The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 366

Deep in the heart of the wilderness, where legends of old feuds and battles were as common as the mist clung to the mountains, a lineage of warriors existed so ancient that their origins were lost to time. The locals, simple folk who preferred their peace and quiet, rarely spoke of these warrior families. It was not out of disdain but fear-fear that a wrong word might lead to a fate so dire not even their remains would be found.

Vivienne, propping her chin with her hand, pondered for a moment before asking, "If you folks stay clear of those ancient warrior lineages, what's the deal with you and Griffin?"

"Don't get me started on Griffin," Leopold grumbled, his face twisted in displeasure. "She's a classmate of my cousin. The Martinez family must've known about the Rivenwood families shunning their kind, so they tucked her away in a relative's home, keeping her true identity under wraps. Nobody knew she was a Martinez, a true blue blood of the ancient warrior lineage until she was 14 when she patented some kind of combat aircraft design."

Vivienne's eyes lit up. This woman was a talent!

Seeing Vivienne's reaction, Leopold sank deeper into his funk and muttered, "Vivienne, could you please just let it be? I can handle my own messes."

Vivienne arched an eyebrow, "Sure!"

But Leopold clearly lacked self-awareness.

A genius like Griffin, a girl who lived with such raw passion-how could she ever let go?

Relieved by Vivienne's promise, Leopold exhaled deeply, only to feel the icy gaze of death upon him.

He stiffened.

In the midst of dealing with that woman, he had forgotten about Percival.

"Erm, Percival, please, put today's bill on me and ask for anything you need," Leopold offered, bowing and scraping, internally cursing his luck.

How on earth was he supposed to appease Percival now?

Desperation crept into his thoughts.

Percival's lips curled into a gentle smile, veiling a lethal edge, "Mr. Sterling, how could I possibly impose on you?"

Leopold was speechless.

"I'm begging you, just stop talking." He thought but dared not say a word.

...

At the Vanguard Agency.

Calista was dragged into this place without a chance to object and thrown into a dark, claustrophobic room.

It was empty, and she dared not make a move.

The darkness amplified every fear, and the slightest noise could make her flinch.

Bang!

Startled by her own movements, she fell to the floor. Just then, the lights flickered on, making her yelp in alarm.

Once she calmed down, Calista tried to make sense of her capture. They accused her of using infants for viral research.

It was preposterous! She was innocent.

What was going on?

Her body stuck to the wall, filled with anxiety, as if she was waiting for her inevitable death.

No!

She had to leave! She could not be locked up here!

"Hello? Anyone? You guys got the wrong person! I didn't use infants for viral research like you said I did. Let me out! I'm from the TIC Research Institute. I can bring you to my lab if you don't know what that is. You absolutely won't replace any traces of virus research in there. Someone!"

However, her protests went unheard, her cries muffled by the soundproof walls.

The most eerie part was this place was strangely quiet. It was so quiet that Calista could hear her own breathing. The unknown was the most terrifying, and the slightest sound struck her nerves, keeping her alert.

Hours passed, her voice grew hoarse, and fatigue set in. She was about to succumb to sleep when the door creaked open.

"You're free to go," A man's icy voice announced before Calista could speak.

"What?" She was dumbfounded.

Then, she was ushered out and into a car, no questions allowed. The men with guns had stern faces, and she dared not speak.

Everything was extremely strange. She was captured out of the blue and was now allowed to leave. Did this mean that she would be fine?

Why did these people not investigate the matter clearly beforehand, then?

At the Brooks Mansion.

The headlines erupted online following the scandalous family reunion banquet events.

[The Brooks Heiress Arrested!]

[Vanguard Agency Involved in Brooks Family Crime!]

[Brooks Heiress Faces Death Sentence!]

Despite Baron's efforts to suppress the news, it spread like wildfire, stirring a frenzy in elite circles.

The Brooks family was a picture of dismay, but none more so than Baron.

Richard had called him and laughed at him for three hours. Even after hanging up and blocking his number, he kept calling him. Thanks to that, Baron had not slept a wink.

"Now, are you satisfied?" Baron seethed, his anger palpable as he faced his family, who shared his discomfort and frustration.

The Brooks family was undoubtedly feeling the heat, having thrown three family reunions in quick succession, but it turned out to be a recipe for ridicule rather than celebration.

"Just yesterday, the people who captured Calista said she was tinkering with some virus? She's got some nerve, huh? Who dares to mess with that kind of stuff?" Kala had not caught the whole story, just snippets about a virus.

She was shocked, to say the least.

"I knew she was into her research, but I never imagined..." Judith's face had lost its color. "This could tarnish the Brooks family name. Maybe we should figure out a way to bail her out?"

Judith seemed to be putting the family's best interests at heart.

Vivienne sat silently, her delicate fingers rhythmically tapping on the table.

"Grandma, do you even know what messing with viruses means? That's dangerous business!" Kala was getting worked up. She did not want to live under the same roof as someone who played with viruses. Who knows, she might end up in a coffin without even realizing it.

Kala was so irritated she could not hold back. "I've said it before, we shouldn't have let that illegitimate daughter come back. She was nothing but trouble, but no one listened. Now look where we are! She's dragged us all down!"

The more Kala spoke, the louder she got, "Playing with viruses, at best, she gets slapped with a serious sentence. At worst, our entire Brooks family gets dragged through the mud!"

The villa was silent as a grave. Nobody spoke because they knew Kala was spot on.

This was not something to be understated.

Being taken by the Vanguard Agency was no minor deal.

Such a serious crime, the Brooks family might not withstand the storm!

Suddenly, the sound of a door creaking open shattered the silence, followed by a voice, "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, I'm back."

Everyone's gaze snapped to the entrance, where they saw Calista standing in the doorway.