As dawn approached, the night grew heavier, dark as spilled ink, devoid of even a glimmer of light.
In a dark, deserted alley, two people spoke in low voices.
"Don't forget your identity; you are 'Eagle,'" one said warningly, his tone low and hurried.
"What identity? What should my identity be?" A younger voice replied with a sneer, almost laughing.
"You—" The other, clearly exasperated, left his words unfinished.
"I've been undercover for so long, and just because I didn't pass the transaction details this time, you suspect me? Hmph, that transaction was fake," the young voice responded sharply, his words piercing to the core.
At that, the other seemed to realize his fault, sighing, "I know how hard it is to be undercover, but because it's so hard, if your faith wavers, it's a complete disaster."
The young voice was silent for a moment, then spoke gravely, "Someone in the police has definitely been bought off by them. My identity isn't safe."
The other person nodded in the darkness with a bitter smile. "I know there's a traitor inside. But don't worry, your identity is listed as top-secret; besides me, only the police chief and the president know who you are. Being undercover with Arabella is no easy task, so, of course, you are fully protected."
"Oh, I see. That does sound quite secure," the young man replied, a hint of amusement in his tone.
The other person suddenly sensed something was wrong, about to speak, when he felt a steel wire tighten around their throat, choking the breath from him in an instant, while blood rushed to his head.
Death came instantly. He had no time to react; his limbs barely struggled before the wire cut clean through his neck.
After the kill, the young man calmly removed his gloves in the darkness and dropped them on the corpse.
He grabbed a gasoline can he'd hidden in the corner, pouring it over the body as he murmured, "I've been undercover so long, I'm neither human nor ghost. Neither good nor bad—just an outcast. Why bother?"
Once he was ready, he stepped back to a safe distance and struck a match.
In the firelight, he stared at the burning body, his gaze cold and devoid of any light.
Watching as he retreated, he backed all the way to the mouth of the alley. Only when he saw the flames soaring high, the bodies reduced to ashes, did he finally turn and walk away with calm composure.
Sorry—back then, he became a cop for his beliefs, and now he was betraying those beliefs.
His faith had become Arabella.
From this moment on, he was lost to darkness; Arabella was his entire world.
Though she'd cleaned up her operation once, Arabella, being cautious by nature, secretly re-checked everyone on the list before finally setting the transaction date.
AE had been so excited these past two days that his whole body felt feverish.
No number of women could relieve his desire.
He was still rock-hard, bulging in his pants, perpetually aroused.
He was about to see Arabella.
Arabella arranged to meet him at the largest underground boxing arena.
Underground boxing was a gamble of life and death; once bets were placed, fate decided the rest.
It was a fight to the death.
The fight wouldn't stop unless one side was killed.
It was bloody and brutal, but the place was often packed. The excitement was intoxicating, the perfect outlet for one's inner beast.
This wasn't a transaction; it was just a place to discuss a new way of working together.
A place of high energy was more conducive to sealing deals.
AE only brought two close associates into the venue, leaving the others outside.
Arabella, however, brought three people: Raven, Albatross, and Nicholas.
Nicholas was here purely to broaden his horizons. Ever since he was bought by Arabella, it was as if a kid had stepped into the hell—everything was strange and surreal, each sight a fresh thrill.
With his housekeeping skills and his nagging nature, Arabella took Nicholas along for anything outside of direct combat, as if he were a lock on her door.
Arabella wasn't exactly early; when she entered, the match had already begun.
The fighters, black and white sides, were already wild with frenzy, their muscles rippling, bodies drenched in sweat. Each attack targeted a vital point with ruthless speed.
The black-clad fighter was faster and more aggressive, forcing the white side to retreat step by step. After a few heavy punches to the head, the white fighter collapsed and didn't get up.
AE sat in the VIP section, watching with indifference, completely uninterested.
The fighting seemed like child's play to him, nothing worth watching.
But as soon as Arabella entered with her group, a current swept through the room, putting him in a pleasant mood.
Today, Arabella wore a sharp, fitted suit, her top casually unbuttoned at the first two buttons, revealing her collarbones. Her slender arms and legs, with a toned, lean waist devoid of any excess, were accentuated by a pair of casual shorts that highlighted her slim waist and shapely hips, lending her an effortless, sensuous allure.
"Master Unknown, it's been too long. I missed you terribly," AE said, still masked, but his tone was intense, genuinely filled with longing.
Arabella responded with a smile, as gentle as a spring breeze, "AE, your business is certainly growing."
After taking a seat, Arabella noticed the fine liquor on the table and immediately got excited, swinging her hand like a blade to open the bottle.
Nicholas, standing nearby, flinched, nearly losing his cool.
"Arabella! Why are you opening the bottle by hand? Is the opener just for show? Doesn't your hand hurt?" he nagged, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her hands.
Since following Arabella, a handkerchief had become Nicholas's essential item.
After cleaning her hands and checking for any bruises, he finally stopped.
With his mask on, AE's shock wasn't visible in his eyes, but his gaping mouth gave him away.
Calling Arabella by her full name and scolding her as if it were natural—was he her father?
But looking at his youthful face, barely over thirty, he didn't seem old enough to have raised her.
However, AE was sharp, quickly masking his reaction and refraining from asking who the man was.
It didn't matter who he was; in front of Arabella, titles and status were irrelevant.
His gaze lingered freely on Arabella, and after so long apart, he found her even more striking, her beauty one that transcended the physical—a beauty elusive yet captivating, able to seep into his heart.
As always, Albatross sat beside Arabella, his role purely to attend, not to command. Nicholas was unique, but not him—he only wanted to be the one who understood Arabella's unspoken words.
Filling her glass, Arabella took a single drink, her lips left glistening with the wine's deep red, vivid and arresting. She didn't just drink—she dabbed, then licked her lips, an unintentionally seductive gesture that only added to her allure.
Besides Nicholas, the other men couldn't help but let their eyes settle briefly on Arabella's lips, tracing their shape before discreetly looking away.
After the sip settled her spirit, Arabella leaned her head lazily to the side, clinking her glass with AE's as she began, "The route for this shipment is clear, but the noise was... a bit loud."
With an ocean separating them and AE's territory in the south, the news hadn't yet reached him due to the sheer distance.
"What do you mean, loud?" he asked, his gaze, unrestrained behind his mask, fixed on Arabella's profile.
Arabella replied slowly, indifferent: "The four governments know I'm smuggling."
"?" AE was stunned—was she announcing her moves for everyone to see?
"Can this business still go on?"
Arabella was baffled by AE's question. "What does that have to do with anything?"
AE was stunned. His acquaintance with Arabella was limited, and he couldn't fathom the extent of her abilities.
He admitted she was the best at solo combat, but even the best weren't superhuman.
How could she transport such a massive amount of drugs right under the noses of the four governments?
"This time, the journey is long. On top of the usual, I'm charging an additional five percent."
Once Arabella got down to business, AE quickly returned to his role as a trader.
"The extra commission is fine. But, Master Unknown, like you said, it's a long haul. I don't feel entirely at ease. I'll need to raise the deposit by twenty percent."
Arabella nodded, indicating her understanding.
She always wore a calm smile, never revealing her hand. In front of others, she simply smiled, leaving no trace of any extraneous emotion.
With the main terms set, they leaned in, discussing the finer details in hushed tones.
Albatross, sitting nearby, watched coldly as they grew more animated, their heads drawing closer. AE was nearly pulling Arabella into his arms.
He held in a surge of frustration, itching to separate them.
But he could only imagine it. Feeling agitated, he reached out, took Arabella's hand, entwined his fingers with hers, and made a show of intimacy.
Arabella, comfortable under Albatross's touch, relaxed visibly. She turned to give him a smile, clearly pleased with his attentions.
Receiving Arabella's smile, Albatross's gaze lit up with a glint of charm. He traced her hand slowly, his touch gliding up her arm, then moving gently over her neck and shoulder, kneading and tapping in a soothing rhythm.
The massage left Arabella's bones comfortably numb. She leaned further and further until she was nestled against Albatross's chest.
Now it was AE's turn to feel displeased. He had finally gotten a chance to see Arabella, but after just a few words, she had shifted away.
Beneath AE's mask, his smile grew colder, his gaze venomously fixed on Albatross. He knew Albatross's role—Arabella's bedmate, raised by her, tasked with attending to her daily needs.
What a useless, effeminate role.
Unexpectedly, Albatross met AE's gaze without backing down. He possessed an extraordinary beauty, his form as graceful as polished jade—a presence far from ordinary.
AE paused, his eyes darkening, sensing something was off.
No matter how attractive one's appearance, without grace and charisma, it would amount to nothing. Yet Albatross's grace and aura were unmistakable.
Could Arabella truly be unaware of someone like this?
Was that possible?
AE suddenly found the situation interesting, letting his gaze move from Albatross to Arabella, feeling there was something intriguing about the two.
Raven stood behind Arabella's chair, watching her attract attention. Seeing Albatross and AE's silent battle, he thought they were both fools.
What was the point of all this posturing when Arabella ignored them?
While these men exchanged looks, Nicholas was entirely focused on the boxing match.
The underground boxing was thrilling, making the spectators' blood race.
He managed the accounts, the personnel, the daily affairs, but not Arabella's personal matters.
Arabella's bed was too competitive a space for him to concern himself with.
