The Million-Dollar Heart

Whitford's face twisted in agony as he crumbled to the floor of the cramped cell, his cries reverberating against the cold, grey walls.

Vivienne and Percival barely had time to register what had happened when the guards rushed in. They surveyed the bent iron bars with confusion etched on their faces. "Odd, the energy scan showed he wasn't this powerful. How'd he manage to warp reinforced steel like that?"

Vivienne's ears perked up. "Energy scan?"

You've got to be kidding me! How do you even measure such an intangible thing?

But the guards were dead serious. "The device was sent specifically from the top brass. Developed by some tech whiz, I don't get the science behind it, but the tech guy assured us Whitford wasn't a threat." Yet Whitford had just bent the bars. That meant either the device was a fake, or the technician in charge was a mole from the ancient warrior lineage, planted to monitor any prisoners of their kind! The couple realized this at the same moment.

Without hesitation, Vivienne pushed past the guards and strode into the cell. She fished out a pill from her pocket, pried Whitford's mouth open, and shoved it down his throat. Her movements were so smooth that Whitford had swallowed the pill before the guards could react.

One of them grabbed Vivienne's wrist. "What did you give him?!"

"Xiomara!"

"Vivienne!"

from the NH Bureau, and during an investigation, we're authorized to use any means necessary on suspects. Let go of her!" "Xiomara, Percival's right," another imposing guard tugged

suspicion as they landed on Vivienne. It wasn't until the male guard showed his impatience that she finally let go, "But you can't just shove anything down a prisoner's throat, don't they have

know whether to laugh at her naivety or marvel at her simplicity. "Sweetheart, how old are you? Didn't your teacher tell you the scum in here have

older than Vivienne, flushed in embarrassment and anger at being lectured by someone

I don't care what other plans your ancient warrior lineage has, but if you're not at the hearing the day after tomorrow, you and your brother

Whitford glared, his voice trembling as much

amplified by whatever Vivienne had slipped into the pill.

looked down at him, her gaze cold and

The room fell silent.

she was one tough

this fierce woman was

knew that Vivienne was always one for

such a delicate-looking woman to speak with such venom. It took another wave of

turned from pale to purple to

torment, he conceded. "Fine... I'll testify for

ride back, Vivienne mulled over their next move, and before she could ask, Percival knew what was on her mind. "Want to look into

she nodded. "Mr. Wolf,

want to do it, you do it. I'm with you

insight into the Grimshaw family's influence." Vivienne, her chin resting on her hand, suddenly remembered the old manuscript. "Once this is over, we need to visit

is bound to

but first, they had to deal with the pressing matter of