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.

too, indicating

and finding familiar faces – and the red-clad woman gone – he knew he had been saved

thought I

punch him out of frustration but

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 through his memory

use. The face under the mask was probably not

of disguise; they wouldn’t dare show their true

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

Vivienne, part of which was to investigate Samantha’s whereabouts. Instead, he ended

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

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

“Okay,” Percival nodded.

in control except for the woman in red. However, she was not exactly going to cause a problem. After all, they had deliberately allowed some things to happen

here in M State? Apart from being third

and Percival: Don’t blame

get used

woman in red’s moves had been bizarre, and this was the first time Vivienne had encountered such tactics.

severely shaken Huxley, Vivienne addressed the latter, “Didn’t F-Poison capture you? How did you

lost everything for that man, leaving my sister and I with only each

I almost lost it, she suddenly brought me to this sanatorium, where I found Carl. You

lowered, hiding the

want to come back with

Huxley replied

curved in a mysterious smile. “Alright

be heard outside. The uncles peeked out to see two

two planes?

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

Everyone was puzzled.