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 he was

the red-clad woman gone – he knew he had

I was

punch him out of frustration

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

it’s no use. The face under the mask was probably

are masters of disguise; they wouldn’t dare

she mentioned

on a solo mission from Vivienne, part of which was to investigate Samantha’s whereabouts. Instead, he ended

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

without having completed their

“Okay,” Percival nodded.

exactly going to cause a problem. After all, they had deliberately

Apart from being third wheels, what

and Percival: Don’t

get

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, which would

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

sister and I with only each other to depend on.

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

lowered, hiding the look in her

to come back with us?”

Huxley replied

in a mysterious smile.

roar of private jets could be heard outside. The uncles

two planes?

and I will head back first. In a

Everyone was puzzled.