The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Ronald was visibly puzzled as he furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean?” Only Scott, within the entire Brooks family, was privy to his and Lauren's affair. It wasn’t surprising that Vivienne knew; her sharp intellect made it easy for her to uncover secrets.

But what baffled him were the words that Vivienne had just uttered.

Even if Vivienne could dig up dirt on him and Lauren, she couldn't possibly understand what kind of person Lauren was. After all, Lauren had passed away years ago. How could Vivienne know what Lauren was like? Vivienne, hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans, remained cool and aloof. “Did you love her so deeply without knowing that she was a member of an elite special unit?” “What?” Ronald's face was a mask of disbelief.

“Lauren joined the unit at sixteen. She completed her education with them, becoming the youngest and most formidable operative they had. At twenty, the unit discovered that GTO was trafficking humans. Since GTO was a major organization, to prevent their operatives from escaping, they sent her undercover.

To infiltrate the GTO effectively, she needed two years at hto shed any trace of being a commando. And since she'd been fond of you since childhood, and you'd never forgotten her, she comfortably spent those two years in a relationship with you.” Ronald felt like his world was unraveling. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He looked up at Vivienne, his face a picture of utter confusion.

“Discovering that Scott was Mr. B was an accident. When she found out, she reported it to her command immediately. Scott was on her tail, and her unit took the opportunity to have her penetrate the GTO!” Scott, bewildered, looked at her, “How do you know all this?” She didn’t even know Lauren. And even if she had the means to find out about her, how could she so easily uncover a commando, especially an undercover one? Vivienne massaged her temples, giving him a look that screamed ‘idiot’. “I don’t personally know her, yet | know so much. Guess why?” Ronald’s mind raced, considering every possibility.

But after dismissing several theories, he suddenly looked up at Vivienne and stood up excitedly. “You knew her!” Vivienne’s lips curled into a half-smile. “Not too dumb, after all.” Ronald was speechless, complaining inside, “Just a moment ago, you were praising my intelligence!” Vivienne: Oh? Did I? Must’ve slipped.

Ronald grabbed Vivienne’s arm, his voice trembling, “Then she, she...” Was she really dead? No one knew how devastated he had been upon learning of Lauren’s death. If not for his drive for revenge, he might have joined her long ago.

“She's alive and well,” Vivienne stated. “Her mission is complete, and she’s due to be discharged after she returns to the unit.” With that, Vivienne glanced at him coolly. “And in the future, don’t do anything foolish. Those signs you've been leaving? F-Poison spotted them ages ago. By the tMr. Wolf's team got there, they were long gone.” She had initially included Ronald in her bionics project to keep an eye on him and to draw out F-Poison.

It was only after Percival found F-Poison’s hideout and the signs Ronald left that they concluded he wasn’t a traitor. He was out for vengeance.

The operation was supposed to be foolproof, but those signs allowed F-Poison to slip away again.

Was Ronald just naive or outright foolish? Ronald was at a loss for words. He had left those signs to help himself track the enemy, not to hinder Vivienne and her team.

“Alright, I've got a poisonous rat to catch. | chere today to get you to stop your idiotic antics. Don’t risk your life over this.” After a pause, Vivienne added, “F-Poison has kept GTO unbreakable. Not even sacrificing the lives of every member of the Brooks family would earn their trust. The ones who truly care for you are your parents and your siblings.” Ronald hung his head. “I'm sorry!” “You oweno apology,” she said, turning to leave.

Just as she reached the door, Ronald had a revelation. “The one I've been dealing with isn’t F-Poison! She goes by Samantha!” Ronald bit his lip, then added, “But she could be F-Poison...” He raked his hands through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like F-Poison is F-Poison, yet not F-Poison!” Vivienne pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly exasperated.

“The one you've been dealing with is F-Poison’s girlfriend, Samantha, and now she’s also F-Poison’s decoy,” Vivienne said with a deep look at him. “And you say you're smart? Where's the smarts?” Ronald was rendered speechless again.

Please, no more insults! “From what | know, catching Samantha won't make her reveal F-Poison’s whereabouts,” said Ronald. “I've been in contact with her for a long time. She's elusive. She seems to love F-Poison, yet she has many lovers, and she always wears a mask. No one knows her true face... Not only that. She feels very young, yet she’s quite old.” Vivienne’s lips quirked. “The real F-Poison will never see daylight again.” With that, she left without another word.

At the border of Veridia and Aurentia.

In a makeshift command center, a man approaching fifty stood with his hands behind his back.

The area had just seen a battle and was now in a state of repair.

A man in black approached and respectfully said, “Mr. Linklater!” The man turned his head, a quizzical expression framing his face. “Speak.” “Your dad Yorick is safe and sound. As far as the investigation goes, nothing points to Percival...” The man in black hesitated, unsure if he should continue.

With a sidelong glance, the other man said with a cool and steady voice, “Out with it.” “I believe the Linklaters might be involved,” the man in black finally said.

The other man’s eyes narrowed slightly, a silence enveloping him for a long moment. After a while, he spoke again, “And what of that other matter? Any news?”

« . » .

Nothing yet,” the man in black paused before continuing, “The girl from back then must be pushing forty now and Since none of you shared names at the time, and you haven't returned hfor years, it's tough to find her with just the sketch you provided.” It was a sore subject for him.

Mr. Linklater had a lost love, the only woman who had ever truly held a place in his heart.

Years ago, this man had been called away on urgent business, leaving, without a chance for goodbyes.

Whenhe tried to find her again once his affairs were in order, she had vanished without a trace.

The last known whereabouts of the woman were with the Hawthorn family, but beyond that nothing .They might have been competent in combat but their investigative skills were lacking, especially after spending so many years on the frontier, out of touch with domestic affairs. By the tthey got around to inquiring at the Hawthorn estate, she had long since departed. So Mr. Linklater had sketched a portrait and sent them searching.

But who would have guessed that Veridia’s undefeated general drew worse than a child's scribbles? Years ago, they received word that the woman had died, leaving behind a daughter.

Mr. Linklater tasked them with finding this daughter, but it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, nearly impossible given the sketch. It was harder than any battle they had ever fought.

The man frowned, his decision made. “Prepare everything. We're heading home.” Finding her would require his own hands.