The Million-Dollar Heart

"Damn it!"

Leopold was floored for a solid half-hour when he saw the personnel appointment circulate with the new appointments.

Just the other day, he was consoling Soren, warning him to watch his back with the new Director sniffing around for scapegoats. And now, it turned out he was the one who would be dancing to the Director's tune!

The joke was on him, and he was the last to know.

Anna clapped Leopold on the shoulder, a look of sympathy in her eyes. "Captain, looks like I'll be counting on you from here on out."

Soren walked over, tucking the insignia of the third squad into his desk drawer, but his words were for Anna. "Don't jump the gun calling him 'Captain' just yet. We're all drawing lots again to decide who ends up in which team."

Anna blinked in disbelief. She could not fathom landing in Soren's team in this fifty-fifty toss-up!

The whole organization was reshuffling. Anna pulled her lot. When she saw the number "1" glaring back at her, it felt like the sky was crashing down.

Soren glanced over and patted Anna on the shoulder, "Anna, looks like I'll be counting on you from here on out."

"Counting on my foot! More like a curse!" Anna screamed inside.

She raked her fingers through her hair, her real worry was not about who would be the captain.

It was whether she would still be tasked with her original assignment amid this grand reshuffle at the Vanguard Agency.

As it turned out, Anna's concerns were not unfounded.

"Effective immediately, Squad One is on lockdown. All assignments are on hold, and no one leaves without authorization," Vance announced at the morning briefing.

As a member of Squad One, Anna was naturally confined within the Vanguard Agency, ready for orders.

meeting, Percival retreated to his

over the new squad arrangements and

plotting with such a grandiose reshuffling within

now under Vance's direct command, supposedly because the Chief Commander, Thomas,

Leopold came in, and Leopold spoke up, "Percival, this reshuffle is one thing, but having Squad One report directly to the Director? Doesn't that seem off

would he? To

of authority so abruptly

only entered the Vanguard Agency to follow Percival. However, there was no way he would not

and the Sterling and the Ellington families had been allies for generations. This seemed like a

till he does. You'll find out soon enough," Percival said, offering no

mission for Leopold the day before. Without the details, Percival could

When the special squad was formed, it was under the Chief's sole command. Since when does the Director get to

Percival's

one,

Percival's office phone rang

and picked up the

got a personal matter

Percival straightened his

Percival asked upon

Ms. Hawthorn to join us for dinner tonight. She

This surprised Percival.

examined the invitations; indeed, they were from the Brooks family for a family dinner. The formality was

Edwards families, he was just

family, especially after the myriad of events that had befallen them. They hoped to ride the wave of good fortune to attract more business opportunities. The

commit immediately but did not decline either. He took the invitations and said, "I'll ask Vivienne.

also eager to meet this legendary niece who's got our Deputy so obsessed," Vance said, his

a token