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?

upon him. "I've always said, from the day you joined the Nine Mystics Society, death would

door,

and walked out, leaving behind a chilling command, "Throw him into

"Young Master, I beg you. I'll never betray you again. Please, you can kill me, but don't

stunned

a private kennel of ferocious dogs used to punish traitors. For years,

No one dared to cross her. She had hoped she would never have to use it. But

clear how much Mark's

GTO, the organization that had killed Vivienne's mother, and she was relentless in her quest for vengeance against it, swearing to destroy

many from GTO, but none suffered as Mark

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 did

Plus, she was attached to all Nine

could understand why Vivienne would throw Mark into the hound pit. If

"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

hope. He sat, mouth

was waiting, having overheard everything. Mark's betrayal was now

of course, would

had always been absent, and that only

the document and said, "From today, you are the head of

upon his death, everything would pass

was truly dead was irrelevant. What mattered was the

very well that whether he could obtain complete control of the Miller family still

the Miller family will never

with a young man's