The Million-Dollar Heart

William pondered for a moment before speaking up, "It was about two weeks before the boss took her own life. She sent it to me over the local network; it was a burn-after-reading kind of deal, leaving only this file with instructions to keep it safe, saying it would come in handy later. Then she just vanished without a trace."

"It was the same for me. The boss made me promise not to let these secrets out," Zachary also chimed in.

Vivienne's brow furrowed with concern. It would come in handy later?

How so?

Her mother was dead. What good could it possibly do now?

"Master, could this be... bionic technology?" William ventured to ask.

Vivienne nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm entrusting to you. I've consolidated all the Ashford and Boyd family resources, and the labs are all set up, but I don't have the time to manage them. I'm hoping you can handle it. Will that work for you?"

"Of course, it's perfect," William replied, his voice tinged with excitement. "Master, aside from my work in holistic medicine, I've been relying on this document from the boss to research bionics. I always felt something was missing, but now that you've brought this to us, it's all starting to make sense."

Zachary nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I've always wondered what the boss meant by it might come in handy. Turns out she was waiting for you to come to us, Madam."

Vivienne's lips curved into a slight smile.

Waiting for her to come to them? Did her mother have the same capabilities as her mentor, to know the future?

How could her mother be so sure that she would come?

A myriad of questions flickered through Vivienne's mind, slowly shaping into a theory.

"You guys can handle the Havenwood and Rivenwood affairs. Patrick has been making progress with the bionics project over the years, but he never quite cracked it. Keep pushing in that direction, and you're bound to see results soon."

After giving her instructions, Vivienne stood up. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me."

she left

entrusting the bionic technology to the combined expertise of the Pendleton

to the

stint with the DEA, Patrick had

and shivering in his water cell,

sat across from him, studying his pale and swollen

trafficking drugs, stealing her mother's research for

and every act was a betrayal

gasp, "Madam... I know

"I don't know. I've never met him. We've

you

GTO approached me and offered me a lot. They said I could make a fortune if I followed them. I was desperate for

fury in her grip as he struggled

was wrong... Madam... I was wrong. Please, I beg you, let me go.

to twist his neck right off. But as she

gasped for breath. For a moment, he thought he

the truth. I really haven't seen F-Poison, but I did meet a girl from GTO. She's the only one

his loyalty meant nothing

gaze sharpened, "Did F-Poison ever ask you

her gaze, "Yes... he did. But the technology is still immature. It only functions for ten

connection was

were extraordinarily lucrative and had sustained GTO's finances for years. With a swift chop, Vivienne knocked Patrick out cold. His head sank into the water, bubbling as

and sitting in her car, Vivienne

a projector, but no matter what, she could not have escaped from under her and Percival's watch

who had "exploded" before them, leaving nothing behind, was not a