The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Kaitlyn now regarded Vivienne's words as gospel truth. Without a moment's hesitation, she nodded in agreement.

After responding, she looked back at Vivienne, skepticism creeping into her eyes, "But should we really ignore all the stuff online?" Vivienne cracked a smile, "Let's just let the dust settle for a bit." Jerry cdown the stairs, holding a stack of papers, his black-rimmed glasses reflecting a mysteriously enigmatic light, "Looks like Kipling is backed into a corner. Accusing us of using our influence is one thing, but to say the court's been bribed? Won't be long before the higher-ups squash it." Leopold, lounging on the couch, made room for him, "Why not just release the evidence we have?" "Go big or go home. Let's leave them with no room to talk." Just as he finished, Thomas gave him a look as if he'd lost his mind, "Have you gone soft from all the chasing from Sophie? The whole point was to drag the Abernathy family into the light. If you spill all the evidence now, how are we supposed to draw out the real power behind them?" "We can't just sit on our hands, though." The thought of those radical online comments made Leopold click his tongue in disbelief. How could people flip-flop so easily, believing whatever they hear? Percival's eyes flickered with irritation as he glanced down at Vivienne.

When he saw her looking his way, he subtly gestured towards Leopold.

The message was clear: This Leopold's brain isn't quite up to snuff. He's not keepers.

Vivienne felt the sway.

Jerry surveyed the room, facepalming at the embarrassment before he couldn't hold back any longer and punched Leopold lightly, "Who said we're doing nothing? I've got everything ready, just waiting for Vivienne's go-ahead." Leopold, holding his head, muttered under his breath but didn't dare to voice his complaints aloud. His eyes brightened at Jerry's words, "What, what? Letsee, what do you have there?" Jerry wasn't planning to keep it secret, so he let the papers go without much resistance.

Leopold gently pulled them away, flipping through the pages with growing astonishment, "This is Kipling's bank statement? Vivienne, you hacked into the bank's system?" Vivienne rolled her eyes, "Do you forget what we're dealing with here? Do I even need to hack?" Leopold paused, right! Their current mission was investigating the ancient warrior lineage, and Kipling's connection to Gavin through his sister's marriage made him an easy target.

Just file a request, and getting the information was a breeze.

Heat rose in Leopold's cheeks as he chuckled sheepishly, lowering his head to keep poring over the documents under the peculiar gazes of his companions.

There wasn't much to see, really. Kipling, a mere director, had nothing but his fixed salary and smundane expenses, hardly ever exceeding a thousand.

But then he turned the page, "Oh my, this is..." His interest waned, but his eyes suddenly widened, and he cursed in shock. Thomas, sitting close by, turned his head at the commotion. His cool gaze swept over the figures, freezing for a moment before he hissed under his breath, taking a minute or two before speaking, "Looks like Kipling is playing the victim card." Kaitlyn wasn't oblivious. Hearing this, her curiosity about the contents was replaced by realization, "Kipling's involved in bribery too?" Leopold, still in a daze, nodded, "Yeah, and it's not a small amount either! But he's just a director, right? Why are so many people sending him money, and in such large amounts?" He just couldn't wrap his head around it! "Could it be that the money isn't really for Kipling?" Jerry nudged him, but his gaze was fixed on Vivienne.

Catching his look, Vivienne finally put down her phone, sat up straight out of Percival's embrace, and spoke, "Exactly, it's not for him. What you're holding is also Gavin's bank statement. A large portion of the money Kipling received eventually ends up with Gavin." "We've looked into the donors," Percival added, pulling out another document, "They cfrom all walks of life, even from within the system, but they share one common trait." "What's that?" Leopold asked, intrigued.

Vivienne explained, "These people, after sending money to Gavin, all see a rise in their social standing." Percival nodded, "Not just that, they suddenly becproficient in ancient warrior lineage martial arts." At that moment, Thomas flipped to a set of photos in the documents.

They showed various angles of gruesinjuries, not the kind inflicted by weapons but as if by a skilled martial artist.

And another set showed the donors, eyes bloodshot, bodies overly muscular, looking nothing short of abnormal.

Leopold felt a chill, "Is Gavin skind of genie granting martial arts wishes? Why does everyone look like zombies straight out of a movie?" Thomas asked, "Why haven't these photos surfaced online?" In the age of big data, any small incident could beca spectacle. Yet, with a stack of photos as thick as ten centimeters, there was no buzz online, which was utterly against the norm.

Jerry wasn't surprised, "Why else? Gavin's kept it under wraps. But, Vivienne, are you planning to release all this?" Vivienne shook her head, "Let's just start with a taste of his own medicine. Kipling has been accusing others of taking bribes, right? Let him get a dose of his own first 've got to head back to the lab tomorrow. Thomas, you and Leopold keep an eye on this. ΛΟ She paused for a moment, "As for the rest, we'll release it when the tis right." With a few days left before the next court session, she was curious to see how Gavin would manage to retaliate this time.

Meanwhile, at the Abernathy residence.

"Gavin! Gavin!" Kipling's voice echoed through the house with a tinge of panic. He'd rushed over so quickly that he only had on a tank top. One of his flip-flops had fallen off along the way, and he barged into the room, sweating profusely.

Before he could even take in his surroundings, a blur of white zipped past him.

The sound of a woman's scream mixed with Gavin's furious roar made his ears ring, "Get out!" "Gavin, I-I've got something urgent!" Kipling gasped out, instinctively turning his head. He'd barely shifted halfway when he remembered his urgent matter and quickly faced back, his eyes glued to the floor, daring not even a glance towards the bed. Gavin's voice grew even more incensed, "Wait outside!" Privacy