A Single Hug

"What are you doing here?" Darcy asked with a sharp snarl, her gaze fixed on Kobe as he stepped inside Cayden's house, his two hulking bodyguards following closely behind.

Kobe chuckled grimly, his eyes full of scorn as he surveyed Darcy and Cayden. "Pathetic, isn't it?" he remarked, his tone dripping with disdain. It was as though he regarded them as nothing more than insignificant pests.

The sight of Kobe's contemptuous gaze sent a surge of anger coursing through Darcy's veins. "That was not the answer to my question. I asked you why you are here?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.

Darcy was no child; she knew well enough how Kobe had found out she was at Cayden's house, so she skipped asking that question altogether.

"I think you know better than anyone why. A month has passed, and you failed to learn your lesson," Kobe tsked, shaking his head, his judgmental gaze never leaving.

"And I told you as well that you can keep dreaming. I will never hand you over that—" Kobe raised his hand, and it was about to land on Darcy, but something inside her told her that she wouldn't stand for it this time, especially not in front of Cayden.

If she couldn't protect herself in front of him, how could she give him the confidence that she could protect him? In a swift motion, Darcy grabbed Kobe's wrist mid-air and jerked it away, her eyes blazing with anger as she stared him down.

"You're just like that pathetic bitch," Kobe roared, his anger evident in his wide, enraged eyes.

Cayden reached out and grabbed Darcy's hand, uncertain of how to react in such a volatile situation.

The dangerous man who appeared at his doorstep out of nowhere was someone Darcy knew, and he emanated an aura of extreme danger, not only to himself but also to Darcy.

However, there was a striking resemblance between him and Darcy, particularly in his piercing green eyes, leading Cayden to believe that they might be somehow related.

"Don't speak about my mother like that!" Darcy retorted fiercely, as he went ahead to grab Kobe's collar, her grip as string as a python.

The two bodyguards swiftly drew their guns, aiming them at Darcy, but she remained unfazed. She had never been afraid of death anyway.

Yet, the gasp of fear and shock from Cayden brought her back to reality, prompting her to release Kobe's collar and step back, instinctively placing herself between Kobe and Cayden.

"You must be so proud of associating with the likes of him. You are an embarrassment, and I will put an end to it right here," Kobe declared, signaling one of his bodyguards with a nod as he aimed his gun directly at Cayden.

Cayden's hands trembled as he swallowed hard, sensing that whatever was about to happen was not going to end well for him.

Darcy sensed Caydne's distress and cursed silently, not anticipating a visit from her father in the middle of their first date.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him. You'll regret it," Darcy warned, her gaze piercing as she glared at the bodyguard, who looked hesitant now. However, he had to carry out Kobe's orders without a hitch, his finger inching towards the trigger.

Reacting swiftly, Darcy kicked the gun out of the bodyguard's grip just as the other one prepared to act.

Pushing Cayden towards the seating arrangements for safety, she swiftly disarmed the second bodyguard, pointing the gun at her father's head.

"On your knees, hands in the air, or I'll shoot him without a second thought," Darcy commanded, her voice firm and resolute.

Realizing they were outsmarted by Darcy singlehandedly, both bodyguards had no choice but to comply, dropping to their knees and raising their hands in surrender.

Kobe's laughter echoed through the room, chilling Cayden to the bone. Any resemblance he had perceived between Darcy and that man vanished at that moment; the man before him was nothing but pure evil.

"Well done, my daughter. You've learned a lot these past few years," Kobe remarked, motioning for his bodyguards to leave the house. They obeyed, exiting without a word, and Darcy finally let her guard down.

Cayden, still reeling from the shock, questioned if he had heard correctly. Was Darcy truly the daughter of this devil?

"If you have so many people by your side, you should just give up. Don't make it difficult for both of us and for that prick," Kobe sneered, his words dripping with contempt as he glared at Cayden.

Darcy's eyes blazed with fury. "What a narcissist you are, only caring about yourself. One day, Kobe Raven, mark my words, you'll regret it. I swear on my dead mother, I'll make you regret it so much that you'll shed tears with those cold eyes," she spat, her voice filled with disdain and a deep-seated hatred that she could no longer contain. Tears welled in her eyes that she had been holding for years, a mix of anger, grief, and determination.

Darcy suddenly felt a pang of self-doubt. Perhaps Kobe was right; perhaps she was being pathetic, letting herself be swayed by emotions she had long buried. Maybe it was her attempt to love again that had clouded her judgment.

After all, love was a dangerous thing, more perilous than the gun clenched tightly in her hand.

Cayden's heart ached as he observed Darcy's anguish. He longed to hold her close, to offer her solace and reassurance, but he knew now wasn't the time, not with the devil himself standing in his house.

"The one who will regret this is you, Darcy. Allowing yourself to be weakened by a man like him only gives me more power over you," Kobe chuckled darkly, his words laced with malice.

Darcy's grip tightened on the gun, the temptation to pull the trigger almost overwhelming.

She knew that one shot could end it all, she knew that one shot would make her achieve what she had been working for all her life, but she also knew it wasn't enough. She wanted more than just a quick resolution; she wanted to see Kobe suffer, to watch his life crumble before him, just as her mother's had.

But that would require patience and strategy. There was still much work to be done before she could exact her revenge in full.

"I will let you have your fun for the time being. As much time as you spend with this weakling, you are bound to be influenced. You will grow weak yourself, and that will be the perfect time to break you. You will hand over what I want, willingly," Kobe's voice echoed through the room as he made his way out of Cayden's house.

Darcy watched him leave begrudgingly, knowing she had to bide her time and execute her plans carefully.

Hurrying to Cayden's side, she helped him up, concern evident in her wide, worried eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice hoarse with emotion.

Cayden nodded, though he still seemed in shock. "But are you alright?" he countered, looking at Darcy with a softness that warmed her heart. His grip on her hand was reassuring, grounding her amidst the chaos.

Darcy couldn't help but long for the comfort of his embrace, to let herself lean against his chest and release all the pent-up emotions swirling inside her.

But she resisted, offering him a stiff smile and nodding her head in assurance. She needed to show Cayden that she was strong, that she could handle whatever came their way.

"I'm sorry you had to see that terrible bastard of a father," Darcy said, her expression serious, and Cayden shook his head firmly.

"I don't care about that. You don't have to apologize to me. I just—" Cayden paused, swallowing hard, and Darcy raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I am just worried about you," he confessed, his voice laced with concern.

Darcy's confusion deepened at his words. "Worried about me? Don't worry, things like these are common for me. I told you those guns are my—" she started, but stopped short when Cayden shook his head, exhaling deeply.

She couldn't fathom what was going through his mind.

"Are you sure you're alright? You just talked about your mother, and that man was your father. I know I don't have a family of my own, but I can understand that it must hurt a lot," Cayden spoke, his voice tinged with hesitation as he hoped not to offend Darcy.

He fidgeted with his fingers, his eyes reflecting a pain that seemed to pierce deeper than Darcy's own.

Rather than harboring resentment toward her, Cayden was genuinely concerned for her well-being. It touched Darcy deeply. He was drawing her in more and more, sparking an attraction that both excited and frightened her.

She feared she might soon find herself entrapped in the web of his love.

She smiled at him and nodded. "It has been too long. I haven't forgotten a single thing, but time has dulled my pain. Please don't look at me like you're about to cry," Darcy said, managing a chuckle.

Cayden didn't quite believe her, so he followed his instincts. He slowly wrapped his arms around Darcy, drawing her closer and enveloping her in a warm hug.

Darcy was momentarily stunned, but then she found herself responding, returning the embrace and resting her head against his shoulder, given that she could rest her head on his chest which she longed for they were the same height.

Cayden began to gently pat her back, offering comfort, and Darcy felt a sense of peace wash over her. In that single embrace, she found solace like never before. It made her never want to leave his side.

What astounded her the most was that the distraction from all her misery that she had been looking for all this time, in the pleasure of physical intimacy was given to her in a single hug. That was utterly unbelievable.