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!"

the guard named Xiomara. "We're 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

eyes flickered with reluctant 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

of an international crime syndicate?" Vivienne didn't know whether to laugh at her naivety or marvel at her simplicity. "Sweetheart, how old are

and seemingly older than Vivienne, flushed

poison I fed your brother. I don't care what

the hell are you?!" Whitford glared, his voice

pain in his abdomen was relentless, amplified by whatever Vivienne had slipped into the

her gaze cold

The room fell silent.

she

fierce woman was and

Vivienne was always

was shocked by her audacity, not expecting such a delicate-looking woman to speak with such

face turned from pale to purple to

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

back, Vivienne mulled over their next move, and before she could ask, Percival knew

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

of their ranks, he 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 over, we need

is bound

with the pressing matter of Kaitlyn and the Grimshaw family, who were causing trouble