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.

his head, too, indicating he

familiar faces – and the red-clad woman gone –

thought I

looked at him and wanted to punch him

as if they had met before. The mention of having held

no use. The face under the mask was probably not her

wouldn’t dare show their

stood up. “Vivienne, she mentioned Samantha. What’s

Samantha’s whereabouts. Instead, he ended up being the one kidnapped, a humiliating turn of events for

at Percival. “Mr. Wolf, it’s time to head home.

full of questions, wondering why they were returning home without having completed their mission. Were

“Okay,” Percival nodded.

However, she was not exactly going to cause a problem. After all, they had deliberately allowed some things to happen so they could achieve the

State? Apart from being third wheels, what else

Percival: Don’t blame

get

been bizarre, and this was the first time Vivienne had encountered such tactics. The silver needles from her fan were

Larry, and a severely shaken Huxley, Vivienne addressed the latter, “Didn’t F-Poison

began. “I have no idea! Back then, Mom lost everything for that man, leaving my sister and I

those maniacs was hell! It was torture! But when I almost lost it, she suddenly brought me to this sanatorium, where I

Vivienne’s eyelids lowered, hiding the look in

want to come back with

replied without

curved in a mysterious smile.

jets could be heard outside. The uncles

ask, “Just two planes?

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

Everyone was puzzled.