Elsewhere, Victoria was at home, preparing to head out. She was seated in the living room when she heard a knock on the front door.
Instead of calling a maid, she decided to answer it herself.
When she opened the door, she found a delivery man standing there with a parcel in hand and a polite smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, ma’am. I have a parcel for Victoria," he said, still smiling.
"I’m Victoria," she replied.
He handed her the package and she signed the receipt.
Returning to the living room, Victoria took her seat and carefully opened the parcel. Inside was a plain white envelope. She opened it slowly, curiosity turning to dread as she read the contents.
Her hands trembled.
She immediately grabbed her phone and tried calling her husband. No answer. She tried again. Still nothing.
Her heart pounded as panic set in.
"This is bad... very bad," she muttered to herself, clutching the letter. "I can’t lose my husband and my son!"
Without wasting another second, she snatched her car keys and bolted out of the house, fear and desperation written all over her face...
***
Beta Gilbert and Bernard remained at the dimly lit location where they were still interrogating Smith.
Bernard’s recent order brought a slight change... he had instructed two guards to get Smith some food and a fresh change of clothes.
A chair was also provided, and Smith was allowed to sit.
Bernard leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but firm. "Smith, what else do you help them with? Or what else are you good at?"
Smith glanced up, visibly more relaxed with the food in his hand.
"I mostly help them capture people... that’s the only thing they think I can do. But I’m actually skilled with tech—computers, hacking into systems, tracking people... just give me a name or a device, and I can find them," he replied, taking a bite of food between words.
Beta Gilbert eyed him intently. "So, how do you think you can be of use to us?"
Smith exhaled, then spoke with a low voice.
"Sir, I’m not someone who enjoys killing or doing dirty work. I graduated as a computer engineer—I know coding, data systems, everything. But I was raised by a man named Mark... he was an assassin. I couldn’t find a good job after graduation, and he brought me into this life. He said it was just a game... but now he’s gone, sir."
Bernard’s brows furrowed. "Mark, the assassin who raised you, was he your father? Who exactly was he to you?"
"I’m an orphan," Smith said quietly. "He adopted me when I was six. He showed me love... gave me everything I needed. We moved from country to country because of his job. Each time, he enrolled me in a new school. I speak five languages apart from English," Smith added, his tone a mix of sadness and pride.
Bernard sat back, arms folded, eyes fixed on Smith. He didn’t ask any more questions, choosing instead to observe in silence as the man ate.
Just then, Beta Gilbert’s phone rang once again. It was his wife. He had ignored her calls all day, but something about this moment made him answer.
"Where are you and Bernard?!" Victoria’s voice blasted through the phone. Panic and fear laced every word.
Beta Gilbert stood up straighter. His wife had never sounded this shaken before.
"Victoria, calm down. Tell me what’s going on," he said, trying to sound composed.
"You two need to come home now," she said, her voice trembling. "You’re not safe where you are. A message came in... please, come quickly."
"Alright," Gilbert replied instantly. "We’re coming now. Just stay inside and keep safe."
As he ended the call, Bernard noticed his father’s expression change.
"Dad, is everything okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
"I don’t know," Gilbert replied. "But we need to leave. Right now."
Without wasting time, both men quickly exited the building. Bernard turned to the guards before leaving and said, "Keep your eyes on Smith and the others. No one leaves. Understood?"