The Million-Dollar Heart

Astrid fidgeted nervously beside Vivienne, apparently still wracked with guilt over the previous day's events.

Vivienne, unfazed, glanced at Astrid with eyes as soft as a strawberry cheesecake and stood up.

Astrid halted her with a call, "Vivienne."

Vivienne's lips curved into a smile, her bright eyes flashing with disinterest. "What is it?"

Astrid rose and approached her, lifting her shirt.

On her slender waist was a hideous black scar.

A knife wound, poisoned.

Astrid clenched her fist. "I got this on a mission when I fell into the enemy's trap. Now, I still suffer from the pain, especially when it rains, my whole body aches.

Vivienne, I'm not trying to gain your sympathy. I just want to tell you that we've sacrificed our lives to ensure that our organization can develop a defense against the biochemical weapons of rival nations.

So, on behalf of the organization and our country, I'm inviting you to join our fight!"

Vivienne's gaze fell on the scar on Astrid's waist.

It was clearly real.

She grasped Astrid's wrist and felt for her pulse.

The poison had been lurking in her body for years; she, indeed, had suffered greatly.

Vivienne casually took out a life-saving pill and popped it into Astrid's mouth. "This poison isn't hard to cure. Just come to me once a day."

After a pause, she added, "I'm quite interested in what you've said. I'll give it a try."

Astrid froze, surprised. "You mean you agree?"

Vivienne nodded slightly. "Yeah, but I'm out if your experiments don't meet my standards."

"Great. You'll find our experiments fascinating," Astrid said with a smile. "I'll notify the organization and see when they can take you to the lab." With that, Astrid went into her room.

Looking at her door, Vivienne let a sly smile creep onto her face.

out her phone and texted Percival,

[Came up empty. You?]

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

could almost see Vivienne's cunning expression from those words - like a

the Ellington family's

said you can't get out of bed yet,"

their imagination. A mere toss had broken

were not for the timely hospital visit, he

couch. "I'm going stir-crazy lying

lying there was useless; he was in

me. What about Fiona? Why was she kicked

anger. "What else? It was that wench Vivienne's doing. Percival isn't any better. No matter what, Fiona was good to him. How could he just throw her out of the company?" "I told you, I should have joined the company instead of letting Fiona hog the spotlight. Now look what's happened. What are we supposed to do now? Wait to starve?" Jeffrey

to Fiona's room, "Fiona, what are you doing hiding all day? Think you can get back into the company that way? Come out and figure out how to

the Ellington family's second branch, with

that she was out, they had lost a significant source of

her parents' and Jeffrey's complaints below. She put on headphones, locked the door, and

pressing concern. It was her clandestine dealings that weighed

galleries; she also needed the

her livelihood, her

she had signed agreements. If she failed to

on her phone.

hands, being

I'll find a way

Fiona rubbed her fingertips, her usually

an unfamiliar

she answered,

voice replied, "Ms., I'm

Fiona paused.

Calista?

were not close, but Fiona had heard of Calista in their

prodigy of traditional medicine, the cheap

also become reclusive. Why was

asked, her voice smooth, the

through.