The Million-Dollar Heart

Mark knew his fate was sealed. Betraying the Nine Mystics Society and harming his brethren had left him no escape.

His only option now was to divulge what he knew about GTO to save his own skin.

"Young Master, my latest orders were to shift our operations to Sea City and locate someone named Imogen to await further instructions. That's all I was told, Young Master. Please, can you spare my life?" Vivienne's eyes narrowed.

Imogen had fled to Sea City, the turf of the Perez family.

Mark continued to plead as a tear traced his cheek.

Vivienne brushed off the man's insincere tears and pressed, "Once in Sea City, how will you find Imogen?"

"I don't know, but our base there is at a virus research facility. I haven't been given details."

Seizing a thread of hope, Mark blurted out, "Young Master, I'll make amends. I'll go to Sea City, uncover the research facility, and deliver this woman, Imogen, to you. I swear I'll complete the mission."

His voice was urgent, punctuated by fits of coughing that suddenly brought forth blood. His heart felt pierced with a thousand needles, suffocating him with pain.

Vivienne stood, dusted off her jacket, and said indifferently, "I gave Flynn a poison that's tearing him apart from the inside. Yours is a hundred times stronger. You'll spend every moment in agony." Mark collapsed, his face ashen.

No one knew better than him the potency of the Young Master's poisons.

His pleas were in vain.

Just as he thought this was the harshest punishment, Vivienne spoke slowly, "You think this is enough?"

Mark shuddered.

Was there something worse waiting for him?

Nine Mystics Society, death would never

door, Draven entered.

grabbed a document, pressed Mark's thumb for a print, and walked out, leaving behind a chilling command, "Throw him into the hound

"Young Master, I beg you. I'll never betray you

was stunned by

of ferocious dogs used to punish traitors.

and Vivienne's temperament. No one dared to cross her. She had hoped she would never have to use

much Mark's betrayal

felt a pang of sympathy. A simple betrayal might have ended with poison, but Mark had joined GTO, the organization that had killed Vivienne's mother, and she was relentless in her

from GTO, but none suffered as

Vivienne had previously dealt with were not directly involved in her mother's death. They were not GTO's boss, and she never had any personal grudge against them. Thus, if they

Plus, she was

hound pit. If he were betrayed by someone he trusted, he

Vivienne paused at the exit, hearing Mark's begging, she smiled, a poisonous bloom. "I'm a law-abiding citizen. Why would I kill? Don't you worry, you won't die. You'll be tended to every day, year after year unless I die. That's when

crushed Mark's last hope. He sat, mouth agape, unable to utter a

waiting, having overheard everything. Mark's

would not forgive Mark

father had always been absent, and that only

and said, "From today, you are the head of the Miller family. Everything

It stated that upon his death, everything would pass

dead was irrelevant. What mattered was the

whether he could obtain complete

I won't disappoint you. I promise, the Miller family will never

pledge was filled with a young