Distressed Emotions

"How are you holding up?" Darcy inquired, sinking into the plush black sofa in what could only be generously referred to as the "office" of her best friend.

"Been swamped, drowning in responsibilities," sighed the blonde girl with piercing blue eyes – none other than Gabriel, the owner of the brothel. Darcy chuckled, scanning the office, a room that still resembled a set from a haunted house, if not worse.

"You've really outdone yourself with this renovation," Darcy remarked sarcastically, noting that the room hadn't seen much improvement even after the renovation.

"Yeah, yeah, not all of us can live the lavish life of Darcy Raven, the notorious Mafia Queen, and Chairwoman of Ravens & Co.," Gabriel mockingly retorted.

Darcy shrugged her shoulders with an air of indifference.

Gabriel was an unexpected acquaintance in Darcy's life. Linked through Gabriel's uncle, whose business revolved around illegal brothels and, in the past, included human trafficking.

Despite Gabriel's disdain for it all, she found herself powerless to change the fate of innocent girls sold into such a dark world.

Being an orphan, she had no choice but to reside under her uncle's roof, relying on him for basic necessities.

However, five years ago, Darcy took matters into her own hands. She dealt with Gabriel's uncle, handing over control of the brothels to Gabriel.

Darcy became her mentor, teaching her the basics of business.

Although Gabriel's success might not be extraordinary, she managed her brothel business well. Under her management, only individuals who willingly entered the field were employed, completely eliminating the monstrosities of human trafficking and kidnapping.

Darcy earned Gabriel's deep respect. Despite Darcy's tough exterior—a compassionate person who cared for the vulnerable existed inside her. She ensured that even within the shadows of illegal establishments, the weak were protected as much as possible.

Their friendship involved a unique quid pro quo 'a favor for favor situationship'.

Every now and then, Darcy would request a suitable man, and Gabriel would gladly arrange it for her.

"Spit it out," Gabriel prompted, and Darcy feigned ignorance, avoiding eye contact with Gabriel's piercing blue gaze.

"What?" Darcy responded, looking anywhere but into Gabriel's eyes.

Gabriel shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Come on, you only show up here when you need to unload whatever's on your mind. If you just needed a man, I was only a call away for you," Gabriel voiced matter-of-factly, sporting a proud smile.

Darcy sighed; it was challenging to keep anything from Gabriel, considering their decade-long history of friendship.

"I'm still not sure about things, but I feel like I'm going crazy about this guy," Darcy confessed, pinching the bridge of her nose in sheer frustration. Gabriel gasped loudly, dropping her ballpoint pen with a minimal thud that irked Darcy.

"Like, for a guy? A man? A potential substantial other-half?" Gabriel was truly being overdramatic, but given their shared background in the illegal industry, where friends were scarce, it was only natural for her to react with excitement.

Besides, she had witnessed Darcy being merciless even to poor souls with genuine crushes on her.

"Don't be so overdramatic," Darcy retorted, grabbing her forehead. She regretted opening her mouth, but her swirling emotions left her no choice. She needed advice from someone like Gabriel, who, despite her line of work, was always searching for true love rather than fleeting flings.

"Why shouldn't I? This is literally something that happens once in a blue moon. Of course, I'll react like this," Gabriel responded with an irritated face.

"Should I go back, or are you going to listen to what I have to say?" Darcy asked sternly, glaring at Gabriel, who instantly placed a finger on her lips, deciding not to further provoke Darcy. The quota for annoying her today was filled.

"The first time I met him, I was amused by his clumsiness," Darcy's smile conveyed the seriousness of the matter, and it left Gabriel giddy inside.

"Then, we kept crossing paths by coincidence, and his reactions each time made me curious. He's so different from the men around me. He wears his heart on his sleeve, looks at you with eyes clear as glass, and, more than anything, even a single smile from him makes my heart flutter like crazy," Darcy confessed, slamming her hands against her face and dropping her head down.

Gabriel squealed with excitement, though they were far from being teenagers. "You must really like him, huh?" Gabriel teased, and Darcy glared at her, throwing a small couch pillow her way. However, Gabriel effortlessly caught it in mid-air.

"You see, I've learned a few things from you too," Gabriel winked, and Darcy chuckled at that.

"He's been pestering me for the past week, claiming to be in love with me, and the whole situation is very confusing for me," Darcy added, a hint of worry settling in her gaze.

"But what are you so confused about? You seem pretty sure of your feelings. Just go for it, get the man," Gabriel exclaimed, throwing her fist in the air as if celebrating a victory, making Darcy shoot her a nasty look.

"It's not that I don't know what I feel; there's something else bothering me," Darcy mumbled, and Gabriel listened attentively.

"You know how I am; once I get physical with someone, I hate seeing their face the second time," Darcy expressed her frustration, and Gabriel nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I know. That's why you don't come here often," Gabriel said, mostly to herself, as Darcy had been involved with almost all of her employees, with a few exceptions.

"It scares me that these feelings might fade once he's in my bed. And I know he's such a softie that it would break him, so I can't bring myself to do something like that to him," Darcy sighed. Gabriel pouted, feeling sympathy for her friend.

"Not only that, even if I keep him beside me, he'll be in constant danger. Even my own father would find ways to use him against me," Darcy added with a heavy heart.

Darcy was caught up in intense overthinking, and that wasn't entirely unwarranted. Gabriel, having her fair share of experiences in the illegal world, understood Darcy's concerns.

The man Darcy described seemed like the last person suited for involvement in their criminal affairs.

"But you can protect him; you have the ability for it," Gabriel reassured Darcy, giving her a look that conveyed confidence in a positive outcome.

"I might have it in me, but what about Cayden? He's-- he's like a baby. Just looking at him makes me worried that someone will take advantage of him, and he'd willingly let it happen," Darcy pinched the bridge of her nose, expressing her concern, and Gabriel bit her lip, contemplating a solution.

"I can't say your concerns are invalid, but I think that honest communication with him might be the only solution here," Gabriel suggested. Darcy looked at her in confusion, unsure how a conversation could resolve her complicated problems when she literally tried to scare him off a few days ago and yet he had been coming to see her.

"If your man—" Gabriel began, but Darcy cut her off.

"He's not my man!—" she paused, nibbling on her lower lip, "not yet," she mumbled the last part in frustration. However, Gabriel heard it, and it spurred a genuine laugh from her.

"Alright, your cute, lovely, softie boy," Gabriel playfully teased, and Darcy shot her a no-nonsense look. "If he truly likes or loves you as he claims, he shouldn't have any issue with your past or your present. Tell him how you feel about him and the situation. Explain the dangers of being around you. If he still wants to stay by your side, who are you to refuse such genuine feelings from an honest person you are also inclined towards?"

Gabriel's words struck Darcy like a nail in the head. She nodded as she contemplated her circumstances.

"And if he feels like the situation is not cut out for him, he will distance himself for sure," Ganriel added and Darcy did not like the notion of her words.

Even if she wanted to put his safety first, the actual thought of Cayden no longer in the picture was a distressing image for her heart.

"If he continues trying to approach me, I'll have a conversation with him about these concerns. If he's willing to accept this reality, then I'll allow him near me," Darcy spoke with hesitation, and Gabriel looked at her with a supportive, almost motherly, smile.

Though they had been friends for the past ten years, this was the most emotion Darcy had shown even in front of Gabriel. She hoped that things would take the right direction for Darcy.