Chapter 82: He Will Pay

Chapter 82: He Will Pay Jamal gave Abigail a nod before receiving the call, "I was just about to call you, sir. We are leaving the hotel now," Jamal said the moment he received the call and placed it on speaker. "I see. Is she still going shopping?"Ryan asked and Abigail quickly signed her response to him. "I don’t think so, sir. She said she is tired already and just wants to go home to take a nap. I think she’s upset her time was wasted," Jamal said, and Abigail gave him a thumbs up. "No problem. We can have them deliver the clothes to her at home and she can decide on what to wear. Tell her I said so," Ryan said before hanging up. "I guess he expects me to jubilate that he’s doing something so grand and thoughtful for me," Abigail said dryly with a shake of her head. If it were in the past before she found out who she was, maybe she would have been over the moon with joy. But now? There was no way she could be impressed by the peanuts he was giving her from what was rightfully hers. "I guess we should leave now," Jamal said as he rose and then held out a hand to help Abigail rise, too. "Ryan—" He nearly spat the name. "That bastard stole so much from you. From us." His jaw tightened. His whole body shook. Abigail stepped toward him, but he took another step back, rubbing his palms over his face. Abigail’s face softened as she stepped closer. "Jamal." "I’m going to make him pay. I’m going to make him regret ever crossing paths with you. I’m going to treat him as a monster like him should be treated," Jamal swore. Abigail waited until he looked at her, his eyes red, his jaw tight. "He will pay, Jamal. I’m going to make him pay. But I need to start this myself. I’m fine knowing I have you to catch me if I fall. And I’m fine knowing I can count on the Hanks if I need them." Jamal held her gaze, and for the first time, he truly saw it— the fire in her eyes, the strength in her stance, the sheer will that had kept her moving forward all these years. In as much as he was willing to support her in carrying out her revenge, he had his own vendetta against Ryan. He knew the Hanks had theirs too. And they were all going to make sure Ryan paid in full. "I need to tell the Hanks about you," Jamal said, knowing that Tom and the others wouldn’t forgive him if he kept this a secret for long. But he also knew they would want to take action immediately if they find out all that Dawn had been through. "I would like to meet them. If there’s a way you can arrange to get them to Westend and if we can find a way for me to meet them like we did today, then I’d like to meet them. Maybe just Tom and Lucy first. Lucy especially. I’d really like to meet her," Abigail said, and Jamal nodded. "I’ll come up with something," he said, and though his hands were still shaking, he reached for her. "Thank you, Dawn," he said softly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Thank you for staying alive. For letting me find you. For having our son. For being so strong and so beautiful and for surviving all you did," he said softly. "Thank you for not forgetting me," she said, her voice equally soft as she held his gaze. They stared at each other for a moment without saying anything, and then as though drawn by an irresistible force, they leaned towards each other, and Jamal lowered his head to hers. His breath fanned over her lips, and Abigail’s heart pounded in anticipation. His arm went around her waist and he pulled her closer. She didn’t move away or stop him. Instead, she tilted her chin up, her eyes fluttering shut as she whispered his name, "Jamal..." That was all it took. His lips met hers in a slow yet passionate kiss, one that carried all the emotions they couldn’t put into words—the pain of separation, the ache of lost time, the overwhelming relief of finding each other again. Jamal kissed her like he was memorizing the feel of her, like he was trying to reclaim all the time he had spent without her. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss and pouring all his emotions into it. Abigail melted against him, her hands sliding up his chest before wrapping around his neck, holding him just as tightly. The years of distance between them, the pain, the anger, the longing— it all dissolved in the kiss. When they finally broke apart, both breathless, their foreheads rested against each other’s once more. "I’m never losing you again. I’m not leaving your side until this is all over," he promised, and she smiled. She cupped his face, her thumb brushing over his cheek. "I don’t intend to be lost again either." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Good." "So, do you always cry this way?" She asked with a teasing grin. Jamal groaned, "You can’t judge me for crying in this situation can you?" Abigail let out a soft chuckle, "Sure, I don’t. Just pulling your legs. It’s sort of cute though, how a big guy like you can cry like a baby because of me. I like it," she admitted. "We should get going now. I still need some time to process everything and come up with a definite plan now that I know all I know. I know you need time to process everything, too," she said, since she could tell it was yet to dawn on him that he had a son seeing how he was still so focused on her and not on that fact. He had not even asked to know Josh’s name or to see a picture of him yet. She was just going to wait until he came around. She knew it was going to hit him when he was alone and had time to process it all. Jamal sighed, reluctantly pulling away, but he didn’t let go of her hand. "Alright. You need to put on your face," he said, reminding her she had taken off her mask. "Oh! I almost forgot about that," she said, her eyes wide with surprise as she quickly went to pick it up and Jamal watched as she went to stand by the mirror and put it on. He went to stand behind her, and Abigail smiled as he placed his arms around her waist. It surprised her that Jamal’s touch didn’t make her feel awkward or uncomfortable. It all felt so natural as it had felt the first time they met at the club. "You know you’re going to be my wife, right?" He said, and she laughed as she adjusted the mask and then stepped away from him. "Now I’m Abigail. Let’s go, Pete," she said with a wink, leading the way out of the room. "Whether you’re Abigail or Dawn I’m going to marry you, Ms Abigail," Jamal said, and they both laughed as they walked out of the room together.