The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 378

The online community was in an uproar when the police released evidence incriminating Judith. Her once-loyal supporters fell into a stunned silence, quickly drowned out by a chorus of angry voices. Emotions ran high as people flooded the Brooks Corporation's official website with vitriol, and the personal social media accounts of every member of the Brooks family were bombarded with harsh comments. Kala and Darren, both celebrities, saw their careers take a massive hit as endorsement deals and acting roles evaporated overnight. Companies severed ties, leading roles were recast, and they faced the grim prospect of paying hefty breach-of-contract fines.

The Brooks Corporation's stock plummeted as the scandal unfolded.

Families of Dahlia's friends, who had perished alongside her, led online campaigns against the Brooks, who became pariahs, struggling to navigate the storm of public outrage.

Stepping outside became a challenge for the Brooks family. In the end, it was Ronald who slipped out to discreetly purchase funeral items for a simple service at home for Judith. But when it came time to transport her body for cremation, they found the mansion besieged, unable to move past the crowd.

In Percival's downtown loft, Vivienne sat with Dorian, Cordelia, and Thaddeus, all glued to the live broadcast of the Brooks' predicament.

Thaddeus had been staying with Percival since before the family reunion, and since leaving the Brooks mansion, Vivienne had not looked back.

Watching the chaos unfold on TV, Thaddeus turned to Vivienne, his confusion apparent. "Sis, did Judith really kill these people?"

Vivienne had been the one to introduce Thaddeus to Charlotte, who had helped stabilize his emotions with her tutoring. As a result, Thaddeus was largely sheltered from the darker aspects of life and had little understanding of death and violence.

Gently patting his head, Vivienne softly confirmed, "Yes, she did."

"But why did they have to shoot her? Her death will make the family sad," Thaddeus questioned, innocence in his wide eyes.

Vivienne pressed her lips together, her voice still gentle. "She made a mistake, and death was the price she had to pay."

It was unknown if Thaddeus understood, but he looked at the exhausted appearance of Kala and her family on the screen and said with empathy, "Kala must be sad, right?"

Vivienne followed his sight and looked at the TV, too.

On the screen, the Brooks family was attempting to drive Judith's body to the crematorium, only to be encircled by a furious mob at the gates of their mansion. Vegetables and eggs were thrown; paint was splattered.

No one, not even Kala and Ashley, shielded by Ronald, was spared. Kala's hair was yanked, leaving her disheveled and her clothes torn.

It was almost impossible to adapt to such a colossal change so quickly. Like a walking corpse, Kala walked behind Ronald, head lowered, letting the crowd push her around as they wished. Vivienne's expression changed slightly, her expression challenging to read.

While witnessing the scene, Cordelia expressed her concern for Vivienne, saying, "Vivienne..."

Vivienne knew exactly what Cordelia was about to say and replied preemptively, "Mr. Wolf will deal with it once he's done with his stuff."

Percival was busy in his study, dealing with the fallout from the Judith scandal, which had unraveled a tangle of cases and drawn scrutiny from the higher-ups.

The higher-ups had ordered him to let go of Calista without explaining the reason behind it, and Percival was now dealing with this matter.

Listening to Vivienne's confident response, Cordelia felt reassured. She said, "It's not your fault. Judith deserved it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Kala and the others will surely understand."

She knew Vivienne well enough to understand that she often took on more than she should. Despite her tough exterior, Vivienne had a soft spot for people who treated her kindly. Although Vivienne had never verbally expressed it, Judith knew she cared about Kala. After all, Kala had always been kind to her since she joined the Brooks family.

"Alright," Vivienne replied with a smile.

Dorian sighed. "The once-glorious Brooks family... Now in ruins."

Initially, he thought Judith's crime was an isolated incident that would not affect the Brooks family as a whole. But the public backlash had been fierce, proving too much for even the prestigious Brooks dynasty, the second wealthiest in Rivenwood.

"The Brooks family won't fall," Vivienne said calmly, causing Dorian to pause and wonder.

"You want to help them?" He asked.

Vivienne smiled mysteriously and replied, "They don't need my help."

She did not plan to help the Brooks family. In fact, she even wanted to completely wipe them out at the beginning. However, she had changed her mind because of Kala. She had once planned to lend a helping hand when the Brooks family was about to collapse for the sake of Kala. Now, however, she knew very well that the Brooks family would not fall with Scott around.

Dorian had no idea what Vivienne's response meant.

Just then, Percival emerged from his study, glanced at the TV where the crowd was assailing the Brooks family, and assured Vivienne that someone was already handling the situation. Vivienne nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. She offered no more words.

Roughly twenty minutes later, a fleet of police cruisers rolled up to the Brooks Mansion, lights flashing in the dusk. Officers swarmed the premises, apprehending the crowd that had breached the Brooks family's sanctuary, strictly prohibiting any further violent intentions.

With the law's intervention, the Brooks were able to smoothly depart and make their way to the crematorium with Judith's remains.

Once the situation had settled, Vivienne switched off the TV.

She noticed Percival lurking at the edge of the room, evidently itching to speak. Thus, she stood up and approached him, asking, "What's up?"

Percival cast a glance at Dorian and Cordelia before murmuring, "Let's talk inside."

Some matters were not meant for all ears.

Vivienne nodded, following him into the study.

"The word from above is we have to release Calista," Percival stated bluntly as they entered the quiet of the study.

Vivienne furrowed her brow. "Whose orders?"

"No idea." Percival grimaced. "Just that it's a directive from the higher-ups."

Leaning against the wall, Vivienne let out a scoff. "Quite the long arm they've got."

"There are things I can't be seen meddling in," Percival muttered under his breath.

Vivienne shot him an amused look, her lips curling into a smirk. "Alright, you handle it."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Percival's stern features. "There's no one who gets me quite like you do, Vivienne."

With a chuckle, Vivienne teased, "Your thoughts are practically painted on your face, Mr. Wolf."

Percival cleared his throat with a feigned cough. "Ah, you've got me there."

After a moment of light-hearted banter, Vivienne's expression sobered. "We can't release Calista just yet. How long can you delay?"

"One day," Percival said after a breath.

Vivienne paused, considering. "I need two days."

Percival pressed his lips, conceding after a moment. "Vivienne, one day is the most I can offer. If she's not released by tomorrow night, I'll be stripped of my position, and all our hard work will be for naught." His position was not what mattered to him.

What mattered was the network of allies he had built. If he lost his station, those he had spent eight years positioning within the GTO would be in jeopardy.

He was not afraid to die. But he feared for the lives of the men and women who had been through hell and back with him.

Vivienne mused briefly before saying, "Then it's a race against time to see who's quicker on their feet, me or Mr. B."