The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

William pondered for a moment before speaking up, “It was about two weeks before the boss took her own life. She sent it to me over the local network; it was a burn-after-reading kind of deal, leaving only this file with instructions to keep it safe, saying it would come in handy later. Then she just vanished without a trace.”

“It was the same for me. The boss made me promise not to let these secrets out,” Zachary also chimed in.

Vivienne’s brow furrowed with concern. It would come in handy later?

How so?

Her mother was dead. What good could it possibly do now?

“Master, could this be… bionic technology?” William ventured to ask.

Vivienne nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m entrusting to you. I’ve consolidated all the Ashford and Boyd family resources, and the labs are all set up, but I don’t have the time to manage them. I’m hoping you can handle it. Will that work for you?”

“Of course, it’s perfect,” William replied, his voice tinged with excitement. “Master, aside from my work in holistic medicine, I’ve been relying on this document from the boss to research bionics. I always felt something was missing, but now that you’ve brought this to us, it’s all starting to make sense.”

Zachary nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’ve always wondered what the boss meant by it might come in handy. Turns out she was waiting for you to come to us, Madam.”

Vivienne’s lips curved into a slight smile.

Waiting for her to come to them? Did her mother have the same capabilities as her mentor, to know the future?

How could her mother be so sure that she would come?

A myriad of questions flickered through Vivienne’s mind, slowly shaping into a theory.

“You guys can handle the Havenwood and Rivenwood affairs. Patrick has been making progress with the bionics project over the years, but he never quite cracked it. Keep pushing in that direction, and you’re bound to see results soon.”

After giving her instructions, Vivienne stood up. “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

With those final words, she left without looking back.

Vivienne felt confident entrusting the bionic technology to the combined expertise of the Pendleton and Churchill families.

With that matter settled, Vivienne made her way to the underground prison where Patrick was being held.

the DEA, Patrick had been secretly transferred here by

shivering in his water cell, Patrick was

his pale

her mother, manufacturing and trafficking drugs, stealing her mother’s

every act was a betrayal

the sound of her approach, Patrick struggled weakly and managed to gasp, “Madam… I know I was wrong.

narrowed as she asked coldly,

chains binding him clanking. “I don’t know.

F-Poison, yet you

offered me a lot. They said I could make a fortune

finish, Vivienne’s hand was already tightening around his

as he struggled for his life, splashing water

Madam… I was wrong. Please, I beg you, let me go.

twist his neck right off. But as she saw the blood in

for breath. For a moment, he thought

truth. I really haven’t seen F-Poison, but I did meet a girl from GTO. She’s

loyalty

“Did F-Poison ever ask you for the

gaze, “Yes… he did. But the technology is still immature. It only functions for ten seconds in front of people before it collapses. It’s useless. Madam,

connection was with

the high-purity drugs they produced were extraordinarily

chop, Vivienne knocked Patrick out cold. His head sank into the water, bubbling as he

of the water cell and sitting in her car, Vivienne could not shake the feeling that something was

Imogen fled, she had the help of a projector, but no matter what, she could

who had “exploded” before them, leaving nothing behind, was not a person at all—it was a biorobot

seconds was

focus had been on finding the bomb; no

but her expressions were stiff, lacking the fear

never expected a biorobot

the hair left at the scene was

to cover up

anyone who could outmaneuver the likes of Karen and Percival for so long had to be

away, her mind racing with the