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.

her phone and texted Percival, [How's

[Came up empty. You?]

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

Vivienne's cunning expression from those words -

the house of the Ellington family's second

move. The doctor said you can't get out of bed yet,"

imagination. A mere toss had broken Jeffrey's

were not for the timely hospital

the couch. "I'm

lying there was useless; he was in agony. It was better to move a

waved her off impatiently. "Never mind me. What about Fiona?

could he just throw her out of

are you doing hiding all day? Think you can get back into the company that way? Come out and figure out how to ask your grandpa to reinstate

was the mainstay of the Ellington family's second branch, with half their savings coming from her commissions at the

they had lost

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

ousted from the company was not her most pressing concern. It was her clandestine dealings that

the Ellington Group's resources and connections, even using their transportation

was her livelihood, her

failed to deliver as promised, it could cost her her

unknown number on her phone. "How's it

our hands, being moved

I'll find

rubbed her fingertips, her usually

unfamiliar number

she answered,

woman's voice replied, "Ms., I'm

Fiona paused.

Calista?

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

once-proclaimed prodigy of traditional medicine, the cheap daughter of the

also become reclusive.

asked, her voice

cheerful voice came through. "Got time for a