The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 317

Nobody said a word.

It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

The man took a while to digest the situation. "Are you pulling my leg?"

Was he negotiating a deal with the man who wanted him dead?

This guy must be out of his mind!

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Percival retorted.

The man's anger flared up. "You're insulting my professional integrity!"

With that said, he lunged towards Percival.

Just as he was about to reach Percival, the latter's voice echoed. "300 million!"

The man halted abruptly while grinding his teeth. "I am an assassin with professional ethics!"

"500 million!"

"Money can't buy me..."

"One billion!"

"Deal!"

The assassins behind him were dumbfounded.

What just happened?

Did he just betray them?

Percival chuckled. That was more like it.

Money could solve most problems.

Vivienne's way was indeed effective.

It saved him the trouble of getting his hands dirty.

"When will I get the money?" The man looked at Percival.

"Give me your bank account details."

The man immediately provided his account number.

Upon seeing the specific amount on the transfer notification, the man burst into laughter.

"Boss, are you really going to take this money? What if our organization replaces out..." One of his subordinates cautioned him.

Before he could finish, he was silenced by the man's slap. "Are you daft?! How much can we earn from the organization? We have one billion here. We could divide it, live off the grid, get married, and have kids. Why should we live on the edge?"

Hearing this, Percival nodded. "Smart guy."

The man grinned. "Sir, take care! Feel free to contact me if you need anything!"

Percival was a bit taken aback. This man sure switched allegiance quick.

"Oh, and since you've given me one billion, I'll let you in on something. The person who put a price on your head is from the Ellington family, a woman." The man thought for a second. "I think her name is Fiona Ellington?"

It was Fiona?!

Damn it!

Percival's eyes narrowed. "Noted."

With that, he turned and left.

After he left, the assassins huddled together.

"Boss, are we really betraying the organization? You know their capabilities; even if we have money, we won't live to spend it!"

"Yeah, boss, maybe we should just return the money, carry out the task, and report back."

The man glared at them. "You don't understand. Do you really think we can kill him?"

"We are among the top assassins in the organization; how can't we kill one man?" One subordinate retorted.

"Did you only see him alone? Or did you notice the thirty skilled men around him? And the five snipers?" The man said gravely.

When he lunged at Percival earlier, it wasn't the money that made him stop, but the hidden snipers he spotted.

His seasoned instincts as an assassin told him that there were others lurking in the shadows.

So, while talking to Percival, he deliberately scanned the surroundings.

At least thirty men were hiding, and those were only the ones he was meant to notice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have followed Percival all this time without noticing anyone tailing him.

In that moment, he understood. Killing Percival was going to be tough.

So he decided to take the money and leave since he couldn't complete the task.

"WHAT?" The assassins were taken aback. "How did we not notice anyone following him?"

The man glanced at them. "Do you think we can kill him if he didn't have anyone protecting him? Three groups of assassins have failed before us. Isn't that enough evidence of how tough he is? Now, stop talking, and let's get out of here. We need to prepare new identities and start a new life before the organization replaces out."

Elsewhere.

Percival's car stopped outside the Ellington family's residence, and a man emerged from the shadows.

He approached Percival and respectfully said, "Percival, we've confirmed it was Fiona. Both the Emerald Monastery incident and this one were her doing. As for the previous attack on your car, we're still investigating."

Percival, with his hands buried in his pockets and an icy expression on his face, replied, "Looks like someone's getting impatient."

"Do you want us to deal with it?" The man asked.

"No need." Percival responded coldly. "I'll handle it myself."

...

The next day.

Vivienne, along with Dorian, Cordelia, and Thaddeus, visited the Ellington family.

Upon receiving news of their arrival, Richard had his servants prepare the finest tea.

As they entered the room, Richard greeted them. "Ah, Dorian, come, sit."

Dorian and Cordelia greeted him in return. "Sir, long time no see."

Richard paused and looked at them quizzically.

Dorian felt puzzled by Richard's gaze and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that, sir?"

Richard snapped out of his thoughts and said earnestly, "Dorian, even though Vivienne has returned to the Brooks family and we now permanently reside in Rivenwood, we don't see each other often, but that doesn't mean we should become strangers."

Dorian was perplexed. "What do you mean by that, sir? I've always considered you a family elder; how could I become a stranger to you?"

"But why are you calling me sir?" Richard feigned annoyance. "Didn't I tell you before we moved to Rivenwood that there's no need for formalities between us? You can simply call me Richard. It's not been long, and you've already forgotten?"

Dorian was taken aback but quickly realized his mistake. "I apologize. My memory has been quite bad recently. I've been very busy and haven't seen you for a while, so I didn't react in time. Richard, I'm sorry. It was my mistake."

"That's more like it!" Richard finally broke into a smile. "Come on in; I've had some premium coffee prepared especially for this occasion. But no matter how costly it is, I still replace the coffee from your kitchen more delightful!"

Cordelia laughed. "You're too kind, Richard. That coffee beans are just a cheap variety I picked up at the supermarket. If you like it, I can always get more next time." Richard's expression faltered, and a wrinkle formed on his forehead. "I thought you said those coffee beans came from your family's plantation."

Cordelia stiffened slightly before laughing it off. "Oh, I must have forgotten which one I actually served you."

Richard gazed at her intently for a moment but chose not to comment further.

While the adults were chatting, Isolde made her way to Thaddeus, grinning from ear to ear. "Hi Thaddeus."

Thaddeus greeted her back with a rare smile. "Hey, Miss Isolde."

Isolde reached out to grab Thaddeus's hand while her voice sounded chirpy and sweet. "Leopold gifted me an anime figurine recently. Thaddeus, come see it."

"Sure." The two children, hand in hand, moved towards Isolde's room.

After a round of small talk, Cecilia called everyone to the dinner table.

Richard took the head of the table, and Cecilia sat to his right.

Dorian and Cordelia occupied the seats to his left.

Percival and Vivienne were seated next to Dorian.

Thaddeus and Isolde were at the end of the table.

Since the dinner was meant for Dorian, the other branches of the Ellington family weren't invited. Percival's father, Nathan, couldn't make it back due to some business at the company.

As the meal began, Dorian picked up a piece of spicy ribs from his plate and placed it into Vivienne's bowl. "Vivienne, your favourite spicy ribs. Eat up."

The atmosphere turned a bit awkward instantly.

Richard and Cecilia exchanged puzzled glances.

Percival's long, deep-set eyes lifted slightly as a cryptic look adorned his face.

Even little Isolde, her eyes blinking in confusion, seemed perplexed.