Ms. Zelim

"You'll do anything?" Stella's voice dripped with anger as Jordan furiously nodded, desperation etched across his face. He was even ready to sell his soul if he was to be spared. 

"Then bring back my sister!" Stella roared, stabbing the knife into his other thigh. "Bring my parents back!" Another roar accompanied a stab to his left arm. 

Jordan groaned and huffed, a mess of pain with blood oozing from every wound. 

Stella continued her relentless torture, each stab of the knife igniting excruciating pain as she pierced his skin and muscle. The room reverberated with his cries, the atmosphere thick with agony. His nails were pulled out with pliers, fingers smashed with hammers, and bones broken in every limb. 

"Just—just kill me. Do it at once, you sick bitch," Jordan pleaded, his voice strained and dragged in exhaustion and pain. 

Darcy, standing beside Stella, grabbed Jordan's red hair and pulled his head forcefully upwards, making him meet her green siren gaze. 

"Didn't Stacy ask the same? She begged you to spare her from the misery, to either let her go or end her life, but did you listen?" Darcy's voice dripped with mockery, the rage inside her unfathomable. 

She couldn't even begin to comprehend what Stella must be feeling as she vented her wrath upon the man responsible for destroying the lives of her loved ones. 

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from every direction, and Jordan, the red-headed maniac, began to chuckle loudly. "They're here, the Vipers are here. You guys are doomed now. All of us will die together in this shit." Despite being injured so brutally, he had the audacity to the bastard he was. 

"What should we do now, Darcy?" Stella asked, both worry and guilt evident in her voice. She had no intention of putting Darcy's life at risk along with hers. 

Darcy offered Stella a reassuring nod, her face stern with sharp eyes as she jerked Jordan's head away since his hair was still in her grip, inflicting even more pain. 

"You do what you're here for. I have some old business with the Vipers. They won't even get close to you. I promise," Darcy assured Stella, instilling confidence in her words. 

Stella returned to torturing Jordan, while Darcy swiftly coordinated her gang, calling each member to form a defensive stance. 

It was Darcy's goal to get rid of all the corrupted gangs in the underworld so she would go to any lengths for it. 

Soon, the Vipers infiltrated the warehouse, but it turned out to be their gravest mistake. They might have been notorious in other circles, but not in front of the Ravens. 

Bullets rained down, leaving every Viper dead on the ground. Darcy's gang members were severely injured, and some paid the ultimate price with their lives. 

Dominic swiftly attended to the wounded, guiding them to a safer location. 

By now, Jordan had lost so much blood that he was hypoxic, gasping for breath with a pathetic look in his eyes. As he stared at Darcy and Stella, his life kept slipping away. 

"You forgot one thing," Darcy said, her eyes meeting Stella's. 

"What?" Stella asked. 

Darcy took the knife from Stella's hand and slashed Jordan's cheek, mimicking the scar Stella bore, and it spoke volumes to Stella. 

She looked at Darcy with teary eyes as Jordan died with excessive loss of blood and suddenly hugged Darcy tightly, her grip around her waist firm as she sobbed into her chest, being shorter than Darcy, Stella found solace in the embrace. 

"I will never forget this favor, Darcy. I will always remember this moment and take it to my grave. I will be your loyal dog," Stella promised, her voice muffled by Darcy's chest. 

Darcy rubbed her back, offering comfort and soothing the storm inside Stella. 

... 

"Oh, is that why?" the father said, astonishment coloring his voice. 

Darcy nodded in confirmation. She had revealed the whole bitter truth of the situation to him, alongside assuring him that the danger had dissipated. 

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the father's office. "Come in," the father welcomed, his voice calm. As the door swung open, the last person Darcy wanted to see that day stepped into the room. 

Cayden, wearing his signature big smile, entered the office, enthusiastically greeting the father. However, his smile wavered the moment he laid eyes on Darcy. 

"My dear child, how are you?" the father asked, a sense of joy evident in his tone as he greeted Cayden. Despite his grown appearance, with white hair marking the passage of time, Cayden was still a child in the father's eyes. 

"I'm great, Father. How are you? I heard from Sister Sasha that you've been feeling unwell these past few days," Cayden expressed his concern, taking a seat beside Darcy. 

Internally, Darcy was screaming, desperately wishing for him to leave. 

"I have been doing well myself. It's just that the recent troubles got to me, but since everything is fine now, I feel greatly relieved," the father exclaimed joyfully. 

Cayden smiled genuinely in response, but as his eyes met Darcy's, his smile faltered, being reminded of the last encounter where Darcy had dismissed him so rudely. 

"Perhaps, you two are acquainted? I did wonder if you sent her to us," the father inquired, directing his question to both Darcy and Cayden. 

But before Darcy could respond, Cayden beat her to it. 

"No! We don't know each other at all. It's the first time I'm meeting her," Cayden stated decisively. 

Darcy took in a sharp breath, not expecting Cayden to deny knowing her. Unexpectedly, it hurt her more than she anticipated, a realization that perhaps her heart had been stolen indeed. 

But he did not look like someone who would hold a grudge for long so Darcy wondered if she went a bit too far with him that day. 

"Oh, really? Then I should introduce you to each other. This is Cayden; he used to live here in the orphanage and moved out early to pursue studies. Still, he's a lovely child who never forgot the path of this orphanage," the father introduced Cayden, who shyly looked at his lap at being praised. 

Darcy smiled softly as she observed the scene. It wasn't the pampering of wealthy parents, but the love and care of the father that had shaped Cayden into a soft and kind individual. 

She could vividly envision the younger Cayden fondly following the father around. 

"And Cayden, this is Ms. Zelim," the father introduced Darcy, causing Cayden to look at her in confusion. He couldn't recall when she became a Zelim; the last time he checked, Darcy's surname was Raven. 

Darcy gave him a fake smile of awkwardness, and despite Cayden's attempt to act cool, a genuine smile broke through as he found amusement in Darcy's discomfort. 

"Ms. Zelim here is from the Child Safety Organization. She has been a tremendous help to us. She informed me that there are expectations of billions of dollars' worth of oil beneath our land. Her organization, however, has purchased the land to ensure our safety. We should be very thankful to her," the father praised Darcy, unknowingly increasing her discomfort. She wished she could drown into the beautiful lake across the orphanage. 

Cayden was astounded by Darcy's unexpected assistance to the orphanage, considering she had clearly told him she had no time for such trivial matters. 

He looked at her, and she averted her gaze, fearing that his signature puppy eyes might make her heart burst. 

Observing the clock, the father said, "I'm afraid I can't stay with you two any longer. I have to meet potential parents for a few children in a few minutes. Cayden, you can show Ms. Zelim around and introduce her to some of the children." 

Darcy noticed the sparkle in Cayden's eyes at the prospect, realizing he might have found an opportunity. 

However, she stood up from her chair, refusing to be set up with Cayden in this way. Cayden slumped down in his chair with a disappointed pout. 

"Why not? You've helped us greatly. You should at least look around and meet the children. They love seeing new faces around," the father said with utmost sincerity. 

Darcy smiled nervously, unable to bring herself to refuse once more. 

As she reluctantly agreed, she couldn't help but wonder when she had become so soft with people. 

... 

Both Darcy and Cayden went through the various parts of the orphanage in silence. 

Darcy couldn't help but notice areas that needed renovation, making a mental note to discuss it with the father later. 

"I must be very annoying in your eyes," Cayden suddenly remarked, causing Darcy to widen her eyes in disbelief. The word 'annoying' felt entirely out of place when she thought about him; he was the exact opposite of that. 

"Don't put words in my mouth," Darcy retorted, looking away from him. 

"Why not? You hate me, and you're stuck with me like this," Cayden expressed dejectedly. 

Darcy sighed, biting her lower lip. She hated those feelings that he brought from within her but couldn't hate him just for that. "I don't-- hate you per se. I just-- you just--" Darcy struggled for words, avoiding sounding foolish or lovesick. Silence seemed like the safest option. 

"So, why did you help the orphanage? Did you feel sorry for making fun of me that way?" Cayden asked, his pout evident. Darcy sighed, shaking her head. 

"I didn't do anything for you. I just wanted to help the children," she replied, not wanting Cayden to know that his words held meaning for her. 

"Yeah, right. See, I was right about you. You're a nice person, just pretending to be all tough, right?" Cayden teased, and Darcy looked at him dumbfounded. 

"Were you acting like a wounded puppy just to tease me like this?" she asked, unbothered. "Childish." 

Cayden shook his head. "I just wanted to prove that you're a very nice and kind person since you seem to believe otherwise," he tilted his head, gazing into her eyes with fondness, making Darcy's stomach churn. 

Clearing her throat, she started to move faster, attempting to save herself from embarrassment. "Think whatever you want," she mumbled, and Cayden chuckled, finding her adorable as she babbled.