Aries had initially planned to carry out the mission alone. After all, since the death of her original partner Howard, she hadn't teamed up with anyone else for assassination missions. The lack of trust and insufficient understanding between partners could easily lead to trouble during critical moments.
However, after some consideration, Aries decided to bring Amber along. She had already figured out Amber's hidden agenda for infiltrating her circle and was confident that Amber wouldn't betray her during the mission until her objectives were achieved. Amber, relying on Aries, had a chance to get closer to Estrella.
As for the issue of mutual understanding, Aries thought that if Amber did something untoward at a critical moment, she could simply treat her as a pawn sacrificed in the game. The cost would be a "Game Over" for Aries, Estrella, and Amber.
Aries thought that since Amber wanted to accomplish something significant, she couldn't just let her proceed smoothly.
So, at 5:30 in the afternoon, after a call was made under the pretense of reassignment, Amber arrived at the grand mansion of the Estrella family to meet Aries.
Aries sat cross-legged on a chair, sharing all the information she had gathered about Marcellus in the past few hours, along with his schedule for the next day and their assassination plan. During this process, she felt Amber's gaze on her neck several times.
There was nothing strange about her neck; what was strange was the collar currently wrapped around it, adorned with a nameplate that blatantly displayed someone's name.
Having endured it for a while, Aries finally put down the information with an expressionless face and looked at Amber. "After looking for so long, why not share your thoughts?"
"It's nothing, just that Miss Aries' choice of accessory is quite unique." Since Aries had already seen through her, Amber openly focused on the collar. She stared at the engraved name on the nameplate, and a hint of darkness flickered in her eyes.
"Have you ever seen someone using a dog collar as an accessory?" Aries's sarcasm was unapologetic, cutting straight to the point.
Amber was confused but understood that her words had upset Aries. She hesitated for a moment and could only awkwardly offer an apology.
Aries didn't show any signs of anger, but her next words left Amber at a loss. "What do you think?"
What did she think? About the collar?
Still recovering from the previous exchange, Amber didn't know whether she should praise or criticize. She looked at Aries, who displayed an obvious teasing expression, clearly intentionally putting her in a difficult spot. Amber pursed her lips and fell into silence.
"Why so silent?" Aries reached out and tugged at the collar. Whether psychologically or physically, it made her feel uncomfortable having it around her neck. However, she didn't show it. "Do you think there's an issue with my loyalty to Boss?"
"Absolutely not." Amber immediately responded. "Miss Aries' loyalty is truly admirable."
"Is that so?"
Amber met her meaningful gaze, suddenly feeling a tightness around her own neck. She quickly averted her eyes, steering the conversation back on track. "Miss Aries, assassinating the heir of the Turner family, considering their position in the safe zone, doesn't Boss worry about it?"
Aries tilted her head, absentmindedly running her fingers along the side of the paper documents, producing a rustling sound. "What's strange about it? Estrella family is the current ruler of the safe zone. Turner family, as the second-largest family, is naturally viewed as a thorn in Estrella's side. They are well aware of it themselves. Otherwise, why would they do so many good deeds over the years to gain support? Estrella won't let Turner family off, just like what happened to Lily family back then. So, if Turner family resists, it's just a matter of time."
Aries squinted, lightly tapping the documents in her hand, saying, "Estrella family won't spare Turner family. Just like what happened with Lily family in the past. So, if Turner family resists, it's inevitable."
After uttering these words, Aries raised her eyelids slightly, observing Amber's expression. Sure enough, there was a momentary change, and Amber's hands on her knees involuntarily clenched.
Anger? Or sadness? It didn't matter, but...
Tsk, not convincing enough. If Amber appeared in front of Estrella like this, she probably would have died several times already. Aries was not satisfied with Amber's performance.
"However," Amber pursed her lips, frowning as if hesitating about something. She glanced at Aries for a moment, seeming to make a decision, and spoke, "Miss Aries, do you think this is acceptable?"
"What do you mean by 'acceptable'?" Aries raised an eyebrow.
"Turner family has helped many people in the safe zone." Amber paused, continuing, "Although it's possible, as Miss Aries mentioned, that Turner family's good deeds are just to win hearts, we can't deny that they have done practical things to save many lives. Over the years, without their help to the survivors in Zones C and D, many people might have starved to death. Moreover, every time they fend off the zombie horde, Turner family actively goes to Zone D to protect the people there."
Amber even wanted to say that these were things the Estrella family never cared to do. When did they ever care about the survival of the survivors? As the supreme authority in the safe zone, apart from being ruthless and cunning among the various families, what beneficial things had the Estrella family done for the entire safe zone? However, her rationality stopped her from saying the words she had held back.
Moreover, the target of this assassination—Marcellus, although young, held considerable reputation throughout the safe zone. He was the carefully nurtured and designated successor of the Turner family, known for their virtuous family traditions. Not only the Turner family but many people in the safe zone had high expectations for him, believing that he would bring a better future to the safe zone.
Aries remained silent for a moment and asked, "So, you think they are righteous people?"
Amber realized she had spoken too much today. Aries, after all, was a member of the Estrella family, and she had been working for them for many years. Saying so much was too dangerous. If anyone from the Estrella family heard these words, they would probably eliminate her without hesitation. However, the words were already spoken, and she could only choose to trust Aries this once. After all...
Amber remembered how Aries had stood up for her in front of Estrella, even disregarding Estrella's displeasure.
"What does Miss Aries think?" Amber's eyes held a hint of expectation as she focused on Aries's face.
Aries found it amusing. She was accustomed to dealing with death, understanding that in this brutal post-apocalyptic world, it was a matter of survival of the fittest. Anything threatening had to be eliminated. But this Miss Eleven, born in this era, still retained a naive innocence not commonly found among those surviving in the present day.
It was enviable. What kind of luck allowed someone like Amber to live until now? And not only survive but also have the audacity to attempt revenge right under Estrella's nose.
However, that made things interesting, didn't it?
"I think... you're right."
Amber's tense expression suddenly brightened. She looked at Aries with a mixture of relief and subtle excitement. Indeed, even working under the Estrella family, Aries still had a sense of right and wrong.
"Miss Aries..."
"But this is Boss's order." Aries sighed, appearing both contemplative and helpless. "Going against Boss's orders, you know what the consequences are."
Amber was momentarily stunned. Beneath her tightly pressed thin lips, she clenched her teeth tightly.
Aries remained silent, secretly admiring the expression on Amber's face. When the life of an innocent person, or rather, a good person, was weighed against revenge or even one's own life, which side would it tilt toward? The answer was predetermined, but it was precisely because of this that Aries found pleasure in Amber's struggling demeanor.
After a moment, Amber weakly pleaded, "Miss Aries, if the assassination goes smoothly this time, I hope at least he won't feel too much pain."
"Sure." Aries lowered her head, neatly organizing the documents in her hand and placing them back in her bag. Her suppressed lips quietly curved upwards.
The next morning, at 9:46 am, Gross Coffee House.
The bell hanging on the door produced a crisp sound, indicating the arrival of a customer. Amber, dressed in a uniform, turned around, smiling. "Welcome."
The young man, who had recently come of age, still had a hint of youthfulness on his face. The well-tailored casual suit emphasized his spirited and clean appearance. He smiled warmly as he met Amber's gaze, and even before saying a word, a friendly smile had already graced his face.
Just that one glance made Amber lose her focus.
"Hello." The man didn't mind Amber's momentary distraction. Instead, he offered a warm smile and walked to an empty seat, politely asking, "Is it okay if I sit here?"
Amber snapped back to reality, realizing that she had let the customer ask such a question. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she quickly said, "Of course, please wait a moment." She turned to grab a menu, walked towards the man, but a tall figure remained unmoved by the man's side, causing her steps to pause. She seemed hesitant to approach.
The man's gentle gaze remained fixed on Amber, and he noticed her hesitation. Frowning slightly, he expressed his apologies, "Sorry, this is my bodyguard. Don't be afraid; he won't do anything. If you're uncomfortable, I can ask him to stay further away."
The bodyguard's cold and piercing eyes were fixated on Amber, as if trying to see through her.
"Um, it's okay. No need," Amber replied, retracting her gaze and smiling at the man before continuing to the table with the menu in hand.
"Thank you," the man said with a smile, handing over the menu. "Don't worry. I just sneaked out for a coffee today. My family disagrees, so they insisted on having someone follow me."
"Okay," Amber replied softly.
After two minutes, the man had chosen his order. When he handed the menu back to Amber, he suddenly asked, "Are you an Ability User?"
Amber paused, looking at the man's seemingly casual gaze. It appeared he was just asking without much thought. She made no significant expression, hugged the menu against her chest, and nodded, "Yes, I'm a second-tier Ability User."
"No wonder. My bodyguard here is a high-tier Ability User. Ordinary people usually don't react like you did in front of him."
After all, only Ability Users themselves were most sensitive to the aura of others.
Amber lowered her head. "I'm sorry."
"Huh? You don't need to apologize. I didn't mean anything by it," the man said with a hint of awkwardness. He seemed unsure how to deal with a woman.
Amber raised her head, smiled at him, nodded, and turned away.
The man's gaze involuntarily fell on her retreating figure. The bodyguard next to him spoke, "Young Master, she..."
He wanted to say that Ability Users rarely took up such ordinary jobs. The woman seemed suspicious, and he intended to warn the young master to be cautious. However, the moment he was about to voice it, the woman turned her head, looked at him, and even gave him a disdainful glance.
"Ah Qiang, how many times have I told you not to always wear a stern face? Be more gentle. Look, you scared the poor girl just now," the young master scolded in a slightly playful tone.
The bodyguard was speechless, falling into silence once again. After all, he had protected the young master through countless assassination attempts. Moreover, being just a second-tier Ability User, he was confident in his abilities.
After a while, Amber served the man's ordered meal.
"Thank you." The man took a sip of coffee and smiled, "The coffee is excellent."
Amber glanced at him and responded with a smile.
As she was about to leave after serving the meal, the man hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can you tell me your name?"
Amber paused, looking at him with a slightly puzzled expression.
"Don't get me wrong," the man's clean smile turned somewhat helpless. "Maybe saying this makes you think I'm hitting on you, or you might find me frivolous, but actually..." He nervously interlocked his hands on the table, seeming a bit uneasy. Looking at Amber cautiously, he continued, "I have a friend. She... disappeared. I feel... you look a lot like her. I don't know if I made a mistake."
"Your friend," Amber looked at him and asked, "Is she important to you?"
The man nodded without hesitation and said seriously, "She is my only friend."
Amber smiled and said, "Sorry, customer. My name is Amber, and I'm pretty sure this is our first meeting."
The man was momentarily stunned, and a slightly bitter smile appeared on his lips. In his restrained gaze, there was a trace of disappointment, as if he had expected a different outcome.
"Is that so? What a pity."