Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss

When they stepped in, there was nothing unordinary, it was just a simple-like reception with a young woman sitting behind the counter. It wasn't crowded, there wasn't even a single person inside, and well, looking at what was going on outside, it wasn't a surprise… but what was surprising was that the young woman immediately changed her expressions and attitude.

She was on her phone with the bored expression that was saying 'what the fuck am I doing with my life when the whole city is partying outside' but as soon as she heard the steps, she turned toward them and just put a big-ass smile on her face.

Both of them noticed it, and Mike almost laughed while James just looked around and well, everything looked how it was on the page. The reception was minimalist, there were a lot of LED lights, plants all over the place, even a couch with pillows, it was radiating warmth just like how it was up on the page.

"Welcome." The young woman said as she still smiled at James.

"Hello." He said as he stepped to the counter. "I saw on the page that there is a walk-in therapy. Is that available right now?" He asked.

The woman just simply looked down on her booklet and immediately looked up, and even James saw it, there was not even a name in it. Of course there wasn't… because everybody was partying.

"Yes, that is still available." She said.

"Then I would like to try it." James said, and the woman immediately put a form in front of him.

"Please put your name in and address on it, and read through it. If it's done, please select which session you would like to take." She explained as she put a pen there too.

And well, the problem was, why the fuck does he need to add an address to it? Like he thought therapy is a secret thing and the only thing that matters is the patient's mental state… well, the patient's pocket too. If they don't pay, then they will hunt them down, that's for sure.

Address… what should I do… He tapped his finger but, well, he can't give his real one so he just wrote up a random address and then just put an X to the session he wanted to do, which was the half-an-hour one.

After that, he read through it and nothing special was there, just like a term of service and well, the other sessions and that shit was expensive. Like one was even five thousand for one hour…

Fuck, is that expensive… is it happy ending? He thought and smiled a bit because it was just ridiculous to pay that much to talk with somebody.

But after that, he just gave back the form and the receptionist just called up and he was ready to go.

"Please go up the stairs and then to the left, Doctor Diana is already waiting for you." She said And with that, James did exactly that, while Mike just sat down on the couch and was ready for whoever wanted to come through the entrance. At the same time, he realized they didn't come to make a business but more like, lift off the weight and all the stress from James.

He understood that and was quite happy about it, because a lot of people would say that no way they are going for therapy, that is weakness. Yeah, but James wasn't them. He knew he had a problem and he acted on it, that's what a true leader does.

So with that, James had already gone up and stood before the door, frozen because he heard something coming through the door, and it was voices… like his first he was confused why would somebody be there when it is a private session?

The whole thing is the therapy to seek comfort and privacy with the doctor, and now there are multiple voices coming through the door and well, it was his mistake because he did not read through the paper that the woman gave him downstairs.

It is a walk-in therapy which means you walk in and you sit down with others and you talk it out with them and the doctor. That's why it is really cheap compared to the others, because it's not a private session but more like a group one.

Which meant inside are already people who chose the same session as he and now he needs to go in, and lie not just in front of the doctor but in front of them too — whoever is there.

I fuck up every single time… every fucking single time fuck… he thought, and well, he still had time to just turn around and leave, he didn't pay, and well and that's what he exactly wanted to do just turn around and leave the fuck out because lying to different people at the same time is going to be hard, especially if they asked back, and the possibility of that just raised a lot.

But as soon as he turned his body a little toward the stairs, the door in front of him magically opened, well, not magically, it was the doctor herself who opened the door and even she was surprised.

"Ohh, hello." She said with a smile as she looked up at James.

"Hi…" James said back and as she looked at her, he knew that he really fucked up, because she exactly looked like the type of therapist who are like warm, gummy, like the type of therapist who goes into your life and asks every single bit of it to get to know you better, even if it's not to help your mental state.

Her short and red-painted hair and glasses didn't help on it, nor that she was at least 50 but her makeup made her look 30.

"Are you the one who wanted a walk-in session, am I right?" she asked, a big smile.

"Exactly, but—"

"Then come in!" She said, grabbing James's hand and literally pulled him in, dragging him toward the couch. And yeah, James was right, there were two people sitting on another couch looking at him.

"Sit down and then let's talk." She smiled more as he looked at them, and Joseph knew that he fucked up even more.

The whole setting of the room was how he saw it online, + a warm room just like the reception was. Two couches facing each other and the doctor's desk and big cushion chair with beige and bright colors everywhere.

But still, this warmth wasn't reaching him, more like the stress that who the fuck are those people staring at him?

They were young, a woman and a man and he immediately knew they were siblings, cause they looked identical and well, those judging eyes too were the same.

"So what is your name?" She asked with again a smile, and James just noticed that the money is going toward a good place, because her teeth were all done, brightening like how Ferucii's teeth.

"My name is Scott Miller."

"Scott Miller." She wrote it down. "Then Scott, my name is Doctor Diana Gilia, and today we are having a group session with…" She pointed at them.

They were visibly frustrated by it, but still they spoke.

"Niam Braccachi."

"Eva Braccachi." She said, staring deep at James.

Braccachi?… that is an old money name…

"So Scott, it's your first time, you may feel overwhelmed but trust me, this space is the place of peace and harmony. So to get you better, and see what is the source of the stress, can you tell me what you are doing for work?" She asked as she still smiled at him, and now the two siblings too looked interested in the conversation.

But it was the time James fucked up, because those two names just sounded too expensive and exclusive and they were young, younger than him, and if he lies, they can immediately ask questions and looking at them they would definitely do, so what he decided to do is not answer.

"Nothing special." He said in a nonchalant way as he crossed his hands and his ring immediately gleamed as the sun hit it.

"Scott, you need to open up about yourself and tell the truth, what you do for work can have a 50 percent chance that's where your stress comes from."

"What is the other 50?" He asked back, making it longer as he thought about what to actually answer.

"The other half can come from everywhere, maybe family matters, maybe the past… that one thing in the past that to this day you're still stuffing deep inside, questioning if what you did was right or not. There are a lot of possibilities, but first, please answer my question, because I know you are not a street sweeper." She said and now her look was different, and even the two younger ones on the couch now couldn't wait anymore, like they really wanted to know it.

"How do you know it?" James asked back, well, he knew the answer, but wanted to hear it with her words.

"Well, people tend to look at things they see, and by what they see, they judge." she said and looked down at his finger. "That butterfly ring is from the most expensive shopping street in the city, and that brand doesn't make anything that costs less than ten thousand bucks and judging by the gemstones in it, it's more than sixty thousand," she explained, then looked at the other ring. "A signed ring with a B on it, and black gemstone. If that's black diamond, then that's worth a lot too. But if you want me to go more, then your shoes, they're worth a thousand, as well as your polo shirt and your chinos. Not even talking about the five-hundred bucks for this session." She leaned back. "You are wealthy, it only needs one look to get it, Scott."

She got everything right, and well, James knew to some extent that something like this would happen, but this fast, and almost accurately all of the item prices?

It was kinda crazy for him. She knew exactly what she was dealing with and she was measuring him too.

But the next question wasn't coming from her and that question got James to stress even more.

"Are you a gangster?"