The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

At the TIC Research Institute, Calista strode in with the confidence of someone who owned the place.

She slipped into her pristine lab coat, snapped on a pair of gloves, and began to prepare her array of

scientific instruments meticulously.

As her colleagues filtered into work, they could not help but cast puzzled glances her way. Unfazed by

their stares, Calista selected a few essential tools and turned to the bewildered researchers. “Unless

there’s a pink slip with my name on it that I’ve yet to receive, my presence here should come as no

surprise,” she quipped with an authority that commanded the room.

The researchers collected themselves. “No, of course not, Dr. Blake.”

“Good, then let’s get to work,” Calista said, her eyes flickering with impatience. “Have these items

delivered to my office later. I don’t want to be disturbed while conducting my research.”

She handed a list to her assistant, Holden, whose eyes widened in confusion upon reading it. These

items had nothing to do with their current projects.

“Problem?” Calista arched an eyebrow.

Quick to recover, Holden shook his head. “No. It’s just that we’ve never used some of these before, and

they could be dangerous if mishandled.”

A scoff escaped Calista. “Playing it safe hasn’t exactly helped us meet Mr. Percy’s expectations, has it?

If we don’t innovate, what use will we be to him, or do you fancy yourself a better scientist than I?”

Holden clamped his mouth shut and hurried off to gather the requested items.

Calista retreated to her private lab, a space she had earned as the institute’s director. Here, under the

radar of her subordinates, she could delve into the confidential task assigned by the enigmatic Scott.

As soon as the door clicked shut, beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead. The pressure of developing

a virus under the watchful eyes of so many was immense. Still, she had always maintained an air of

untouchable authority, which now served her well in keeping prying eyes at bay.

Pouring over the documents Scott had entrusted her with, Calista’s gaze hardened. The document was

highly confidential, and the task was extremely risky. She was playing a dangerous game, but it was

the only way to regain her freedom from Scott’s manipulations and regain the attention of the elusive

Percival.

With determination and resolve in her eyes, Calista yelled inwardly, “Vivienne, the day this virus sees

the light of day is the day of your death!”

Meanwhile, Scott removed his headphones with a satisfied smile. He had been keeping a close watch

on Calista, confident in her ambition and desperation to prove her worth. He did not fear her betrayal in

the slightest; she was already an outcast, and Percival did not even care if she could enter the lab.

Plus, Calista was extremely arrogant about her medical skills. Only the legendary Specter Healer or

someone like Brody, who once saved her life, could possibly sway her now.

Scott left for a covert meeting with a contact named Quincy, whose real name was Barnaby.

Barnaby, bandaged and waiting respectfully, anticipated an encounter with the mysterious Mr. B.

This was the first time she met Mr. B, although she had no idea if this man in front of her was the real

Mr. B.

Scott nodded and sat down. Under the mask, his eyes were filled with intimidation and inspection as he

kept silent.

Barnaby understood that Mr. B was waiting for her to speak.

Thus, she said, “Mr. B, sorry. They managed to save Dorian and Cordelia, but there was nothing I could

do.

Scott held his forehead with one hand and continued to stare at Barnaby without saying a word.

Barnaby continued, “It all happened too quickly, and I had no choice but to give them up, but… I got the

potion.”

Finally, Scott reacted for the first time. With surprise, he said, “You got the potion?”

“Yes.” Barnaby passed the potion to Scott, saying, “I got this from searching Cordelia’s body. She had

modified it and hid it in her bracelet. I don’t know if this is the real portion, so please take a look.”

Scott hastily grabbed the potion and walked to the lab next door.

After testing it, he confirmed it was the real potion! With this, he fully trusted Quincy.

He left the lab with relief and instructed Barnaby, “Don’t show up for now, and take your time to recover

from your injuries. If anything comes up, I’ll contact you the same way as before.”

He had chosen to meet Quincy to determine if she betrayed the organization as Rowan and Ismene

did.

He had already planned to slit her throat on the spot if something was not right.

Fortunately, Quincy was a smart girl.

Barnaby watched Mr. B leave, then immediately told her brother, Caspian, about what had happened.

This news very soon reached Percival.

As soon as Percival got the message, he was certain that the Mr. B Barnaby mentioned was indeed

Scott. After that day, he instructed Barnaby to find a way to get close to Mr. B, and he never contacted

her again. However, given how cautious he was, Mr. B would never so casually appear. Thus, Percival

knew this was not the time to capture Scott.

Scott had received the potion, and Percival was going to use this to his advantage to find the true Mr.

B. He would let Barnaby obtain insider information about the GTO and draw out the true mastermind

behind the organization.

Vivienne, receiving an update from Draven about Scott’s whereabouts, instructed patience. The time

was not right to strike. They needed to wait for Barnaby’s next move, to exploit Scott’s trust, and to bait

the trap that would reveal the puppeteer behind the GTO’s curtain.

As Vivienne put away her phone and looked out across the desolate landscape from her car, she could

not help but frown at the location they had chosen for a child poisoned and on the brink of death—a

dilapidated building that even the homeless would shun. It was a stark reminder of their cruel and

merciless world, a place where life hung in the balance, and the stakes were higher than ever.

Percival gently held Vivienne’s hand, carefully kicking aside the pebbles and debris that littered their

path.

Following the convoluted map drawn by Barnaby, they eventually reached the top floor of the

abandoned high-rise, navigating through a maze of corridors.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join &

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Upon opening the door, they were taken aback to find a small room, surprisingly well-equipped with

medical apparatus.

In the center, on a hospital bed, lay a girl, her body riddled with tubes.

Vivienne and Percival’s expressions shifted instantly.

Anna!

How could it be her?

Had Leopold not secured her a spot at the prestigious Elite University?

Vivienne’s gaze sharpened as she approached to assess Anna’s injuries.

The girl was deep in a coma, struggling to breathe, her skin marred by sores, her heartbeat faint and

faltering.

Vivienne swiftly sealed vital acupressure points on Anna’s body, initiating the detoxification of the

poison coursing through her veins.

After some urgent medical attention, Vivienne and Percival transported Anna to Percival’s private clinic.

“She’ll need to be under observation for a while longer; the poisoning is severe and has damaged her

internal organs.”

Vivienne stepped out of the operating room while Anna was transferred to the intensive care unit for

continued monitoring.