The Million-Dollar Heart

Micah scrutinized each document that Percival had brought in. It was all there: the irrefutable evidence that exonerated Vivienne, Fiona's confession to setting her up, and Calista's damning testimony on how she had stolen Vivienne's fingerprints and plotted a murder in the OR.

Without a doubt, Vivienne was innocent.

With an indifferent curl of his slightly chapped lips, Micah returned the papers to Percival. "Good job," he said, the understatement hanging between them like a silent applause.

Percival locked eyes with Micah, his mentor at the Vanguard Agency, second only to Karen in authority. A crooked smile formed on his lips. "I think so too. I did do a damn good job!"

Their gaze held for a heavy moment, neither man breaking the silence.

The air grew thick with tension.

Leopold, Thomas, and Soren, who was standing off to the side, all watched Micah intently. They knew Micah had been obstructing their every move, sidelining the Vanguard Agency, and keeping everyone out of the loop everyone except Soren, whom he had left in the dark about the true purpose of their mission.

Those who made it into the Vanguard Agency were no fools; Micah's actions were purposeful. But the question that hung over them was why he targeted Vivienne and Percival. Was it a personal vendetta, or were there strings being pulled from behind the scenes?

After what seemed an eternity, Micah finally broke into a grin. "Well, the higher-ups have spoken. Vivienne is free to go."

He paused before adding, "But let's be clear, she might not be so lucky next time. If she's tangled up with CK, I won't look the other way, not even for you."

Percival chuckled. "There won't be a next time. If Vivienne ever breaks the law, you won't need to get involved. I'll bring her in myself, Micah."

How he would 'bring her in' was another matter entirely.

Micah's eyes narrowed, his voice chilling. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

In the past, Percival would have addressed him as 'boss,' but now, not even that courtesy was extended. The kid had grown up, out of his control.

Adjusting his goggles, Percival did not linger. Instead, he waved to his brothers-in-arms. "Wrap it up. Micah's buying dinner tonight."

was law. The team responded enthusiastically, though a few still looked to Micah for confirmation. After a moment of silence, Micah's face became an impassive mask. "Alright, dinner's on me

erupted from the crowd, but everyone knew the Vanguard Agency of Rivenwood was

leave for headquarters,

Soren said to Percival. Even though he did not like Vivienne, he would never treat her as a criminal

of Vanguard Agency's third special squad, he could not back down even if the target had been his mother. Percival merely glanced at him. "It's

unsure of what to say

healed. If he

a few seconds of silence, Soren led his squad out, pausing only to say to Anna,

snapped a

as if to say, "Now you remember who's your captain, after that earlier outburst, telling me 'rejoin my

gone, Vivienne and

the car, Anna was still puzzled. How had Percival become the deputy director of

that, she asked the question

It was against protocol, but someone big vouched for him, saying he may be young, but

to make sense of Leopold's rambling, Anna grasped a key question. "Who helped from the

glance and a smile but

asked, "Yeah, who was it? They've got some

about the benefactor. Now, thanks to Anna's question, he

any further promotion would

making some astonishing achievements, he would have to wait for Percival to be transferred to have a chance at the position of captain. Even so, he would still

that Percival had been promoted to deputy director while his disciplinary action

almost driving Leopold so angry he could barely keep driving. The mystery of the benefactor had just added another layer

her limit. She slapped the back of the

her fingers in the pie, for sure. But the real movers and shakers were

news of Belle's arrest back to headquarters, bypassing several

Micah and those two unnamed individuals, it became even more evident that the traitor was

Sky, and