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.

worse - a bomb! Vivienne was more

their right mind tosses a bomb around like

Patrick's reaction, Vivienne could almost be certain of his innocence

found on your ship," she stated, her legs shifting position as she lounged back on the sofa, lazily

presence on the ship, my daughter and I were there, too. I would never risk our lives by planting

murmured

to rise, "Could this

sharpened as she looked at him. "You know

family. But for the sake of the bionic tech, I could

matriarch was indisposed and that he would represent 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, not the

then a signal beeped in her earpiece-it was from

The shipment had arrived.

the same time, Patrick's phone buzzed with a message. He wanted to check it but could not do so

her eyes closing. "Let

she

He knew Vivienne was not dozing

nerve, and his pale excuses

phone continued to vibrate

had arrived, just deliver

Why bother messaging him?

and were now at the Sea City harbor. Leopold and Thomas had secured the docks, sealing off all incoming shipments and detaining the

the black market, identical to

brow furrowed. "How

with Leopold

"Three tons."

Anna gasped. "How much?"

"Three tons," Thomas repeated.

Keco could profit enough

had anticipated a significant haul but had not

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