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!

dark with malice, focused on the road ahead,

two figures vanished

booth, they

had just finished her nightly routine and was ready for bed. His message read, [Donald is on it; the target is

tail; we need to know

a few terse messages sent, Vivienne turned off

The next day.

opened her eyes, Percival

checked her phone, and a message from Matthew popped up immediately, [At seven sharp this morning, we lost contact with Donald, suspect

"What happened?"

got out of bed

last night, but this morning, there's been no response to calls or texts. We've heard from the people watching Ramona's place that she's back from the suburbs,

"Alert everyone, find Donald-dead

up quickly, then dialed Draven, "Issue the Order of Nine Mystics Society, search every nook of Rivenwood, including the suburbs. We

afford to

Vivienne grabbed her gear and headed

as she stepped out of the apartment, her phone

that came was chilling enough, [Next time, I

threatening words was a picture of Donald 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 the audacity to include

as she replied, [Who dares to hurt mine

The Ellington family.

his freedom after that interrogation. But he hadn't kept his head down for long. Messages from the other side came daily, as if certain he posed no threat, urging

out like always, a delicate voice suddenly burst forth,

see Mara and breathed a sigh of relief, "You scared me half to death. What

should 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

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

huffed, "I don't care what you're planning, just remember this-I'm still at Vivienne's mercy. If you have even a shred

Mara, having grown up with Wendy,

Huxley