Patrick's limbs were beyond his control, his body betraying him as he followed Vivienne's retreating steps.
Behind him, Gillian's heart-wrenching cries for her father echoed through the air, but he was powerless to respond. Patrick finally felt the command of his body returned when they reached a secluded cabin on the ship.
But now, with both Percival and Anna guarding the door, escape was an impossibility.
"Kneel," Vivienne commanded, her voice serene as she sat on the seat representing authority.
Patrick fell to his knees with a thud, not out of compulsion but from the sheer force of Vivienne's presence.
His legs tingled with numbness, sharp pains shooting through his knees as if a thousand needles were pricking them.
Beads of sweat formed on his brow, trickling down his temples and disappearing onto his shoulders.
Vivienne sat with her legs crossed, her slender neck held high with disdain, a hint of scorn in her gaze.
As Patrick knelt, Vivienne wondered what her mother had seen in him. How could such a spineless man be entrusted with the critical technology of bionics?
She regarded him with contempt and curiosity, slowly pulling the small "Morning Glory" from her pocket and tossing it at Patrick.
Instinctively, he caught it, his forehead bulging with veins, paralyzed with fear.
When he saw what it was, he finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He had thought she had thrown a knife at him!
"Madam, what is this?" he stammered.
Vivienne raised an eyebrow, her voice calm. "A miniature bomb."
Shocked to his core, Patrick scrambled behind the couch for cover.
even worse - a bomb! Vivienne was
their right mind tosses
could almost be certain of
shifting position as she lounged back
this. Even if we set aside your presence on the ship, my daughter and I were there, too.
know," Vivienne murmured
began to rise,
sharpened as she looked at
of the
her. I agreed, and during preparations yesterday, my men told me the Boyd family's head wanted to drop off a flora arrangement. I did not question it, but it's suspicious now that I think about it. I had always dealt with Eliza,
signal beeped in
The shipment had arrived.
buzzed with a message. He wanted to check it
yawned, her eyes closing.
she
move. He knew Vivienne was not dozing off but
the bomb had touched a nerve, and his pale
phone continued to vibrate in his
shipment had arrived, just
Why bother messaging him?
post outside the cabin and were now at the Sea City harbor. Leopold and Thomas had secured the docks, sealing
market, identical to flour and
furrowed. "How
glance with Leopold
"Three tons."
Anna gasped. "How much?"
"Three tons," Thomas repeated.
tons of Keco could profit enough to buy a
had anticipated a significant haul but had not imagined
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