The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne and Percival's paperwork went through without a hitch. After a quick lunch, they wrapped up all the formalities within half an hour and collected the various IDs and permits issued by the authorities. The newlyweds' first stop was to drive to the HK Penitentiary.

After some restructuring by the Vanguard Agency, several convicts had been transferred from their previous underground cells to these more secure facilities.

Now, they were housed alongside traitors to the state and suspects involved in particularly heinous crimes.

The security was so tight, a fly couldn't buzz through the air without being zapped by one of the hidden laser guns in the corners.

It was Vivienne's first visit to this prison, and she discreetly looked around, the green light strips on the floor giving her the sensation of walking through the corridors of a high-tech spaceship from a sci-fi blockbuster.

"Are we going to send the criminals we catch to this place from now on?" Vivienne suddenly asked, turning to look at Percival.

The man nodded without hesitation, "The number of turncoats within the Vanguard Agency has the higher-ups on edge. From now on, all prisoners captured by any special division will be detained here. Without a pass from the top brass, no one is allowed to transfer them out."

the top brass, he meant the leader who oversaw all

intrigue passed through Vivienne's

they spoke, they were led to the

he was now isolated in a sterile, silver room. He was in a standard-issue gray jumpsuit, with black electronic shackles on his wrists. He barely glanced up at their arrival before turning

narrowed his eyes slightly and gestured for

window, "You've got it cushy compared to your brother, Cormac. He spent

react, his face finally showing a hint of emotion, "You've

Cormac. You think you can take someone from the head of the Abernathy family? Such big talk for

being exiled to a small mountain village,

tone in Percival's voice halted Whitford's

he's been calling Emrys 'Dad.' I bet he doesn't even remember he has a real brother. Whitford, you know

soft spot. As Vivienne's voice trailed off, he threw aside his work and

come right out with it but began recounting what she'd learned, "You colluded with Harrison to steal the Littleton family's pharmaceutical formulas, and conspired with Emrys to bring ruin to

pupils dilated, his knee-jerk reaction, "Impossible,

Whitford was

head, her

out a walkie-talkie from his sleeve, his voice cool as it floated through the

Soon after.

the simple yet elegant patterns on it, suggesting it was custom-made. But Vivienne recognized it at a glance; it was the kind of bottle her mother had always favored for her most satisfactory concoctions. The feigned death serum was one of those. However, she remembered her mentor saying that the initial batch of serum had been sold off and was now primarily in the hands of the Abernathy family. Where did Percival get this bottle from? Reading Vivienne's surprise, Percival handed her the vial, "Last night,