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,

set up a blockade sooner, I bet we could've stopped them. What are the higher-ups thinking? If

any longer, snapped.

was

retorted. "How many times now? If nothing works, maybe we should just surrender, throw

have at least set up a perimeter, avoiding the empty-handed

climb the ranks already?" Leopold blurted out, his

massaged her temples. Now, even divine intervention

back, responded darkly, "Sure,

a cold sweat, Leopold realized what he had just

Vivienne!" He yelled

Vivienne tugged at Percival's arm, the other hand on the bomb model, and said calmly, "Mr. Wolf, perhaps it's time

true cause of her mother's death remained a

mother, prompting

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

But now...

her mother's failed mission, she would ensure the traitor learned that neither prison nor the grave would be their

turned, his face a portrait

playing on her lips, while Percival's normally stoic

their

by Vivienne or kicked by

Reaper

with the pair, "I'm sorry, Vivienne, Percival. I'll do whatever you ask-climb mountains, swim oceans, even streak across Mount Everest!" Percival's fingertips tapped rhythmically on the leather seat. "There's no need for such dramatics. Just

as bright as ever. "I wouldn't dream of sending him to such extremes."

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

Vivienne's silence was an answer in itself,

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