After making sure Eva reached home safely, Smith drove across the city and finally came to a stop in an underground parking lot.
The door was opened from outside by a man dressed in a black sweatshirt. "Welcome back, Sir," the man greeted.
Smith briefly glanced at him as he stepped out of the car. "What happened this time?" He asked, His steps already heading into a dark hallway.
"Three with broken arms and nose, another castrated for life. And one is currently getting his ass handed to him," the man replied.
Smith paused and looked back at him. The man's face remained expressionless. He asked,
"All Abigail?"
The man nodded, "Yes sir."
Smith smirked and resumed his steps, clearly pleased by what he heard.
Once they reached inside, their eyes squinted as they adjusted to the sudden light they had stepped into.
A bit further, separated only by a glass wall, a dark skinned young woman could be seen on top of a man who laid on his back, her knees pinning him down while her fists found his face in a repeated rhythm.
"Should I stop her?" the sweatshirt man asked.
"No," Smith answered. "She looks angry. The fool must have deserved a beating."
"Yes, he deserves it," Asia's voice reached them before her presence did. "They all deserved to be beaten up. How dare they look down on the women here?" she added, crossing her arms.
Smith didn't respond. He just watched the fight in front of him.
The man she was beating was now bleeding, and it seemed like he no longer had any will to fight anymore.
Abigail finally stood up, dusting her hands as if she had touched something dirty. She stood beside him and watched him struggle to breathe. She kicked his side before walking off while the man curled up, his hand clutching the side she kicked.
A smile appeared on his lips. Anyone who looked at him would know without a doubt that he was proud.
"You're here?" Abigail asked the moment she entered the room behind the glass wall.
"Mm," Smith hummed.
She looked outside and saw the man being carried off by two others. "I didn't know, I wouldn't have…"
"It's fine," Smith said before she could apologize. "It was quite entertaining to watch." Abigail blushed, averting her gaze. "You have improved."
A wide smile appeared on her face as if that was all she had been waiting to hear.
On the side, Asia shook her head. Their relationship was nothing short of a father and daughter but people seem to think otherwise and every chance they get made, they make nasty comments but only in front of Abigail as if to shame her since they couldn't do it in front of Smith, they got beat up badly.
The man just now was a good example.
"How are things at your end?" Abigail asked, fully stepping inside.
Together, they walked out of the room.
"There's been progress. There's evidence now," Smith replied.
Abigail's steps halted, causing him to stop as well.
"Does that mean that she'll be…?"
"No," Smith's reply came before she could complete her question. "It's much too early for that. She's not ready yet."
"...Alright," she said with a hesitant nod, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.
They reached Smith's office and entered.
"What did they do this time? There are five men who are out of commission because of you." Smith asked as soon as they were seated.
Abigail pursed her lips. "They called me a whore. Weak and undeserving of a place beside you," she paused, her hand balling into fists. "I had to prove that I am better than them and that I deserve to be where I am."
Smith's expression immediately darkened. His jaw clenched right after he heard the first reason.
"Was it just those five?" He asked, and Abigail immediately understood the meaning behind those words.
"Don't worry about them. If anyone else says anything stupid, I'll put them in their place," she said, but he didn't look satisfied. "I need targets to practice on. Mannequins and punching bags won't do anymore."
"That's my girl," he said, smiling.
"Asia told me you have a new identity now. Was there a reason for that?" Abigail asked, tilting her head.
"A new identity?"
She nodded and muttered, "I think the name was Romeo."
Smith frowned, remembering how the name came to be.
"I wanted to ask you before, but there wasn't any time for that." she continued. "Did something happen to have you…"
"Abigail," he stopped her before she could probe any further. "There's no new identity."
"Oh… I thought…" She stuttered, inwardly chiding herself for believing Asia's vague story of a new identity.
"There's none," he insisted.
Abigail pressed her lips into a thin line while he sighed, having no strength to explain.
"Need you to keep an eye on Collins for me," he said after a little pause.
Abigail's forehead creased as her brows pulled together "Jacob's son?" Smith nodded. "And if I don't want to?"
"I will assign someone else to it," Smith replied coolly.
"I might kill him?" she said as if she wasn't the one refusing before.
"You won't," he said with much certainty in his tone. "Just watch him and report back to me."
"Fine. But if I notice anything, I'll kill him."
"I will leave that to your discretion," he opened the drawer and took something out of it followed by a pair of black leather gloves.
"Your mask?" She picked it up and stared at it. "Will you be gone for long?"
The mask was something he didn't use often anymore as he was avoiding drawing the attention of the families in the empire. But whenever he does, he is usually gone for a long time, or something crucial has happened or was about to.
"It's a simple business. I won't be gone for long," he said, wearing the gloves. "Take care of things here while I'm gone."
"Who's going with you?" she asked. She had always accompanied him while Asia managed things. But this time, he was leaving her behind. Was Asia going with him?
"I am going alone," he replied.