowing low. "Good morning, ma'am. Right this way, please."

Elena followed him, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on a figure that made her stomach twist with annoyance. Felix. Her worst nightmare.

He stood up, a smug smile spreading across his face as he caught sight of her. Elena's eyes narrowed, her heart racing with anticipation. This was going to be a long, unpleasant meeting.