The Million-Dollar Heart Novel Episode
Chapter 691

Vivienne had barely finished her tale when Percival, ever the considerate one, handed her an insulated travel mug. "Here, Vivienne, take a sip of water before you go on." He had never heard Vivienne talk so much at once; he didn't want her to wear herself out.

Gratefully, Vivienne accepted the mug, flashed him a quick smile, and took a drink before turning her gaze back to Samantha.

This time, she didn't continue. She simply waited for Samantha to speak.

Inside, Samantha felt as though her world had been turned upside down.

She thought that even if Vivienne had found her way here today, there was no way she could have known their true purpose. But, it turned out, Vivienne knew everything. Damn it!

How could she possibly have found out? This was a secret kept between her and Francis. No one else should have known.

Samantha remained silent for several minutes before finally speaking, "I just want to know how you figured it out."

She couldn't fathom it, couldn't accept it. She had lived her life as a mastermind, and now she was being outplayed by a little girl.

Even at ninety, Samantha was a genius, her learning ability astoundingly powerful. She had easily adapted to the high-tech era they were living in, swiftly integrating into modern life. She had always believed that with her mind, outwitting a young woman in her twenties would be a piece of cake.

Vivienne laughed, a radiant, almost blinding smile. "I guessed!"

She had truly guessed.

After the incident with the androids, she had pondered one thing: it had initially been her chasing F-Poison, but then she realized it was them chasing her. The enemy was in plain sight, yet she couldn't quite catch them.

So, the night before they found Ronald, she sequestered herself for an all-nighter. The whole night, she didn't sleep, connecting all the dots in her mind, replaying every event. Percival had done the same that night.

Waking up the next day, he was already waiting at her door. They exchanged a knowing smile, and everything became clear.

The only things they couldn't guess or uncover were the identity of the man secretly involved with Samantha and the mysterious, red-dressed woman who had appeared recently. Samantha nearly choked on her own fury, clutching at her chest as she protested, "I don't believe you!"

How could someone guess their way to this much information?

She refused to believe it. Not one bit.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "I'm a genius. You don't have to believe it, but that doesn't change anything."

Thomas and Leopold exchanged glances, speechless.

Was it really the time for self-flattery?

Vivienne: Are you sure I'm just flattering myself?

Thomas and Leopold jolted: No, you're definitely a genius!

That was the last straw for Samantha; she literally spat out blood.

Vivienne turned back to Percival, her tone laced with a hint of helplessness. "How did she manage RST for so many years with such a low tolerance? They've been playing me for so long, I feel like my IQ has been dragged through the mud!"

Percival tenderly stroked her hair, a doting look in his eyes. "Well, from now on, we can step on them as we please, grind them into the dirt whenever we wish."

"That's the spirit!" Vivienne chuckled.

After their brief moment of levity, Vivienne looked back at Samantha. "Anything else you want to ask? I'm all ears. Before you bite the dust, I can let you be an informed specter."

"How did you find this place?" Samantha asked, her voice resigned. She couldn't understand how her carefully concealed hideout had been discovered so easily.

"That was easy!" Vivienne quipped, "All it took was a computer. Didn't you know I'm a master hacker?"

Samantha fumed. "I know you're a master hacker! But I want to know how you found this place. I used high-tech security and some old-school tricks to set up barriers. Ordinary people shouldn't have been able to find it."

"I'm not ordinary!" Vivienne replied with deadpan seriousness.

The room fell silent.

Samantha, overwhelmed with frustration, wanted to scream, but she knew she had to keep her cool.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, half an hour had passed, and her backup had not arrived.

Maybe he wouldn't come. Maybe there was no time to wait.

She had to act, and soon. Vivienne was too dangerous.

Now that Vivienne had laid her cards on the table, there would be no mercy. Samantha needed to save herself.

As she plotted her escape, Vivienne spoke again. "A few days ago, in M State, we encountered a woman in red. She was highly skilled, seemed to know some ancient warrior lineage techniques, and her use of silver needles was beyond compare. Do you know who she is?"

Samantha's expression tightened.

It was her. She had shown up, too. What was she planning?

Quickly, Samantha masked her emotions again. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No idea?" Vivienne was about to reply when Samantha suddenly lunged forward, aiming to throw something. However, before she could release it, her wrist was caught in a vice-like grip. Percival twisted her wrist, snapping it effortlessly.

Thomas pried her hand open and handed the object she had been holding to Vivienne. It was a few grain-like items, and he wasn't sure what they were.

Vivienne inspected them closely, pocketing each one, then turned to Percival with a smile. "Mr. Wolf, these are quite the find."

Percival looked at her. "What are they?"

"They're miniature bombs, something the market hasn't seen yet. Don't be fooled by their size; one of these could level this building, even more potent Morning Glory," Vivienne explained. Thomas felt a surge of relief, a narrow escape from death. If Percival hadn't restrained Samantha in time, they would have been buried in the rubble.

As Samantha watched her last resort taken from her, she launched a desperate attack on Percival.

After wrenching herself free from Percival's grasp and attempting to make her escape through the window, she was met with a kick from Vivienne that sent her crashing to the floor.

A mouthful of blood spilled from her lips, a reminder she hadn't been in such a rough spot for a long time.

Picking herself up, she wiped the blood from her mouth. With her one good hand, she drew a small switchblade and lunged at Vivienne. But her attack was intercepted by Percival, who deftly severed the tendons in her hand with a swift motion.

The force emanating from Percival pinned Samantha to the corner of the room, nowhere near touching the hem of Vivienne's dress.

Another coughing fit overtook her as she clutched her chest, her gaze fixed on Vivienne.

"You've mastered the secret techniques of the ancient warrior lineages, and you've drugged me," she accused.

Under normal circumstances, she would have easily parried their moves.

Vivienne's kick had seemed effortless, yet the power behind it was staggering.

And she, who could have dodged, found herself paralyzed in that critical moment.

"Only now you realize?" Vivienne said with a hint of disbelief.

Why on earth was she losing to someone with such a glaring intellectual deficit time and again?

She resolved that after today, she would take three days of seclusion to reflect on her own failings.

Samantha had not expected Vivienne to so openly admit to drugging her, especially when she was already in a position with no apparent way to turn the tables.

"With you two here, there's no way I could escape," Samantha said resignedly.

Vivienne nodded in agreement as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. "Of course, I knew you couldn't escape."

"So, why drug me..." Samantha's words trailed off, a mixture of anger and confusion etched across her face.

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