The Million-Dollar Heart

Sasha leaned on her hand with a smirk, grasping a first aid kit in the other, diligently applying ointment to Vivienne's bruised cheek.

Vivienne's lips, a shade of crimson, curled slightly. "This jacket of mine is barely holding together, might as well let him throw in the towel."

Sasha's brows knitted slightly at the comment, pressing a bit harder with the ointment. Vivienne hissed, "Geez, tough love! Got a husband and forgot your daughter, huh?"

"Zip it, or my hand might 'accidentally' slip, making you yelp in pain," Sasha retorted, pinching Vivienne's chin.

The banter went back and forth between the mother and daughter, with Vivienne occasionally dropping hints about her latest findings.

"Just the other day, I mentioned that case where the woman's heart was harvested. It wasn't an isolated incident; there have been disappearances elsewhere too. Yesterday, Mr. Wolf and I tracked a lead to a small town, and if I'm not mistaken, that place is swarming with snipers."

"What's odd, though, is that when Mr. Wolf and I entered, nobody took a shot at us. Logically, they should've taken us out on sight."

Sasha furrowed her brows, her tone grave, "You and Percival might be carrying something they need."

Vivienne seemed to agree with that theory. But what could it be that they needed?

Shifting gears, Vivienne dipped her finger in a glass of water, sketching symbols she recalled seeing in the town on the dining table.

Each symbol appeared simple yet was difficult to replicate accurately. She managed to draw them roughly on the table.

stumbled upon these

glanced over, a shadow of recognition crossing her features. "I think I've seen these symbols in a book before, but not from

deep into it at the time. It

in understanding. "Thanks, Mom. I want to get to the bottom of this. It could help us plan

this about a next move?" Arthur chimed in, entering

her gaze shifting to the trays

Sasha. One plate bore thick slices of American toast topped with fried eggs and a generous squirt of ketchup, with Arthur drawing two big smiley faces on them to cheer

spotting the toast's smiley faces, paused, then stoically took a bite. Truth be told, she wasn't much for

of

contain himself, Arthur asked, "How's the taste,

gaze urged Vivienne for

but I have a soft spot for traditional meals."

remembered the chaos of his kitchen experiments,

saw finishing her toast and then

a strawberry cheesecake, albeit a simplified version. Vivienne separated the strawberry design with her fork, tasting it and said, "Bring it out then. Wasting food is

his attempt at a traditional breakfast and a jug of homemade

eyed the food skeptically, poking at a charred mass with her fork. "Is this supposed to

his head, muttering, "It was supposed to

the back. "You're just starting out. Keep practicing, and maybe get some tips from the chef. You'll get there!" As Sasha pushed a piece onto Vivienne's plate with a triumphant grin, implying there was no escaping this meal, Vivienne reluctantly took a sip of the soy milk, grimacing at

as for this