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 -
mind tosses a bomb around like a
of his innocence regarding
found on your ship," she stated, her legs shifting position
set aside your presence on the ship, my daughter and I were there,
Vivienne murmured absentmindedly,
rise, "Could this be connected to the Boyd
as she looked at
find it odd. After the engagement party fiasco, I cut all ties with the Boyd family. But for the sake of the bionic tech, I could not
preparations yesterday, my men told me the Boyd family's head wanted to drop off
a signal beeped in her
The shipment had arrived.
with a message. He wanted to check it but could not do so in front of Vivienne, so he remained kneeling
yawned, her eyes closing. "Let me
that, she went
He knew Vivienne was not dozing off but contemplating
the bomb had touched a nerve, and his pale
his phone continued
the shipment had
Why bother messaging him?
City harbor. Leopold and Thomas had secured the docks, sealing off all incoming
black market, identical to flour and often sold alongside grains to
brow furrowed.
exchanged a glance with Leopold before
"Three tons."
Anna gasped. "How much?"
"Three tons," Thomas repeated.
could profit enough to buy
haul but had not imagined it would be this
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