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.

the meeting, Percival retreated to

over the new squad arrangements

a grandiose

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

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

would he? To apologize?"

authority so abruptly would sit well

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

had been allies for generations. This seemed like a blatant attempt to undermine Percival, maybe even to

find out soon enough," Percival

the day before.

directly to the Director, isn't that a power grab? When the special squad

Percival's power and

this was day one, what would

rang with the

gestured for silence and picked up

got a personal matter to discuss

calling it a personal matter was unexpected. Percival

Percival asked

embossed with the Brooks family crest. "My wife would like you and Ms. Hawthorn to join us for

This surprised Percival.

family for a family dinner. The formality was

years, and to the Brooks and the Edwards families, he was just

myriad of events that had befallen them. They hoped to ride the wave of good fortune to attract more business opportunities. The dinner would host many of Rivenwood's elite, all connected to the Brooks family

for the Brooks family and Vivienne, Percival did not commit immediately but did not decline either. He took the invitations and

legendary niece who's got our Deputy so obsessed," Vance said, his tone

a token smile and