The Million-Dollar Heart

Percival casually snapped off a twig and flicked away the power line in his path. Thankfully, he was in the garden; otherwise, he would have had to endure a jolt of electricity. But Finnian's test was not something to be taken lightly.

No sooner had Percival tossed aside the twig than a snake, tongue flickering, shot towards him along the branch.

That did it. Percival was livid. He grabbed the snake by its body and slammed it to the ground.

But as he did, something felt off.

Why was this snake so light?

Frowning, he glanced back at the pit he had passed and the discarded power line.

He decided to shut his eyes, ignoring anything else he might touch or sense.

Thirty seconds later, Percival reached the garden fence. With a firm kick, the fence collapsed. Only then did he open his eyes and turn to see that there was neither pit nor snake-just projections from a high- tech projector!

Finnian possessed the same kind of cutting-edge projector that Karen had been researching!

Percival's gaze sharpened, and some thoughts in his mind were now confirmed beyond doubt.

The only problem was the lack of evidence.

Stepping over the fallen fence, he approached the villa's main gate.

With the delay, Finnian was long gone.

Percival exhaled a sigh of resignation. When Vivienne woke up, she was going to be furious.

He would have to think of a way to sweet-talk her.

about to head back, he heard a loud noise behind him. It

relieved. If Vivienne was up, the

nodded. "A little trick like that

fast.

hands on him, I'll make him cough up 800 billion!" Vivienne said with a vengeful tone before slipping her arm through Percival's. "Mr. Wolf, let's

flopped onto the couch, half-sinking into it, and sighed, "After all that, I can't

and poured two glasses, her eyes shimmering as she looked at him. Holding out a glass, she stretched out her leg and hooked Percival's, her

sleeves with a decisive motion. "Or maybe, drink lying down?" Vivienne was startled, but in

fell and shattered, and Vivienne found

was no hint of

the hell are

lost their luster, like a

and only realized the truth when he lifted the person beneath

It was a robot!

astounded. How could a robot be indistinguishable from a real person, even mimicking Vivienne's tone of voice? Then the robot's mouth opened, and a scroll fell that read, [Congratulations, you've passed the second trial. This is your reward.] Holding the scroll in his

another of Finnian's

of his resistance to

desired. If he felt nothing for

to her bedroom, where the real Vivienne was still sound

even Vivienne had succumbed to

immunity was part of this

leaning against

somewhere in Rivenwood, Finnian relaxed on a sun lounger while a

steady nerves. Looks like he knew from the start that the Vivienne replica was not the real deal." Finnian nodded approvingly, pleased with Percival's performance in the second

time to think about the

lips in a silent smile, seemingly privy to the

the unfinished bionic robot in a nearby room. "Aren't you worried about sending this out? What if the girl