When Amber returned to Aries, her injuries seemed to have healed, but she still looked pale, and her breath was somewhat labored. However, her eyes shone with determination.
Aries, satisfied with the look in Amber's eyes, spoke gently, showing some concern, "How's your recovery? Do you need a few more days of rest?"
For an ordinary person, such a short period of recovery might be pushing it.
Amber shook her head, looked at Aries, and earnestly said, "I know Miss Aries pleaded with the Boss for me. I'll work hard under Sister Sunny."
Though not explicitly stated, her tone carried a sense of gratitude.
Aries was pleased with her response. After all, Miss Eleven couldn't just lie in bed peacefully under the flames of revenge. In the midst of suffocating torment, one had to seize every opportunity by any means necessary.
Aries encouraged Amber with a pat on the shoulder, saying, "Since you're in such good spirits, let's go out for a bit today."
"Okay, Miss Aries." Amber's eyes lit up, as if she had finally found an opportunity to prove herself.
Aries took Amber to the warehouse.
Zane had received the message early in the morning and waited outside the warehouse, anxious and fearful during the whole wait. No one knew how nerve-wracking it was for him while waiting.
The captive in the warehouse remained defiant. Zane's predecessor, the former leader, Scarface, had his throat slit by Aries in front of everyone because he couldn't extract information from this captive. Now, the task fell on Zane's shoulders, and he couldn't help but be scared.
Zane had barely slept these past few days. He desperately tried to get any information from the captive, even something trivial, just to have something to report. However, the captive was nearing death, yet he refused to speak. Zane was furious and felt on the verge of going mad. Still, he dared not let the captive die.
Until today, when Aries was coming, Zane knew everything was over.
He had been standing outside the warehouse since sunrise, undergoing countless struggles within. At times, he even contemplated rushing in to drag the captive to hell with him. But in the end, he stood silently, smoking a cheap cigarette. This treatment was unusual but came with his recent promotion as the overseer of this warehouse, a role assigned to him by Aries.
It wasn't exactly a gift; rather, a form of sympathy from his brothers.
Zane had been through numerous emotional ups and downs in the past two days. At one point, he even considered going inside to pull the captive with him into the abyss before facing death. However, as the sun rose, his heart calmed down. He had a newfound sense of peace, a rare experience that was given to him, perhaps out of pity.
The moments later, when the Estrella-branded car appeared in his view, Zane's tumultuous emotions seemed to settle down.
When Aries and Amber got out of the car, they were greeted by Zane's calm demeanor as he approached. Aries raised an eyebrow and followed Zane into the warehouse, asking, "How did it go?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Aries. This bastard is too stubborn," Zane replied. His tone lacked excessive fear, but Aries could sense a hint of numbness, a taste she was very familiar with. Aries subtly smirked but chose not to say anything further.
Entering the warehouse, Aries saw the captive, who looked even worse than the last time she saw him. He had almost lost all resemblance to a human being.
Aries walked around the captive, holding her arms, and finally stopped behind him. She motioned for Amber to come forward, beckoning with a curl of her finger.
"Aries, Miss, what are your orders?" Amber obediently approached, standing in front of the blood-soaked captive without a change in her expression.
"Do you know who this person is?" Aries pointed to the captive.
Amber glanced at him and shook her head. "I don't know."
"He's a person from Lily's family caught last week," Aries said. Though it was a brief moment, Aries caught a flicker of emotion in Amber's eyes. She pretended not to notice and continued, "Boss has been searching for any remaining members of Lily's family for the past four years. He attaches great importance to this one we caught. But this guy is a tough nut, refusing to reveal any information. Since you're a telepath, give it a try. If you can make him talk, it'll be considered a merit."
Amber's facial expression stiffened slightly. She moved her lips as if she wanted to say something but nodded decisively when she met Aries' gaze. "I understand."
Amber placed her hands on the captive's sticky head, closed her eyes, and released her telepathic ability. The almost lifeless captive suddenly twitched and violently raised his head. His bloodshot eyes rolled upward, and he emitted hoarse screams.
Zane and the onlookers were stunned by this scene. Aries, arms still crossed, narrowed her eyes but remained standing aside, not intervening.
Amber had used her telepathic ability for only a few seconds. Sensing that something was off with the captive's mental state, she stopped in time. Opening her eyes and seeing the captive still in a bad condition, her complexion turned ugly. She took a couple of steps back, looking at Aries somewhat helplessly.
Ignoring the desperation in Amber's eyes, Aries asked, "How did it go?"
"Sorry, Miss Aries... His mental state is too fragile, unable to withstand the intrusion of my ability," Amber bit her lip and replied.
Aries raised an eyebrow and glanced at the crying and laughing captive. "Can he recover?"
Amber looked at Aries and pursed her lips, hesitant to speak.
A subtle smirk appeared on Aries' face. She looked at Zane, who understood her signal. Zane stepped forward and harshly kicked the back of Amber's knee. Amber, caught off guard, fell to her knees in front of Aries.
Amber's mind went blank. At this moment, a hand grabbed her neck, forcing her to raise her head. Amber met Aries' pitch-black eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she uttered a few breathy sounds, "Ro... Miss Aries..."
"You've driven this person insane. How am I supposed to report back? I kept you alive to help me, not to create more trouble. Is this intentional?" Aries spoke with a calm tone that lacked warmth. Though her voice seemed devoid of anger, the ice-cold words sent shivers down Amber's spine. "Hmm?"
The last sentence passed over Amber like a feather, but it made her plunge into an icy abyss.
"No... no, Miss Aries! I..." Before Amber could finish her sentence, Aries tightened her grip on her neck.
Amber's face turned from pale to reddish, her hands grabbing Aries' wrist but making no attempt to pry it off. She stared at Aries' cold face, her view gradually distorted by the physiological tears, and she never averted her gaze.
After a while, when the suffocation made her unable to see anything in front of her, the hand on her neck suddenly loosened.
Aries stood there, hands in her pockets, looking down at Amber, who was breathing heavily on the ground.
Just as Amber thought she was about to die, the hand around her neck relaxed.
Aries, with an indifferent expression, looked at Amber, who was gasping for breath on the ground.
"There won't be a next time. Otherwise, you know the consequences," Aries said coldly.
Coughing, Amber lay on the ground for a while before weakly saying, "Thank you, Miss Aries."
Watching this scene, Zane hesitated and struggled for a long time. Finally, he gathered the courage to ask Aries, "Miss Aries, how do I explain this to Boss now?"
Aries turned to look at him. "What? You want to take the blame?"
Zane shivered and quickly shook his head.
"Heh," Aries gave a cold smirk. "This person is useless now. Get rid of him."
On the way back, Aries made a call to Estrella to report the results. She deliberately didn't mention Amber's involvement, only stating that the captive's mental state had deteriorated due to prolonged interrogation.
Throughout the report, Estrella remained silent. Aries could feel the impending storm of anger.
Even after the call ended, Estrella didn't say a word, and the silence felt suffocating. Aries knew that Estrella was angry.
Aries had seen Estrella angry before, and even when the anger wasn't directed at her, it was enough to make her uneasy. And now, Aries was about to bear the brunt of Estrella's wrath.
Aries unconsciously bit her lower lip. She couldn't help but wonder if the price she paid for Amber was worth it.
Upon returning to the Estrella mansion, Aries learned from a servant that Estrella was still at the banquet and hadn't returned.
No matter when, people always categorize others into different classes. Even in the perilous world of the apocalypse, the so-called upper class individuals would still trample on the corpses of the lower class, enjoying their lavish and decadent lives. While others might not feel much about it, Aries, born in the degrading district D, could clearly see this extreme disparity.
Every time she heard about their banquets, Aries would mock them in her heart. However, today, she suddenly found herself looking forward to Estrella bringing back a captivating prey as usual. Perhaps, if Estrella had a good time, her mood might improve, and out of gratitude for Aries' many years of dedicated service, she might spare her life.
Aries nodded calmly to the servant and turned to go back to her room. However, the servant spoke again, "Miss Ro, the Mistress asked you to visit her room after she returns."
Aries paused for a moment. "Understood."
The inevitable couldn't be avoided.
Everyone in the Estrella mansion followed Estrella's orders without question, including Aries. Here, Estrella was the sole queen, and no one dared to resist her.
A little past three in the morning, there was a knock on the door of Aries' room. The servant informed her that Estrella had returned, and she hadn't brought anyone with her.
When Aries approached Estrella's room, it was evident that Estrella had only recently returned, still in her evening gown. Aries smelled the lingering scent of alcohol. Estrella reclined on Aries' favorite single sofa, rubbing her forehead. It was a rare sight to see a hint of fatigue on her face. The effect of alcohol painted her cheeks a tempting crimson. From any angle, she was a visual feast.
Nobody could deny Estrella's beauty. She was like a deadly mandragora blooming in a sea of blood, radiating a captivating and crimson allure. However, it was also a perilous danger, attracting countless bees and butterflies that, without exception, turned into shattered debris beneath her feet.
But Aries would never be one of them. Having been by Estrella's side for so many years, she understood Estrella's terrifying nature, even though Estrella didn't possess any supernatural abilities.
Feeling Aries' approach, Estrella opened her eyes. Her cold gaze swept over like a sharp sword, devoid of any signs of intoxication.
Aries kneeled before her without hesitation. In this place, dignity was the cheapest thing in front of Estrella.
Estrella's eyes remained cold as she stared at Aries, and after a moment, she uttered a cold command, "Kneel."
Aries complied, kneeling before her. For anyone who wanted to survive, maintaining dignity was a luxury.
Estrella's eyes focused on her, and without any change in expression, she lifted her foot, pressing the high heel onto Aries' shoulder. The pointed heel mercilessly sank into her flesh.
Aries showed no signs of discomfort, as if she couldn't feel the pain. She bowed her head submissively and called, "Boss."
Estrella moved her ankle, using the tip of the shoe to lift Aries' chin, making her look directly into her eyes.
"What are you?" Estrella asked coldly.