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 woman

thought I

him and wanted to punch him out

under that mask?” Yuri couldn’t help asking. The woman had given him an odd sense of familiarity as if they had met before. The mention of having held Vivienne as a child had also piqued his curiosity. However, he combed

use. The face under the mask was probably

people are masters of disguise; they wouldn’t dare show their true

she mentioned Samantha.

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

Wolf, it’s time to head home.

why they were returning home without having completed their mission. Were they just going to leave the

“Okay,” Percival nodded.

in red. 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

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

and Percival:

get used

Vivienne had encountered such tactics. The

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

leaving my sister and I with only each other

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

see.” Vivienne’s eyelids lowered, hiding

want to come

replied

in a mysterious

private jets could be heard outside. The uncles peeked out to see two sleek

two planes? How will we

and I will head back first. In a day, someone will come to take you back to

Everyone was puzzled.