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!"

"We're from the NH Bureau, and during an investigation, we're authorized to use any means necessary

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 shove anything

marvel at her simplicity. "Sweetheart,

and seemingly older than Vivienne, flushed in embarrassment and anger at being

in your gut is the same poison I fed your brother. I don't care what

Whitford glared, his voice trembling as much as his

his abdomen was relentless, amplified by whatever Vivienne had slipped into the pill. It kept him in a state of

down at him, her gaze cold

The room fell silent.

thought she was one tough

fierce woman was and why she was

was always one for

speak with such venom. It took another wave of crippling pain to snap him out of

turned from pale to purple to black as he gasped, "You...

he conceded.

ask, Percival knew what was

she nodded. "Mr. Wolf,

you 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 tech mole in the

some insight into the Grimshaw family's influence." Vivienne, her chin resting on her hand, suddenly remembered

is bound to

with the pressing matter of Kaitlyn and the Grimshaw family, who