The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

In the woods.

Juliette woke up to find herself lying not far from Isaiah, both of them tied up so tightly they couldn't move, even their mouths were gagged. Only their eyes were visible, darting around in panic.

They locked eyes, and Juliette's gaze screamed a silent plea for a plan.

Before they were knocked out, they had caught a glimpse of their captors, but before they could even scream for help, they were down.

Uncle Joe had been injured in the process, and now his condition was unknown.

Desperate to come up with a plan, Juliette looked towards Isaiah.

They communicated solely through glances, Juliette subtly nodding towards the outside, suggesting Isaiah should try to gather intel on their situation. The captors were babbling incoherently, their words foreign to her ears.

It was risky to make any sudden moves.

Isaiah signaled for her to keep quiet, and slowly shifted to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.

The captors seemed to be on a call, discussing some transaction, awaiting further instructions from the person on the other end.

As long as the "goods" were secured, they were safe for the time being.

Isaiah relayed this info back to Juliette with a nod.

Juliette eyed the ground, signaling Isaiah to cooperate with her soon, as she planned to tackle their captors head-on.

Their electronic gadgets were gone, but Juliette still had a trick up her sleeve.

She attempted to shout for help, only to remember her mouth was sealed shut.

Instead, she started banging on the walls and fake-crying to attract attention.

Footsteps approached rapidly. As one of the men tore the tape off her mouth, Juliette blurted out, "My brother has asthma, the air is bad here, he's going to have an attack..."

To ensure they understood her, she frantically gestured towards Isaiah, pretending to be unconscious.

The leader glanced suspiciously at Juliette and then at the motionless boy beside her but remained unmoved.

Seeing this, Juliette threw herself onto Isaiah, crying and subtly loosening his ropes, "Brother, you can't let anything happen to you..."

Isaiah pinched a pressure point on his wrist, causing his face to pale rapidly while coughing convincingly.

Their act fooled the captors.

To avoid any mishap before the transaction, the captors carried them towards the entrance of the cave, passing by a group of heavily armed individuals.

Isaiah noted their professional gear, indicating they were well-prepared for either ransom or murder.

The best course of action was to ensure their own safety until their mother arrived.

However, Juliette had a different idea in mind.

If these people thought they could use her and Isaiah to blackmail their mother, they were sorely mistaken.

As soon as they were put down, before the captors could gag them again, Juliette demanded, "I need to use the bathroom."

Ignoring her request, one of the captors pointed indifferently towards a corner.

Juliette, putting on her best haughty demeanor, protested, "No, it's filthy here."

When persuasion failed, she resorted to provocation, "What, are you all afraid you can't keep an eye on one little girl? My brother is right here, and I'm not afraid of what you might do to him. Are you worried I might escape on my own?" Isaiah could only marvel at her audacity.

Despite her efforts, the captors remained unmoved.

Sighing, Juliette gestured resignedly, "Fine, but turn around."

As they slightly turned away, Juliette swiftly retrieved a packet of powder from a hidden pocket in her clothing.

She found a vent and discreetly spread the powder, then sat back, signaling Isaiah with a glance.

Soon, shouts of alarm echoed, "Bad news, a large predator is approaching!"

one

The leader ordered, "Take care of it. Make sure no one discovers this- place. We have orders to only handle this one job. Once it's done, we take the money and leave."

Juliette smirked at the naiveté of their plan.

Not only would her concoction attract nearby predators, but it was also a signal to guide their mother to them.

This was a trick she had learned from her mom, and only her mom would recognize the scent.

Elsewhere.

Vivienne had just entered the forest when Thomas called.

The kidnappers were from the Gideon faction abroad, aiming to seize the network Percival had built over the years.

Failing to negotiate, they resorted to force.

Knowing Percival had been out of the picture for years, they saw an opportunity to take over his domain and consolidate power across various factions.

To protect Percival's children, Thomas reluctantly decided to use what the kidnappers wanted as leverage.

Vivienne and Connor were venturing deeper into the woods when a distinct scent hit her.

She paused, signaling Connor to follow her lead, "They're here."

Connor didn't hesitate to back her up.

The scent grew stronger as they moved forward, a unique concoction only Vivienne could identify.

Suddenly, animal roars broke the silence, coming from not far ahead.

Thomas called again, "Madam, they've betrayed us. Juliette is in danger..."

Vivienne's expression darkened, her powers surging to full strength.

Inside the cave, as the captors prepared to act, an earth-shattering force attacked their location, aiming to take them all out.

Clutching Grandpa Finnian's emergency powder, Juliette was ready to defend them if necessary.

The captors left a few behind, arming themselves to confront the attackers.

But the sounds outside indicated reinforcements for Juliette, unmistakably her mother's people.

Watching the situation unfold, she kicked off the ropes binding her feet and attempted to rise, intending to pull Isaiah to safety.

Unexpectedly, their assailant noticed

her movements and, with swift

malice drew a handgun, aiming it directly at Juliette. In that critical moment, Isaiah's brow furrowed in a sudden spasm of intuition.

Without thinking, he lunged forward, shouting, "Look out!"

The anticipated pain never came. Instead, a formidable force enveloped him, protecting him securely.

A shadowy figure emerged, swiftly moving them several meters away in an instant, and covered their eyes with a swift motion.

By the time Connor arrived on the scene, this was the tableau he was met with.

The

gunmen, faces twisted in

grotesque expressions of agony,

tob

seemed to be enduring unspeakable

pain. As Connor stepped closer, the

ve

mysterious force vanished as, suddenly as it had appeared

QUMS

Noticing the newcomer, both assailants redirected their guns toward him, their intentions clear.