The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne looked pale as a ghost.

Clearly, it was time to fast-track the development of the new bomb detector. They could not afford another incident like this.

But Imogen's face was a tapestry of tension, and Vivienne noticed.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Imogen shook her head, troubled. "No, there should be thirty-one... Yesterday, he found one..."

She reached up, touching the headband nestled in her hair-a gift from her beloved, cherished more than gold. Just yesterday, he had whispered to her with undying affection, "Your hair is your crowning glory, love. With this, you're even more radiant."

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Three seconds remained.

Tears welled in her eyes as she dashed out of the Ellington Mansion.

Vivienne and Percival had no time to react before a deafening explosion shook the air.

When the smoke cleared, only a shattered necklace remained on the ground. It was the token Richard had given to Imogen, a symbol of her acceptance into the Ellington family.

The bomb's force had vaporized Imogen instantly, like a plane plummeting from the sky, obliterating everything in its path.

Vivienne and Percival were frozen. If Imogen had not acted on her instincts, they, too, would have been reduced to nothing.

Not far away, in a parked car, Isolde burst into tears. She had watched her beloved aunt vanish, her waterfall of hair gone without a trace. Cecilia nestled into her husband's embrace.

Out of all Flynn's sins, Imogen was the most tragic victim-a solitary girl who vanished from existence without a last word, as if she had never been. Vivienne stepped outside; the air still held a tinge of fire powder. She picked up the unrecognizable necklace and wiped it clean with her hands. Richard exited the car, addressing Percival, "We owe her a dignified farewell. The Ellington family failed her."

drawing Vivienne close, comforting her

special squad cleared the Ellington Mansion and raided Flynn's room, taking away all related

herself, Vivienne

of Imogen and Flynn stood on the nightstand, everything untouched. The bed was made

a hair entangled in

between her fingers. Suddenly, her expression

strand, something

wrong, Vivienne?" Percival approached, concerned

placed both strands in his hand.

brow furrowed as he felt the hairs, and realization

Flynn's pajama was

Elsewhere in Rivenwood.

returned to GTO headquarters, stretching her neck before firing

it was time to leave

Percival, we'll meet

they would have recognized her

Meanwhile.

was nowhere to

to pursue the allegedly deceased Imogen. But she could not risk exposure with a traitor still lurking within the Nine Mystics Society. She turned to Draven and Matthew. "Search for any trace of Imogen in secret.

Vivienne,

seeing her stern

Vivienne's brows knitted together.

to F-Poison remained a mystery-perhaps someone

Percival finally uncovered the secret

bomb that exploded were real,

a sophisticated projector on the Ellington

smoke from the bomb to