WHERE IS CAYDEN?

The next day, as Darcy woke up, a sense of impending doom settled over her like a dark cloud. She couldn't shake the feeling that her heart was plunging into an abyss. 

Thoughts of the last night consumed her, particularly the effect it might have had on Cayden and how he perceived her. 

Cayden, who visibly quivered at the mere presence of Kobe in his house, what thoughts were swirling in his mind now regarding their relationship? Was he reconsidering his choice to be near her? Did he regret declaring his unwavering love to her? Perhaps he was plotting ways to avoid her altogether from now on. 

Despite Cayden's reassurances that he felt no different for Darcy, she felt pathetic. She was a weak, weak person when it came to Cayden. 

As despite whatever happened the night before, she lacked the courage to walk away from him, still enveloped in the warmth she had felt in his embrace. 

"Where are you off to?" Dominic inquired, observing Darcy leaving her private quarters, wrapped in a sleek black leather suit, her helmet in hand, and those with black biker gloves that she liked more than the sports bike itself. 

Darcy's response was a silent harsh stare, loaded with a clear message towards Dominic who seemed to be getting too comfortable in asking such questions around her: that her affairs were none of his concern. 

Dominic interpreted her unspoken words effortlessly; after all, he knew her better than anyone. "I'm asking because we're supposed to head to the port. Don't tell me you've forgotten?" He prodded, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. 

Darcy scoffed, rolling her eyes as she shot Dominic a judging look. "I remember perfectly well when and where we need to be. You lot are just sluggish and always late. Honestly," she retorted, though in truth, Darcy had indeed forgotten about the port. "Just hurry and gather everyone already." 

Their mission was vital - to seize control of a confidential drug shipment. The information was sensitive, crucial, and the fact that she had let it slip from her mind, after all the effort she had invested, irked her to no end. 

With a frustrated click of her tongue, Darcy retreated back into her private area, her disappointment palpable. 

Meanwhile, Dominic checked the time. They were scheduled to depart by eight, and it was barely seven. Darcy, it seemed, had some secret agenda going on, unknown to the rest of their gang. 

However, Dominic reasoned that it was alright, considering how calculatedly Darcy moved around. 

... 

The scene around the port wasn't the cakewalk the Ravens gang had imagined. 

The Collins were still working under the orders of the old man Collins. They had their ship swarming with thugs, as their product arrived in the guise of household goods, the smuggled drugs. 

But it wasn't a day of victory for the Collins. Just as it never was for any gang opposing the Ravens, especially since Darcy had joined forces with her subordinates to disassemble the last remnants of the drug supply channels under the Collins' control. 

Some of the Collins' thugs lay lifeless on the ground, while others were bound with ropes, recovered from the ship they boarded, awaiting interrogation at Darcy's mercy. 

As heaps of drugs were hauled out of the ship and reduced to ash with fire, Darcy felt a wave of relief wash over her. 

Taking down the mafia in another country, on another continent, was a daunting prospect, but at least she could dominate those in her own backyard. 

One by one, she aimed to eradicate the illegal industries that preyed on the vulnerable, dragging them further into despair and suffering. 

Drug supply had long been on Darcy's list of priorities, following closely behind human trafficking that she had successfully long taken care of. 

Kobe, too, had his sights set on it, albeit for a different motive - to assemble power, as much power as he could get, as much power as the world could give him, he wanted all of that in his feet. 

However, with Darcy methodically getting rid of the final remains of the drug network, severing ties between the Russian mafia, the Collins, and other players, Kobe's ambitions would be blocked for a long, long time and he would not be able to do anything about it. 

... 

As the night wore on, Darcy took care of everything she had to, a sense of accomplishment swelling in her chest after a long time. 

With a heart brimming with pride and an anticipation that Cayden's feelings remained unchanged, that he would welcome her in his house with open arms and give her the hug she kept craving every passing second since last night. 

Ignoring the traffic laws, she raced through the streets, her sole focus on reaching Cayden's house as swiftly as possible. 

But her eagerness was met with an unexpected sight upon arrival – Cayden's door stood ajar, lights flickering ominously within. 

With a gulp, Darcy attempted to suppress the rising sense of dread, urging herself not to cave to her delusions. 

Yet, she was met with the horrific reality as she stepped across the main door, greeted by a scene she had not anticipated. 

Every corner of the house bore the evidence of destruction. Furniture lay in shambles, lights hung alarmingly from their sockets, the TV shattered, the fridge overturned. 

It seemed as though the chaos had been precisely arranged to exacerbate her anxiety. With trembling steps, Darcy hurried from room to room, searching desperately for any sign of Cayden's presence, but found none. 

Only the faint sound of flickering light bulbs and the rhythmic drip of the kitchen tap pierced the eerie silence that engulfed the house. Darcy felt the ground beneath her feet slip away that she had been holding onto so strongly all these past years, her breath growing shallow as panic gripped her. 

It was her fault. The realization hit her like a sledgehammer. She was to blame for Cayden's disappearance, for the dangerous situation he might be in. Her reckless decisions, and her selfishness, had led to this chaos. She reproached herself for her carelessness, for not taking the danger seriously. 

She kept thinking about how she could not afford to lose him and how she could not give up the comfort he created in her life while ignoring the danger she was putting him in. It felt pathetic now that she kept reminding herself of her greedy desires, for prioritizing her own needs over Cayden's safety. 

Consumed by self-loathing, she despised herself more than ever before, more than when she chose to walk the same path as Kobe Raven, more than when she felt powerless against her own father. 

Her senses snapped back into focus when she spotted the sole intact piece of furniture in the house – the coffee table, that Cayden must have put back to its place after their movie date night. 

Darcy's eyes fell upon a note, as she hastened to it, the words etched into her mind like a branding iron: 

'Tit for tat, you bitch!' 

Darcy's anger surged like a typhoon, her teeth clenched, lips quivering with rage, eyes ablaze with fury. How dare they lay a finger on Cayden? How dare they even entertain the thought of it? 

Swearing on her dead mother, she promised to make that person regret ever being born. She was going to show them a bloodbath so brutal, so ruthless, that they would grieve the day they crossed her. 

She would set an example, and make them understand the consequences of messing with those she held dear. 

Without hesitation, she knew where to find Cayden. With every ounce of determination, she got on her bike once more, her heart racing with adrenaline. 

She refused to be the frightened child, a five-year-old who once cowered in Kobe's shadow. She was going to let Kobe know that she was far greater than his pathetic ass and she was going to let her father know that despite being his daughter, she believed she had no ounce of blood running in her that was his; everything had long been dried. 

... 

With only the broad metal bracelets on her wrists for protection, Darcy swiftly dodged every bullet aimed in her direction as she charged toward Kobe's base. 

With each step, she killed any foolish person who dared to stand in her way. Some wisely chose to save their own lives, while others, driven by misguided ambition or overconfidence, met their demise in mere moments. 

"You foolish girl. What madness drives you to provoke me?" Kobe's voice echoed through the air as Darcy laid eyes on him, standing regally upstairs behind golden railings, his gaze piercing. 

The gunfire ceased, leaving Darcy standing on the ground, her gaze locked fiercely with Kobe's. Hatred surged within her, boiling over as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "YOU BASTARD!" 

Kobe scoffed, amused by the irony of the situation. Here she was, standing alone in his base, armed with nothing but a single gun that was likely running low on bullets, while he had over ten men at his side and countless others throughout the base. 

Yet, Darcy carried herself with an air of superiority, as if she alone possessed the power to make them all vanish. 

And perhaps she did. Kobe had yet to witness her true potential with his own eyes, eyes that bore a striking resemblance to her own. 

"Where is he? WHERE IS CAYDEN?" Darcy demanded, her voice ringing with determination.