The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne slammed the phone down with a chilling finality that seemed to echo the icy resolve in her eyes.

Three minutes later, the realization hit both Vivienne and Percival simultaneously.

The bomb research facility was nestled right beneath Eastlake Bay Plaza, spreading its clandestine roots beneath half the square.

The scene suggested a hasty escape; the fleeing suspects only had snatched the crucial documents.

The operatives from the Nine Mystics Society had already evacuated, and Leopold, leading the first squad, had scoured the base thoroughly.

"Vivienne, Percival, check this out." Leopold approached, cradling a box in his arms.

Percival flipped the box open to reveal a scale model of a state-of-the-art bomb-obviously left behind in the chaos.

This only confirmed the suspicion that the perpetrators had received an urgent tip-off.

Otherwise, they never would have left something so vital behind.

Vivienne extracted the model, a one-to-one replica. While not as revealing as written documents, to the trained eye, it could divulge the bomb's design.

The bomb's most unnerving feature was its ability to evade detection-compact, portable, and easy to conceal.

Understanding how it slipped past sensors would be key to preemptive defense.

Vivienne tucked the model away. "I'm taking this."

Percival nodded. He had no intention of reporting a mere model to the higher-ups. He still had that much leverage.

Instead, Percival simply called Thomas, instructing him to report the escapees' flight, foregoing a return to headquarters.

the way back, Leopold

the higher-ups thinking? If

any longer, snapped. "Husky, can you shut

of a botched operation was

"How many times now? If nothing works, maybe we

was not unwarranted-they could have at least set

climb the ranks already?" Leopold blurted out, his anger getting the better of

even divine intervention could not save

responded

sweat, Leopold realized what he

Vivienne!" He yelled

and said calmly, "Mr. Wolf, perhaps it's time

of her mother's death

mother,

possibility of a mole within the Vanguard Agency, a team her mother

But now...

mission, she would ensure the traitor learned that neither prison nor the grave would be their ultimate sanctuary.

He turned, his face a portrait

playing on her lips,

witnessing their

would rather be slapped by Vivienne or kicked

if the Grim Reaper

pair, "I'm sorry, Vivienne, Percival. I'll do whatever you ask-climb mountains, swim oceans, even streak across Mount

"I wouldn't dream of sending him to such extremes." Leopold gulped, "You two aren't thinking of

deduce a bomb's workings from a model, someone trustworthy and an

was an answer in itself, their smiles

as he stammered, "No way, I can't