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.

head back, he heard a loud noise

Vivienne was up, the eight still out cold would get an earful, not

nodded. "A little trick like that won't

was too fast. I couldn't keep

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 head back."

"After all that, I can't sleep. Mr. Wolf, let's have a drink." Standing before

picked Percival's favorite whiskey from the cabinet 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 lips glistening in the dim light, enticing beyond words. "Mr. Wolf, do

tie, revealing an attractive Adam's apple, and rolled up his sleeves with a decisive motion. "Or maybe, drink lying down?" Vivienne was startled, but in the

and shattered, and Vivienne

no hint of

who the

quickly lost their luster, like

was taken aback and only realized the truth

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

test of his resistance to

was Vivienne, whom he naturally desired. If he felt nothing

her bedroom,

strong; even Vivienne had succumbed

seemed his immunity was part of

settled himself in Vivienne's room, leaning against the robot double, and

Rivenwood, Finnian relaxed on a sun lounger while a man applied

start that the Vivienne replica

to think about the

man curved his lips in a silent smile, seemingly privy to the

glanced at the unfinished bionic robot in a nearby room. "Aren't you worried about