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.

he heard a loud

Vivienne was up, the eight still out cold would

trick like that

too fast. I

I'll make him cough up 800 billion!" Vivienne said with a vengeful tone before slipping her arm through

couch, half-sinking into it, and sighed, "After all that, I can't sleep.

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 you want me

a decisive motion. "Or maybe, drink lying down?" Vivienne was startled, but in the next instant, Percival had flicked her leg aside, and his elbow came

glass fell and shattered, and

was no hint of flirtation, only

who the

her eyes quickly lost their luster, like a

aback and only realized the truth when

It was a robot!

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

this another of Finnian's

test of his resistance to

this was Vivienne, whom he naturally desired. If he felt nothing for Vivienne, that would be

to her bedroom, where the real

indeed strong; even Vivienne

seemed his immunity was part of

settled himself in Vivienne's room, leaning against the

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

got a good eye and steady nerves. Looks like he knew from the start that the Vivienne replica was not the real deal." Finnian nodded approvingly, pleased with

to think about the

in a silent smile, seemingly privy

in a nearby room. "Aren't you worried about