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.

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

If Vivienne was up, the eight still out cold

like that won't fool me.

too fast. I couldn't

cough up 800 billion!" Vivienne said with a vengeful tone before slipping her arm through Percival's.

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

her leg and hooked Percival's, her lips glistening in the dim light, enticing beyond words. "Mr. Wolf, do

loosened his 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 next instant, Percival had flicked her leg aside, and

and shattered, and Vivienne found

hint of flirtation, only threat and

the hell are

blinked, and her eyes quickly lost their

aback and only realized the truth when he lifted

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

another of

it a test of

was Vivienne, whom he naturally desired. If he felt

her bedroom, where the real Vivienne was

strong; even

his immunity was part of this

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

Rivenwood, Finnian relaxed on a sun

the Vivienne replica was not the real deal."

it was time to

a silent smile, seemingly privy

"Aren't you worried about sending this out? What if