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."

close, comforting her with

Ellington Mansion and

herself, Vivienne

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

Vivienne approached, she noticed a hair entangled in a button of Flynn's pajama

holding it between her

strand,

wrong, Vivienne?" Percival approached, concerned at her uneasy

both strands in his hand. "Feel

as he felt the

from Flynn's pajama was

Elsewhere in Rivenwood.

stretching her neck before

Flynn captured, it was time to leave

we'll meet

been there, they would have recognized her

Meanwhile.

was nowhere

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. Report back the moment

"But Vivienne,

her stern face, and accepted

Vivienne's brows knitted together.

and her connection to F-Poison remained a mystery-perhaps someone even more significant than Belle. Imogen had hidden

uncovered the secret of

bomb that exploded were

projector on the Ellington Mansion's gate. The

pre-arranged hologram, coupled with smoke from the bomb to create a

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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