The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

Maybe out of fear of jail, Arabella suddenly summoned up unusual strength. Despite three or four cops trying to pry her off, she clung to Beatrice even tighter while wailing non-stop. "Granny, help me! I can't go to jail. I don't want to!"

Just when Beatrice was about to be choked to death, Joseph, who was standing by, suddenly slapped Arabella. "Your granny is already sick as a dog. Do you want to kill her?"

Beatrice had always spoiled Arabella, but Joseph was not so gentle. Pretending to be angry, he began to accuse her. "You fooled us! You made us believe Vivienne took your glory, and that's why the Hawthorn family is in such a mess. And now you want your granny to save you?"

The slap left Arabella stunned. No one had ever hit her like this during her time with the Hawthorn family.

While she was still dazed, the cops quickly twisted her arms behind her back, cuffed her, and pulled her away from Beatrice.

Vivienne, noticing Beatrice's obvious relief and heavy breathing, smirked.

Her smirk immediately caught Arabella's venomous gaze.

"You guys say I'm guilty, right? Then what about Percival breaking Michael's hand? Isn't that intentional assault? You must arrest him too!" Arabella screamed this at the cops before they took her away, pointing to a dumbstruck Michael on the floor.

The cops were taken aback and glanced at Michael's obviously broken hand and then at Percival with furrowed brows.

If Michael had the injury assessed, it would indeed be a Class II minor injury, which is considered intentional assault.

"Right!" Michael gathered his wits and pointed at Percival with his intact hand. "He's the one who did this to my hand!"

He thought that if Percival wanted to be the future head of the Ellington family, he couldn't have a criminal record or have done any jail time.

Perhaps the Hawthorn family could use this to threaten Percival to back down.

Too bad for him, Vivienne simply laughed.

"What are you laughing at? Can't you take responsibility for your actions?!" Michael roared angrily.

Vivienne replied calmly, "You detained Thaddeus and prevented us from saving him. Breaking your hand was self-defense."

As she spoke, she leisurely took out her phone and played a recording of their previous conversation in the hospital room.

Upon hearing that Beatrice and Michael had abused Thaddeus and kept him locked in the bathroom, the reporters and cops looked at Michael with scorn. And he had the nerve to report this? Michael was taken aback. He hadn't expected Vivienne to have recorded everything.

What he didn't know was that Vivienne didn't just record it; she also had a mini camera in her brooch. She never did anything without certainty.

After listening to the recording, one of the cops informed Michael coldly. "This is indeed self-defense. And you attacked Vivienne first; Percival just stepped in. No matter how you plead, the result will be the same."

After that, the cops ignored him and prepared to take Arabella away.

However, Arabella seized a moment of distraction, grabbed the knife she had used to slit her wrists, and lunged at Vivienne.

Her face was twisted in hatred, and her eyes showed her great madness. She was clearly out of her mind.

The reporters screamed, and the cops rushed forward to protect Vivienne.

But before Arabella could even raise the knife, Vivienne kicked her away.

Arabella flew back, hitting the hospital room wall hard before falling heavily to the ground, unable to move.

Except for Percival, everyone was dumbfounded. Who would have thought that the petite Vivienne could kick with such force? Arabella weighed over a hundred pounds.

Even for the men present, it would be hard to send her flying with a kick.

Arabella probably broke a few ribs when she hit the wall.

But Vivienne did it effortlessly.

Not only that, after retracting her leg, Vivienne innocently asked the cops, "This counts as self-defense, right?"

Everyone was speechless.

Wasn't this excessive self-defense?

Arabella was obviously infuriated by this, and she spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

However, the cops didn't care. The lead cop nodded at Vivienne. "Yes, this is self-defense."

He paused and then added. "Don't worry, even though her attack failed, she can still be charged with attempted murder. We are all witnesses."

Well said.

Upon hearing this, Arabella spat out another mouthful of blood in anger.

The cops then dragged Arabella from the floor like a dead dog.

This time, Arabella had no strength to resist. She could barely walk.

However, before she was taken away, she cast a hateful look at Beatrice, who was still "unconscious."

No matter how much Beatrice spoiled her or cared for her, it was all fake. She could abandon her without hesitation when something happened.

Even if Beatrice couldn't prevent her from being taken away, if she had just opened her eyes and said a word for her, Arabella wouldn't feel so heartbroken now.

After Arabella was taken away, Vivienne didn't give the rest of the Hawthorn family a second glance. She turned to Iris and said, "Take me to Thaddeus." "Follow me." Iris snapped out of her daze from the recent twists and turns, nodded, and led Vivienne and Percival to the adjoining room. Joseph, left in the dust, couldn't stomach the failure of his plan today, which had even tarnished Arabella and the Hawthorn family's reputation.

He opened his mouth. He was about to say something, but Percival suddenly turned his head and gave him a cold look.

That look was full of murderous intent. It was like an invisible hand was gripping his throat, making him tremble and unable to speak. Next door in the hospital room.

Arabella opened the bathroom door to find Thaddeus curled up in the corner of the dimly lit room, completely still.

"Thaddeus." Iris couldn't help but rush over and tightly hug Thaddeus' fragile body as she sobbed uncontrollably. "It's my fault. I'm sorry."

Thaddeus, who was naturally introverted and only began to open up after leaving the Hawthorn Mansion, was now staring blankly. He was not speaking and was clearly frightened. Vivienne furrowed her brows; her eyes were dark and terrifying. She realized that she was too lenient with Beatrice and Joseph earlier. She should have broken their hands too. "Let's take Thaddeus home first." Percival gently took Vivienne's hand and carried Thaddeus out of the bathroom.

Thaddeus continued to stare blankly ahead, allowing Percival to carry him while not saying a word.

Vivienne nodded and reached out to pat Thaddeus on the head. In possibly the gentlest tone she had ever used, she tried to comfort him. "Don't be scared. I'm here."