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!"

investigation, we're authorized to use any means necessary on suspects. Let go of her!" "Xiomara, Percival's right," another imposing guard tugged at his colleague's

Vivienne. It wasn't until the male guard showed his impatience that she finally let go, "But you

about human rights with a member of an international crime syndicate?" Vivienne didn't 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 done things so vile that dying a hundred times over would

only twenty and seemingly older than Vivienne, flushed

care what other plans your ancient warrior

glared, his

by whatever Vivienne had slipped into the pill. It kept him in a state of

at him, her gaze cold and menacing. "I'm

The room fell silent.

guards thought she

who this fierce woman was and why she was so

Vivienne was always one

was shocked by her audacity, not expecting such a delicate-looking woman to speak with such venom. It took another wave of crippling pain to

to black as he

as he pieced together her identity, and despite the torment, he conceded. "Fine... I'll testify for

next move, and before she could ask,

as she

want to do it, you do it. I'm with you all the way. The ancient warrior lineage's roots run deep. Wouldn't be surprised if they've planted a

might have some insight into the Grimshaw family's influence." Vivienne, her chin resting on her hand, suddenly remembered the old manuscript. "Once this is

is bound

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