The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne glared at the scene for a solid thirty minutes before she finally averted her gaze.

At that moment, Calista had just danced with the reaper, her toes still dangling over the edge of the abyss.

"Easy there, I just tossed away her eyeball yesterday," Vivienne remarked dryly, casting a sidelong glance at Brody.

Brody nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

As they spoke, the poison coursing through Calista's veins was neutralized.

Vivienne did not linger. She motioned for Anna to follow, and they left the lab.

The moment she shut the door, Brody's voice boomed from inside, "Vivienne, you're a real asshole!"

Anna peered through the glass and saw Brody awkwardly propped up on hands and feet, his head stretched upward, resembling a turtle stuck on its back.

"Ms. Vivienne, you sure take revenge promptly," Anna said with a quiet chuckle, giving Vivienne the thumbs up.

Vivienne flicked her hair dismissively. She was not about to take Brody's scolding for nothing.

"Let's go," she said, looping an arm around Anna's neck as they exited the lab.

Just as they approached the car, both women tensed and swiftly rolled away to either side.

Two tranquilizer darts thudded into the seat where they had just stood.

Vivienne stood by the car's rear, her face a storm as she eyed the direction from which the darts had come.

Anna, positioned at the front, looked in the opposite direction with equal vigilance.

Suddenly, operatives wearing the uniforms of the Vanguard Agency special squad emerged from all around, led by none other than Soren.

Clad in tactical gear and goggles, Soren's surprise was evident even through his battle-hardened facade. "It's you?"

Vivienne's expression remained calm and unreadable.

clear from Soren's face that he had only discovered upon

Interesting.

to protect the nation and

silent, Soren paused before addressing Anna, "Anna,

were after Vivienne. But she was

Vanguard operative, duty-bound

him a frosty

twitched, a silent message to Anna, "You've

once-sweet girl had adopted Leopold's brash

you as Squad Leader to fall back into

orders from Commander Percival are clear: protect Vivienne at

sighed heavily. He glanced at the order on his display, then aimed his weapon at Vivienne, "Vivienne Hawthorn, You're

lips. "Evidence suggests you're the mastermind behind CK, known as White

nearly laughed out loud, "What

a figure emerged from behind the Vanguard agents. He limped, leaning on a cane, his left

figure. She had never met him in person, but his face had been etched into her

mother's old partner,

stopped about 700 feet before her and smiled,

Vivienne replied with a hollow smile, "But let's

"Fair point. Let's talk about the

presented a written

time outside prison, implicating you in every crime she committed on your

"Is there

where you handed off the Boar Poison to Fiona and the transaction records to the engineer who attempted to take out Carl. Only your fingerprint could authorize that

nodded again.

this lab, the film studio down at Eastlake Bay, all properties in your name, and we'll be monitoring all your close contacts, including Dorian's family, the

are you planning

eyes flickered, but he did

silence was as

scanning the circle of agents. "Just so you

We should be resistant to your poisons, right?" Micah

of my own Life-saving pill. But since you've