The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

When Percival left, Nathan Ellington and Cecilia Boyd had just returned from a stroll around the neighborhood. Surprised to see him at this hour, they half-expected some urgent news.

Percival, mindful of the elder's reputation, didn't divulge much, merely stating he was just dropping by.

Cecilia, always the caring one, couldn't help but ask after Vivienne's health, her concern evident.

Nathan glanced at his watch, "It's getting late. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

Isolde stepped forward, latching onto his arm, "Bro, ever since you got hitched, it's been ages since we had a meal together. You can't just forget us now that you have a wife." Cecilia frowned slightly, "Isolde, she's family too. Let's not have any more of that talk."

Isolde's face fell, "I didn't mean it that way, I just wanted you to stay for dinner with us."

Right then, Vivienne called to check on Richard's condition.

Percival reassured her all was well and mentioned he'd join her after dinner at her parents'.

Vivienne was straightforward, "Mr. Wolf, I'll wait for you."

At lunch, Isolde made a point to sit next to Percival, serving him his favorite shrimp dish, "Here, you love these. Eat up."

Percival took it, urging her to eat as well and not fuss over him.

Isolde watched him eat, a fleeting shadow of something unspoken in her eyes, quickly gone.

Moments later, the once lively room fell into an eerie silence.

All lay motionless, slumped over the table.

Outside, a figure in red approached, her bright nails resting lightly on a shoulder, red lips parting, "Well done!"

...

The Linklater family.

After lunch, Vivienne chatted with Yorick before retreating to her room for a nap.

Nearing her due date, she found it hard to sleep at night.

Mr. Wolf had insisted she take an hour's nap daily, which somewhat alleviated her discomfort and became a routine.

Waking up to a gloomy sky, a sense of unease gripped Vivienne.

Checking her phone, it was already 3 PM.

Mr. Wolf would never be this late without informing her.

Her calls went unanswered, both to Percival and the Ellington household, leaving her heart racing with a dreaded premonition.

Suppressing her fears, she immediately called Leopold, asking him to rush to the Linklater estate.

Leopold Sterling arrived to find Vivienne saying her goodbyes to Sasha and Arthur before getting into the car, her demeanor icy, "To the Ellington estate, and hurry!" Leopold, taken aback by her intensity, raced through the city, the tense atmosphere making his hands shake. "Vivienne, what's happened? Is Percival okay?" Vivienne's aura was dark, "I don't know, but Mr. Wolf better be safe!"

Leopold swallowed hard, fearing the worst for Percival with Vivienne on the brink of fury.

As they sped along, Vivienne's phone rang with a video call from Percival.

Her heart raced, but seeing his name brought a momentary relief.

Answering quickly, she couldn't bring herself to speak.

On screen, Percival was bound and bloodied, his white coat turned red, unmistakably in grave danger.

Vivienne's grip tightened, her eyes blazing.

"Abigail!"

Hearing her name, Abigail's voice came through with a chilling laugh, "Vivienne, see how your beloved suffers at my hand, and you're powerless to stop it." Vivienne's voice was ice, "Release Mr. Wolf, or face my wrath."

"Release him?" Abigail laughed mockingly, taunting her with the power she held over Percival's fate.

But Vivienne was resolute, her threat hanging in the air like a blade, ready to strike at the heart of her enemy for the sake of her Mr. Wolf.

Abigail's voice was light and breezy

as she spoke, but then her phone suddenly shifted, revealing several people lying on the ground, their hands and feet bound, each bearing various injuries but all unmistakably members of the Ellington family.

Even Richard was among them, lying on the ground, barely breathing.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Vivienne's eyes darkened, "You're after me. Let them go."

Upon hearing this, Leopold, who was gripping the steering wheel, clenched his hands tighter, "Vivienne!"

Abigail's lips curved into a smirk, "It's

you I want, but now I fancy changing the game. You have fifteen minutes to find me. For every minute you're late, l'kill one of them. Of course, Percival will be last, but whether he lasts that long is up to you

The video abruptly ended, leaving Vivienne's icy face reflected on the dark screen.

Leopold, who had heard everything, knew exactly what Vivienne intended to do. "Vivienne, where to?"

Vivienne closed her eyes for a moment, quickly scanning the landmarks in the video in her mind.

Suddenly, she looked up and instructed Leopold, "To the Wright estate!"

Without any hesitation, Leopold turned the car around and headed straight for the Wright estate, located right in the heart of downtown.

But getting there now, they wouldn't just be battling against the clock for fifteen minutes; even thirty minutes seemed a stretch.

Leopold glanced at the bumper-to-bumper traffic ahead, his forehead beading with sweat.

Vivienne spoke up, "Get out, I'll drive!"

Leopold was momentarily stunned, only to see Vivienne already getting out of the backseat, walking around the car to face him. Vivienne took the driver's seat, shifted gears in a second, her eyes flashing with an unprecedented fierceness.

In about ten minutes, they arrived at

the back entrance of the Wright estate, but instead of stopping,

Vivienne floored the accelerator, crashing the car straight into the Wright estate.