Instead of a woman, she's more appropriately referred to as a girl. She's so young. Klaus could not help but hiss.
"You're still a kid," he muttered.
"Let go of me!" The girl squirmed, her courage faltering,
The girl reminded Klaus of his younger sister. He backed off, refraining from torturing her. If she were an adult, Klaus wouldn't hesitate.
"You, punk. Who are you?" Klaus interrogated.
Covering her mouth, the girl was reluctant to reveal her name. Her face clearly indicated she was terrified of Klaus. Her body couldn't stop trembling.
"Say something or I'll break your neck," Klaus threatened. He gave a warning look.
The girl swallowed hard. "Zee..."
"I asked for your real name."
"That's been my name since I was born. I don't have another name."
Hearing the response that came from her lips, Klaus nodded. He didn't detect any falsehood from her.
"Tell me, why did you kidnap my friend?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Zee lowered her head. She turned her face away, signaling that she didn't want to divulge information. Of course, Klaus couldn't accept that.
"Want me to break your neck, huh?"
"Nah, please. I didn't want to kidnap her."
Naturally, Klaus raised an eyebrow.
The girl explained that she had been ordered to assassinate Alexa. However, she changed the initial plan halfway. Zee wanted to play with fire. However, she messed up with the wrong person.
"You punk. You had a chance to escape but ended up provoking me. Your boss must be really unlucky to have a dumb lackey like you."
Klaus couldn't tell whether he should laugh or cry in this situation. Before him stood a child who was probably 16 years old or less. At her current age, she had become a sadistic psychopath who enjoyed inflicting pain on others for pleasure. But thanks to this, Klaus could save Alexa.
He let out a deep breath. Meanwhile, Zee turned her face away, concealing her flushed face.
"I should be angry, but for some reason, I feel disappointed in you. Just because you possess the [Dark Force], doesn't mean you can beat everyone. Lucky you're not my subordinate. My plans would be a mess if I sent you to kill my enemies—"
Suddenly, Klaus remembered something.
When he made a deal with Izzy, she mentioned that the person who killed Roach was a mysterious woman with a gray hood and possessed dark powers that could devour everything. The description of the assassin matched the delinquent before him now.
But more importantly, Izzy also mentioned why the assassin targeted her boss—to find Morgan, Klaus's other identity. If the mysterious woman and Zee were the same person, it meant the one who sent them was the same too.
In an instant, Klaus exuded an increasingly intense dark aura. The darkness around him spread as if it wanted to engulf everything around it.
Zee stared in fear. For the first time, she felt a darkness stronger than her own. However, what frightened her the most was the overwhelming intent to kill. She had never encountered someone so bloodthirsty.
"Tell me, kid. Who sent you?" Klaus inquired. His eyes fixed sharply.
On the other side, Zee stammered. Her body trembled intensely, and her eyes began to water. She was incredibly terrified. Her mind wasn't functioning properly.
Not getting the answer he desired immediately, Klaus shouted at her.
"TELL ME!"
Instead of answering, the girl grew even more frightened. She began crying uncontrollably. However, it only made Klaus more infuriated.
The darkness crept over every part of her body, silencing her mouth. The girl stopped making crying sounds, but fear was still vividly etched on her face.
"If you keep crying and don't give me an answer, believe me, you'll experience something worse than death. Understand?" Klaus sounded serious as he said this.
Zee nodded her head. Then, the darkness that had silenced her mouth dissipated.
"Who's your boss?" Klaus asked in a hushed tone, but a sense of dread was evident in each word. "Is it Liliana?"
The girl shook her head. "Not her, but the Morning Star guild master, Vincent Thomsen."
The killing aura emanating from Klaus faded. His assumption had been off, but he felt relieved. After the horrifying incident on his birthday, Klaus had prepared for various possibilities to counter his aunt's cunning plans. He was angry at Liliana, yet at the same time, he still held forgiveness for her.
Klaus had nearly lost Sylvia, and if he were to lose Alexa because of his aunt's scheme, he truly wouldn't forgive that woman.
"It seems I've become too soft," he muttered.
However, when he got the desired answer, Zee wasn't done speaking.
"Vincent is indeed the one who sent me. He's my boss. But, it's his lover who always gives him advice is Liliana."
Instantly, Klaus widened his eyes. The aura of darkness from his body surged like a roaring fire.
But the anger didn't last long.
A grin spread across his face.
On the other hand, Zee furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or astonished in this situation. What was more important, she was still alive.
Klaus chuckled. "So, they really did it."
From his wild imagination, Klaus had suspected that Liliana and Vincent were having an illicit affair. But he dismissed the possibility because Klaus knew Vincent was after LR Entertainment. It was the same reason this person was willing to assist Noah. Liliana wouldn't be foolish enough. Only Noah would do such a thing.
Klaus had always wondered why his aunt let her son make a deal with such an unfavorable agreement. But after knowing the truth, everything made sense. He knew what he had to do now.
The darkness was reabsorbed into his body, and Zee winced in pain as her butt hit the ground. She immediately knelt before his feet.
"Now, what should I do with you," Klaus muttered.
Zee trembled in fear as she heard it.
Even though Klaus had no intention of taking her life, he couldn't just let her go. She was an enemy, after all.
<My Liege, where are you?>
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. Laplace was contacting Klaus through telepathy. He quickly diverted his attention to the voice in his head.
"What's the matter, Laplace? I'm busy."
<I apologize for disturbing you, but Sylvia woke up. She's confused to find herself in a foreign place.>
Klaus hissed. "Alright, I'll be there soon."
As he ended the conversation with Laplace, the gray-hooded girl vanished from his sight. She took the opportunity to escape while Klaus was distracted. However, he didn't seem too bothered.
"Well, she's quite something. I guess she won't show her face again."
Klaus wouldn't worry if Zee reported this to Vincent. He had given her more than enough traumatic experiences. This delinquent girl wouldn't dare to tangle with him again. Besides, there were still people who wanted her dead.
"That girl would be really unlucky if she ever bumped into them."
Izzy and her subordinates truly held a grudge against Zee for Roach's death. They might not be able to defeat her, but with the arcana Klaus provided, it wasn't impossible for this delinquent girl to kneel and beg for mercy.
"Time to go home."
Under the moonlight, Klaus stepped out of the alley with Alexa in his hands. His footsteps broke the silence of the night.
...ηoVelusb.cοm
In the darkness that enveloped the apartment, Vincent was deep in sleep under a warm blanket. Beside him was Liliana, naked. The atmosphere was peaceful, accompanied by the deep silence of the night. However, the tranquility was suddenly disrupted by a faint vibration resonating from the bedside table. Vincent writhed in his sleep.
Reaching out to the table, he grabbed his cellphone. The small light from the screen illuminated the darkness of the room as he stared at the incoming call.
"Hello, Zee. It's three in the morning. Why are you calling me?" Vincent grumbled.
"About the mission to kill Alexa Cohen. I failed."
It didn't take long for his face to show profound displeasure. He gripped the phone tightly.
"You woke me up just to tell me this. You know I won't accept failure for the second time, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Zee replied on the other end. "That's why I'm done with this. Don't ever contact me again."
Beep. The call ended.
"Bitch."
And then, Vincent slammed his smartphone.
The sound of impact roused Liliana, who had been peacefully sleeping beside him. Her face was filled with confusion as she gently reached for his hand. "Vincent, what's happening?" she whispered softly.
Vincent let out a long breath, attempting to calm himself before telling Liliana. He spoke with a trembling voice, recounting the failed mission that he gave to Zee. Liliana's eyes gazed at him with empathy, and she felt anger that haunted him.
"Listen, Vincent," Liliana said gently, "This isn't the right time to be angry. Let's try to calm down and think about our next steps."
Vincent pondered for a moment, trying to rein in his smoldering rage. His eyes met Liliana's, and he sensed a peace within her gaze. He felt himself gradually calming down.
Liliana hugged Vincent gently, providing him with a warm sense of support, and with genuine concern, she said, "We'll get through this together. We'll find a way out."
Vincent nodded slowly. In her embrace, he felt the weight of anger and disappointment lifting off him.
