The Million-Dollar Heart

At this very moment, even a brief second of tranquility was more than Ramona could bear.

She had been rattled to her core by the surveillance footage, tears streaming down her face as she screamed, "This is it! I've said all I can say! Please, please let me go! I haven't even started anything! It wasn't me who messed with your mom; it was all the Grimshaws. I was cornered. I was truly forced!"

Vivienne settled back on the couch, her gaze drifting lightly over Ramona. It was unclear whether she believed her or not. She crossed her legs and said nothing.

Percival had been silent since the beginning, his eyes only on Vivienne, not deviating in the slightest, playing the role of the devoted husband to perfection. Ramona's eyes flickered swiftly.

It seemed like a flash of resentment passed through them.

But it was so quick no one saw.

"Ma'am." Anna stood by her, Ramona's tireless voice echoing in her ears.

She turned a deaf ear, simply waiting for Vivienne's command.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before Vivienne finally spoke indifferently, "Let her go."

The evening wind sliced across Ramona's face like a blade.

She sped along the freeway, scenes from the night's confrontation with Vivienne racing through her mind.

Her heart burned with fury!

If it weren't for the mission, if her meridians hadn't been altered, preventing her from using force!

She would've twisted Vivienne's head off herself!

with malice, focused on the road ahead, completely oblivious to the black car tailing her

an unseen corner, two figures vanished swiftly into the

the Rivenwood toll booth, they

His message read, [Donald is on it;

replied, [Keep on her tail; we need to know

a few terse messages sent, Vivienne turned off

The next day.

eyes, Percival was

and a message from Matthew popped up immediately, [At seven sharp this morning, we

"What happened?"

out

with Donald last night, but this morning, there's been no response to calls or texts. We've

ordered, "Alert everyone, find Donald-dead

up quickly, then dialed Draven, "Issue the Order of Nine Mystics Society,

afford

grabbed her gear

she stepped out of the apartment, her phone vibrated. She checked it swiftly, not Matthew,

text that came was chilling enough, [Next time, I won't go easy on

tied to a post, strapped with the latest model of a time bomb-instead of gunpowder, the glass vials were filled with an unknown green liquid. The sender even had

as she replied, [Who dares to hurt mine will

The Ellington family.

hadn't kept his head down for long. Messages from the other side came daily, as if certain he posed no threat, urging him to proceed with the next

sneaking out like always, a delicate voice suddenly burst forth, startling

"You scared

be asking you that. Have you forgotten what it felt like to be locked up by that maniac Vivienne? What have you been up to these days, sneaking around? Didn't you say you were going to take over the Ellington family? There's

rush? I'm waiting for the right moment. When it comes,

this-I'm still at Vivienne's mercy. If you have even a shred of sibling love left,

terms of presence, Mara, having grown up with Wendy, always had the upper hand

timid Huxley felt a chill at his core and involuntarily stepped