The Million-Dollar Heart

Abigail had a gift, a rare one that allowed her to read the history etched in bones, beyond the facade of flesh and skin. Her mentor once confessed that even he couldn't unravel the mysteries of Abigail's own skeletal structure. If that was truly the case, then her real age was a mystery, or perhaps, there was another possibility.

Abigail was someone who could alter her own bone structure at will.

Regardless of the scenario.

Any anomaly, and she could spot it.

Percival was well aware of Vivienne's skill in reading bones, yet his grip on his wrist remained reluctant to ease.

Vivienne pursed her lips, willing to compromise further, "How about... Mr. Wolf, you lift the cloth for me? Just exposing a single bone would do, anywhere is fine."

With some reluctance, Percival agreed.

But before he did, he made sure Vivienne wasn't looking.

Approaching the first body, Percival chose an ankle bone, gnawed on by wild animals, exposing stark white bone.

Vivienne was accustomed to such sights, unfazed by the gruesome scene.

Luckily, her nerves held steady, no sign of any nausea despite the grim context.

She snapped back into professional mode in an instant.

Focusing on the bone, she squinted, her mind delving deep.

"This person was in their thirties, showing signs of recent hardships but not a life of constant struggle, a life of thin luck prone to attracting trouble," she deduced. Vivienne frowned slightly, retracting her gaze.

The identity of this person was almost certain.

It was Delilah, who had clung to Abigail during their last encounter, inadvertently saving them.

Vivienne shook her head, "This isn't Abigail."

The unspoken understanding between them meant Percival caught on with just a few words.

body, this time uncovering a hand

Vivienne immediately frowned.

to a young girl

Certainly not Abigail.

hand was clenched in an unusual posture, as if gripped by immense fear before death. Vivienne inspected closer, her brows knitting together, "She must have been holding something." Percival looked and saw nothing from

girl was holding something small, it was well-concealed in her

gloves, attempting to pry open the tight grip

"Let me."

needle into the elbow's marrow through the cloth, then easily opened the clenched hand with

but both Vivienne and

it being a fragment of the

securing the fragment on a tray, ensuring no

this end

Vivienne remained silent.

likely attacked from behind by Abigail, who then brutally

attacker's clothing, accidentally grabbing the already cracked Millennia Aegis fragment, holding onto it till death. Soon, researchers

DNA was

no corresponding genetic

eyes at the fragment for a few

"Release the news about the Millennia Aegis fragment, say it's

order, Draven set

anticipated that her desperately sought Millennia Aegis, once incomplete, would render the whole armor effectively useless,

whereabouts, Vivienne wouldn't foolishly

this body; even if she checked recent missing persons reports, Abigail

recover, the search

one of two things: either undocumented or

wasting resources on a search for someone capable of changing their appearance with special abilities, better to wait for her

Cordelia was a form of solace, a true return to

to drive Vivienne home,