Vivienne scoffed with a smirk. “Pray tell, Vance, what national treasure has been harmed by the rogue android? Who’s been injured? Or was there a threat to someone’s life?”
Vance cleared his throat. “No national assets were damaged, no one was injured, and there wasn’t any life-threatening situation, but…”
“The only one hurt here is my Mr. Wolf, who’s still got a bloody nose! All because he jumped in to save that runaway motorcycle. Instead of a pat on the back, you're thinking of punishment?”
Listening to Vivienne’s clever, if slightly twisted, logic, Vance sighed heavily. “It was his duty, a remedy for the mess your company made!”
Vivienne nodded in agreement. “We’ve made amends, and quite successfully at that. Repaired roads, hospitals, schools, and the like, all out of our own pocket. We’ve more than made up for it, wouldn’t you say, Vance?”
Vivienne’s retort left Vance speechless. She sort of had a point.
Vance took a sip of water. “Alright, you can go.”
Vivienne snatched a few more candy bars from the dish. “Catch you later, Mr. Vance Edwards!”
Vance couldn't help but chuckle “Hold on, when’s your mom waking up?”
“Not sure yet. When she does, I’ll be sure to tell her you were asking about her,” Vivienne said, waving her hand as she walked out of the director’s office.
Vance shook his head in resignation as Webster’s call came through again.
“Director, the guy got hurt and even shelled out the cash; what more do you want? Percival’s nose is still bleeding! His face is insured for more than movie star Stephen Harris. If we get nitpicky, we can’t afford the payout!”
“Fine, you guys do what you want with that mess!”
Vivienne walked out of Vanguard Agency to find William, Zachary, and Ronald still in the midst of routine inquiries. It seemed it would take a while.
Vivienne had some disciples from the Nine Mystics Society stand guard at the door, ready to escort people out when they were done.
Afterward, she drove to the hospital.
Inside, Percival was getting patched up.
Leopold leaned in, “So your nose really got busted saving that motorbike?”
Percival shot him a sideways glance. “You got a problem with that?”
Leopold quickly waved his hands. “No, no, just... Haha.”
Good lord, this was Percival, the same guy who had once spent days in a mine without a scratch, and now a motorcycle had taken him down?
Percival ignored him, looking at the bandage on his nose in the mirror, heaving a sigh.
How come Vivienne’s skull had to be so hard?
Just then, Vivienne burst in, arms laden with a feast fit for kings. “Mr. Wolf, dinner is served.”
At the sound of Vivienne’s voice, Percival instantly ripped off the bandage from his nose.
Bleeding or not, looking good for his lady was paramount!
Leopold was cracking up on the side. Since when did Percival become so vain?
He absolutely had to spread this tale throughout the Vanguard Agency—Percival might have left, but his legend would live on!
But... Leopold felt he seemed to have forgotten something important.
Suddenly, he stood up, shouting, “You two sneaks! Getting married without a peep, disappearing without a trace. Do you have any idea how many people are going crazy?”
He had been trying to reach Percival and Vivienne since morning to no avail. Then the android incident happened, and it slipped his mind.
Those heartless two — they had gone off to enjoy their bliss, oblivious to the frenzy they had left behind in the Perez, Ellington, and Brooks families, not to mention the disciples of the Emerald Monastery.
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