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

[Came up empty. You?]

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

Vivienne's cunning expression from those words - like a smug

of the Ellington family's

out of bed yet," Heloise

imagination. A mere

for the timely hospital

limped to the couch. "I'm going stir-crazy lying in

was in agony.

mind me.

bristled with 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

equally furious, shouting upstairs 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 ask your grandpa to reinstate

second branch, with half their savings coming from

out, they had lost

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

concern. It was her clandestine

was not just in the art galleries; she also needed the Ellington Group's resources and connections, even using their transportation to make her

her livelihood,

failed to

on

still in our hands, being

a close eye. I'll find a way to

her fingertips, her usually

an unfamiliar number

she answered,

replied,

Fiona paused.

Calista?

Fiona had heard of

the cheap

also become reclusive. Why was she

Fiona asked,

came through.