The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

When Vivienne and Percival turned to look again, the woman in red had vanished without a trace.

Vivienne wanted to chase after her, but Percival grabbed her wrist. “Vivienne, let it go. She hasn’t shown us her full hand yet.”

Even for Vivienne and Percival, it had been a stalemate at best. If they pursued her, their chances of victory were slim.

Besides, their main reason for coming to M State was to rescue people, and now that they had, their mission was complete. However, they still hadn’t figured out why the puppet master behind this charade had gone to such lengths.

Vivienne peered in the direction the red-clad woman had disappeared, her gaze murky and unreadable.

Atop a nearby hill, the woman in red stood, her eyes fixed on the scene below where she could see Vivienne’s group.

Lucky for her, she had packed a smoke grenade, which briefly obscured their vision, allowing her a swift escape.

It had been years, and it was time for her to return to Veridia.

She scoffed disdainfully, snapped her fan shut, and walked away. “Wait for it. We’ll meet again.”

…

Elsewhere.

Huxley had fainted from fright during the scuffle and was now jabbed awake by Vivienne’s needle.

“You guys alright?” Vivienne asked, looking toward Larry and Carl.

Larry, clutching his chest, replied, “Vivienne, we’re fine.”

He had sustained some injuries, but they weren’t a big deal for him.

shook his head, too, indicating

faces – and the red-clad

I was a

at him and wanted to punch him out of frustration but

familiarity as if they had met before. The mention of having held Vivienne as a child had also piqued his curiosity.

use. The face under the

they wouldn’t

“Vivienne, she mentioned Samantha.

from Vivienne, part of which was to investigate Samantha’s whereabouts. Instead, he ended up being the one

Percival. “Mr. Wolf, it’s time to head home. Some webs need

having completed their mission. Were they just going to

“Okay,” Percival nodded.

to cause a problem. After all, they

what was our purpose here in M State? Apart from being third wheels, what else did we accomplish?” Vivienne’s

and Percival:

get

injuries. The woman in red’s moves had been bizarre, and this was the first time Vivienne had encountered such tactics. The silver needles from her fan were coated in a deadly poison,

injuries, a cracked rib for Larry, and a severely shaken Huxley, Vivienne addressed the latter, “Didn’t F-Poison capture you? How did you end up

man, leaving my sister and I with only each

when I almost lost it, she suddenly brought me to this sanatorium, where I found Carl. You guys know what happened

see.” Vivienne’s eyelids lowered, hiding the

want to come

Huxley replied

in a mysterious smile.

outside. The uncles

ask, “Just two planes? How will we

answered, “Uncles, Vivienne and I will head back first. In a day, someone

Everyone was puzzled.