The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 429

Astrid eyed the laboratory entrance before her, the very threshold of a top-secret national research facility she had once infiltrated with Vivienne. A sly grin tugged at the corner of her mouth as she pressed the button on the remote.

A gust of wind swept by, yet nothing ensued.

Disbelief etched across Astrid's features as she jabbed the button several more times, her expression darkening with each futile attempt.

Suddenly, she whipped out a gun, spinning around with a swift motion.

Vivienne, along with Percival and Leopold who was bemused, emerged from behind her.

Astrid showed no signs of panic; instead, a calm detachment washed over her.

"Figures, you're not one to fall for tricks so easily," Astrid declared, wielding the gun in one hand while discarding the useless remote with the other.

A flicker of regret crossed her gaze as she looked at Vivienne, "Had you joined us, our victory would've been assured by now."

Vivienne's eyes sparkled with amusement, her smile broad and radiant. "Your disguise is pathetic, Mr. B."

Mr. B, now unmasked as the impostor, gave a nonchalant shrug, making no move to remove his mask, "When did you catch on?"

Vivienne pondered for a moment, "Around the time I stumbled upon Scott, perhaps?"

Vivienne then let out a derisive chuckle, "You were too naive."

Mr. B's eyebrows rose inquisitively, "Impossible. You'd never interacted with me when you blew Scott's cover!"

A laugh escaped Vivienne, "Once wasn't enough?"

Mr. B's pupils constricted, still puzzled.

Before impersonating Astrid to get close to Vivienne, Mr. B had thoroughly researched his target. With the help of Alfred, the bumbling fool, Mr. B knew every minute detail of Astrid's life - from her catchphrases to her subtlest expressions and mannerisms.

Even Cordelia, her own mother, hadn't noticed anything amiss.

How could Vivienne, whom he had met only once, possibly see through him?

Observing Mr. B's expression, Vivienne knew he still hadn't grasped it.

She glanced at Percival with a touch of exasperation, "Mr. Wolf, I told you they were no fun."

Percival tenderly rubbed her head, showing empathy, "You've worked hard, Vivienne."

Leopold interjected with a note of seriousness, "Can we stay on task, please? This is a mission, not a time for public displays of affection!"

Mr. B clenched his jaw, "That's quite enough, Vivienne."

Vivienne's brows knitted together as she swiftly launched a silver needle from her fingertips.

Mr. B's control over his legs vanished, and with a thud, he knelt helplessly on the ground.

"When I'm speaking with Mr. Wolf, do not interrupt. It displeases me," Vivienne's eyes glinted with a cold edge, adding a chilling beauty to her already enchanting face. Mr. B gripped his gun tighter but knew better than to shoot.

Regardless of whether it was Vivienne, Percival, or even Leopold, Mr. B stood no chance of a guaranteed hit.

In this open space, a well-trained individual could easily dodge a bullet. And even if hit by chance, Mr. B was aware that he would be the one to suffer the consequences.

With his legs rendered useless, escape was out of the question. He needed to wait for the right moment to act.

Percival, noticing her hesitation, wore a subtle smirk, "Mr. B, you didn't actually think you'd get the chance to pull the trigger, did you?"

Mr. B paused, suddenly realizing his fingers were numb.

He looked at Vivienne's smug face and understood that he had been drugged and was powerless to resist.

Percival's phone buzzed with a message from Thomas: [Subject is secure, no poison detected, organization contacted.]

Percival pocketed his phone, "Leopold, take him in."

Eager to act, Leopold stepped forward and subdued the defenseless Mr. B, handcuffing him with the restraints he had learned to carry at all times since capturing Scott. "Mr. B," Leopold taunted, "My Vivienne has a knack for phrenology. No matter how you change your appearance, you can't fool her eyes. Did you really think you were flawless?" Mr. B froze upon hearing Leopold's mockery.

It all made sense.

He had prided himself on his flawless disguise, yet Vivienne had seen right through it.

Vivienne hailed from the Emerald Monastery, a disciple of the renowned Finnian, whose greatest skill was reading people.

But extensive research had shown that Vivienne did not practice phrenology, nor had she ever offered such services. So how did she discern Mr. B's true identity?

Mr. B looked up at Vivienne, forcing a smile, "You've played along with my charade for quite some time. It seems we must refine our art of disguise."

Vivienne shook her finger, "No matter how skilled you are, you can't imitate the warmth in Astrid's eyes. The face reflects the heart."

Vivienne's talent for phrenology exceeded even her master's. Finnian often remarked she was a rare genius.

Until the age of twenty-five, she was forbidden from reading fortunes, lest she risk her life.

She had heeded her master's warning and refrained from the practice.

Although she couldn't read fortunes, Vivienne possessed the ability to read bone structure, a skill unrelated to mystic arts and solely based on physical attributes.

Due to her special circumstances, she couldn't regularly practice this skill.

Thus, her exposure of Rowan and Ismene was not through bone reading, but simply due to their poor disguise skills.

As for Mr. B, despite a masterful disguise, invisible to the naked eye, it was a single unguarded action that had caught Vivienne's attention, prompting her to use her bone-reading ability.

Mr. B narrowed his eyes, conceding the conversation.

Agents from the Vanguard Agency closed in, escorting Mr. B to the prisoner transport vehicle.

Leopold massaged his wrist, "Vivienne, you're a freaking psychic. How did you know he'd come back here?"

Vivienne looked at Leopold with an expression reserved for an idiot. "Fiona's a partner at GTO. Of course, she'd alert Mr. B the moment she sniffed trouble. And Mr. B isn't daft; why would he walk into a trap like Fiona? Instead, he'd come here, trying to silence me and destroy all evidence."

Even though the research facility was temporarily commandeered by GTO, the contents were a mix of truth and deception.

They wanted to use her to develop the virus they desired, worming their way closer through Astrid's connections, probing step by step.

Unfortunately, they underestimated her knack for numbers. No matter how sophisticated the reports were crafted, they couldn't escape her scrutiny.

And then there was her understanding of Astrid. She had only met Astrid once, but she always remembered the tenderness in her eyes, so similar to Cordelia's. That was something no amount of sophisticated disguise could replicate.

Like she said, the face is the mirror of the soul.

"Fiona, working with GTO? That's wild," Leopold had never been fond of Fiona, always felt she hid her cards too well.

But to think she'd stoop to colluding with GTO. She really would dabble in anything.

"It's not surprising," Vivienne chuckled, "She was behind the whole Boar Poison fiasco."

Leopold gasped, "What! The poison in Isolde, that was Fiona's doing?"

Percival's eyes narrowed, "Yeah."

For years, he'd been at peace with Fiona. But in truth, it was all just a facade, with very little interaction.

Vivienne's brows furrowed, "She still has a vial of Boar Poison, whereabouts unknown."

Percival's eyes turned steely, "Let's head back; we have to regroup."