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.

Soren's face that he had only discovered upon arrival that his target was

Interesting.

to

Soren paused before addressing Anna, "Anna, rejoin the

after Vivienne.

was a Vanguard operative, duty-bound

a frosty glare. "Rejoin

to Anna, "You've been hanging out with

days, the once-sweet girl had adopted Leopold's brash

you as Squad Leader to fall

Commander Percival are clear:

the order on his display, then aimed his weapon at Vivienne, "Vivienne Hawthorn, You're under arrest. Lay down your arms and surrender." Vivienne tilted her head slightly,

suggests you're the mastermind behind CK, known as White

nearly laughed out loud,

the Vanguard agents. He limped, leaning on a cane, his left

met him in person, but his face had been etched into her memory

mother's old

her and smiled, "You look

a hollow smile, "But let's skip the trip down

nodded. "Fair point. Let's talk about the matter at

presented a

from Black Dragon, also known as Fiona, CK's second in command. Three days ago, she confessed to earn more time outside prison, implicating you

nodded. "Is there

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

nodded again. "You're

the film studio down at Eastlake Bay, all properties in your

you planning to monitor these people

flickered, but he did

as good as an

circle of agents. "Just so

should be resistant to your poisons, right?" Micah smirked slyly at Vivienne, the cunning

in a bind because of my own Life-saving pill. But since you've partaken, remember to pay up. Five million a pop, but for Mr. Wolf's sake,