The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

Godfrey's heart sank as he had only just found out the Perez family had run into trouble.

He hadn't expected the problem to trace back to his own doorstep.

Without intending to hide anything, he spoke up, "I'm fully aware of what happened, and I'm just as shocked about the Perez family's misfortune. But this whole bomb situation is definitely a misunderstanding. We only found out this morning that something was stolen from us." "The Martinez family serves our nation loyally; we would never engage in such absurd actions, especially not against our own kin."

"This is something the Martinez family would never do."

Godfrey was ready to put his reputation on the line to guarantee for the Martinez family.

Luke raised a hand, "Godfrey, you've got it wrong. We're not pinning this on the Martinez family."

"Both the Martinez and the Perez families hail from ancient warrior lineages. We just need to uncover the truth. We won't wrong the innocent and hope for your cooperation."

Godfrey breathed a sigh of relief, "Feel free to investigate. We'll fully cooperate to catch whoever's behind this. Such heinous acts cannot be overlooked."

Arthur got straight to the point, "Could we have full access to the Martinez family's armory for our investigation? We need to gather evidence."

Godfrey, no longer in a position to refuse, gestured for Leopold to lead the way, "Leopold, take Arthur over there and make sure Griffin knows we're fully cooperating with the investigation." Leopold, seeing Godfrey so compliant for the first time and sensing Arthur's imposing presence, felt the air around him grow heavy.

"Of course, Grandfather," he quickly replied.

As they left, Godfrey wiped off the sweat from his brow.

What a mess.

To think someone dared to steal from the Martinez family's heavily guarded armory.

They must have the audacity of a lion.

Thankfully, the Perez family was reasonable. Otherwise, no amount of talking would clear his name.

He had just received news that the Perez family had a narrow escape from death last night, particularly Jasper, who only woke up after several hours of surgery. Godfrey urgently called his butler, "Prepare a generous gift. I need to visit the hospital."

If this situation wasn't handled delicately, the future relationship between the two families could be at stake.

No matter how much he explained that the Martinez family wasn't behind the bombing, the fact remained that the bomb came from their armory.

He couldn't shirk this responsibility.

On their way to the Martinez family's private grounds, Arthur suddenly asked, "Were you on the phone with Vivienne just now?"

Leopold, sitting in the passenger seat, was taken aback and turned to reply, "Yes."

Thinking Arthur was concerned about information leakage, Leopold was about to explain when he heard Arthur ask, "How is she? Feeling better?" Leopold, caught off guard, responded, "... Vivienne's doing fine."NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

Realizing his mistake, he asked softly, "War God, did something happen to Vivienne?"

Arthur glanced at Leopold, "Nothing. Just focus on the road."

Leopold swallowed hard, noticing how Arthur's demeanor changed drastically when Vivienne wasn't around, turning into a cold and intimidating presence. He dared not look Arthur in the eyes again.

Fearing to meet those unfathomably deep gazes.

At the armory, the guards let them through upon receiving advanced notice.

The car drove deep into the heart of the Martinez family's most secure location.

Griffin was already waiting at the entrance.

Leopold got out of the car and reassured her, "Griffin, it's just Vivienne's dad and the Perez family uncle coming for a routine investigation. Nothing more." Griffin looked down at their intertwined hands, feeling a surge of comfort.

"We have nothing to fear. Even under investigation, if the Martinez family is innocent, it's for our own good," she said, gripping his hand tightly. Arthur explained their purpose.

Griffin led them into the armory, to where the missing equipment was stored.

This area was off-limits to anyone outside the Martinez family.

Though it was publicly claimed that only a bomb was missing, there was another item, far too dangerous to disclose, also gone.

Arthur surveyed the surroundings, his voice cold, "What is it?"

Griffin answered directly, "It's a

newly developed heavy-duty

weapon, not yet fully tested. But its

potential energy is immense, enough to level the entire town of Rivenwood."

This was her biggest worry.

Griffin's tone was calm, but Luke and Arthur frowned slightly.

Leopold was nearly petrified with fear.

Had anyone else said this, he would've screamed in disbelief.

The thought that this device could be detonated at any moment made him fear for his life.

He wasn't ready to die!

Arthur inquired, "Has it been reported?"

Griffin nodded, "Authorities are already on it. Detonation requires a specific command; it's still within a safe range for now."

Leopold breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear."

Arthur gave him a sharp look before asking Griffin, "Take us to the scene of the first incident." Griffin nodded and led the way.

The security barrier was back up, emitting a soft blue glow. Touch it, and you'd be dead without a doubt Yet someone, or something, had torn through it with brute force leaving a gap that looked more like the work of a savage beast than a man.

Beyond that, there were layers of guards and surveillance. For decades, the place had been impenetrable.

Luke furrowed his brow, "Who was in charge here before the incident last night?"

Griffin replied, "We've kept a tight leash on personnel. The surveillance footage from that night shows everyone dropping like flies, as. drugged, with just a fleeting shadow

passing by. That's all we

got

Arthur crossed his arms, his voice grave, "You wouldn't mind if we take over the investigation, would you?" After a brief moment of thought, Griffin looked up, "Sure, I trust War God can clear the Martinez family's name." Arthur took charge of the handover.

Meanwhile, Leopold cautiously approached Luke, asking in a hushed tone, "What exactly happened to Vivienne? Why was War God giving me that look earlier?" Knowing Leopold's identity, Luke didn't bother hiding the truth, "Vivienne had some pregnancy complications last night. She's resting at home now." Leopold was taken aback, "Pregnancy complications? I had no idea."

Griffin overheard and frowned, "Is Vivienne alright? I'll come with you to check on her."

Leopold squeezed his hand, "The Martinez family's going through a rough patch. You hold down the fort here, and I'll update you after I visit her."