The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne nodded in agreement.

It seemed Mr. Watson had sniffed something out to have unearthed this blueprint.

She glanced down at the spot marked with a red dot, her finger landing on the most obvious location, and asked Matthew, "What's this place?"

Matthew recognized it instantly, looking up to reply, "Vivienne, this is precisely where we found those antique jewelries last time. We've already searched it once; there wasn't anything else suspicious." But Vivienne kept searching. Mr. Watson's marks on the blueprint were usually in the deepest part of the basement, and in the garden's peculiar features like unusual rock formations and gazebos. However, one spot seemed off to her.

She pointed it out to Matthew, who couldn't immediately place it.

Percival squinted, slowly stating, "Looking at the overall layout, this should be part of the main building. The most secluded part should be the study."

They stopped in front of a classic burgundy door, the lock posing no challenge to them.

The room's setup was untouched. With the original blueprints, finding the study's secret chamber wasn't difficult.

The real challenge was unlocking it.

It required a specific fingerprint to open.

This lock was highly secure, making Matthew hesitant to proceed, fearing he might trigger an explosive device.

Vivienne stepped forward to examine it closely, just about to start when a hidden weapon shattered the window, aiming straight for her temple with lethal intent. Glass littered the floor, yet Vivienne remained still.

As Percival moved to intercept, Vivienne had already harnessed her unique ability, keeping the danger at bay.

Looking up, she saw a figure in black vanish from the rooftop.

Vivienne's eyes turned cold.

In that moment, she hadn't sensed the presence of anyone there.

Leopold's expression darkened as he watched the figure disappear, leaping from the balcony, "Vivienne, Percival, stay here. I'll go after them!"

Anna and Matthew positioned themselves in front of Vivienne, shocked by the sudden attack.

Neither had noticed the assailant.

turned

disagreed, "And not just

weapons flew from

targeting

and Matthew off guard, barely giving them time to react before a massive wave

years, Matthew recognized the deadly poison on

were

utilized over 70% of his ability, the surrounding

by drugs, relentlessly pursuing their

commotion drew the attention of the Wright family's guardians, rushing to the

they couldn't withstand the onslaught of

Mystics Society arrived too late to capture these unexpected attackers, only to see them end their own lives, leaving no trace behind. Vivienne watched

had finally lost her

these assassins were likely

But the timing...

flashed through Vivienne's mind as she instructed, "Matthew, check where the Wright family's

the implication, Matthew and his

at the back. It's empty. We fell for their diversion." Despite his vigilance, he hadn't noticed an additional layer beneath the

valuables were

remembered the blueprint's markings, "The original basement wasn't that large. Only Declan and Abigail would know about

to share her secrets, had probably taken what she

looked dejected, "Vivienne, should we search somewhere

They

"But isn't everything

Vivienne, pointing out, "Vivienne's talking about

only have one chance to open this door

"Then blow it open!"

casual suggestion cut through

lock before

exposure must be connected

command, Matthew had no

they evacuated the building before

revealing the secret chamber's interior, which, just as Vivienne predicted, was