The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 68

At a coffee shop.

Vivienne stood at the entrance of the coffee shop, scanning the room, the brim of her baseball cap pulled down low enough to cover her face, before striding in.

She reached the door of a booth, pushed it open, and stepped in.

The man inside immediately stood up at her entrance, “Boss!”

He, too, was dressed in all black with a baseball cap on. Unlike Vivienne, he was also wearing a mask. You couldn’t even see his eyes unless he looked up.

His name was Draven.

It wasn’t his real name. He had started using it when he began following Vivienne. As for his original name, he couldn’t remember anymore.

Vivienne closed the door, shot him a glance and said, “Don’t pick places like this next time.”

Draven replied, “Yes, boss.”

Vivienne sat down, poured herself a cup of coffee, and took a sip.

It was good coffee, but it couldn’t compare to the coffee at Cordelia’s place.

“Boss, I’ve turned the Hawthorn family’s old mansion upside down, but I couldn’t find the other bottle of potion,” Draven stood behind Vivienne, his tone serious.

Vivienne furrowed her brows, “Did you check everywhere?”

“I’ve checked everywhere. I even moved the tiles in the mansion’s bathroom, but I didn’t find anything,” Draven responded, “I’ve also planted a bug in Beatrice Hawthorn’s room. She’s never mentioned the potion to anyone. Is it possible that the information was wrong and the potion isn’t at the Hawthorn family’s?”

“There’s no way,” Vivienne said in a low voice, “My mother took two bottles of potion away. | have one, and the other was left at the Hawthorn family’s.”

This was what her mother had told her on her deathbed.

At the time, her mother was worried about getting her involved and hadn’t planned on telling her. But after receiving a phone call at the last moment, she changed her mind.

Her mother had given her a bottle of potion and told her to keep it safe, also told her that there was another one at the Hawthorn family’s…

And then, her mother passed away.

to the Hawthorn family

asked, “I’ve searched every nook and cranny of the Hawthorn

12:05

head, “It’s

already thoroughly searched that three-bedroom apartment when she’d first

moving to Tranquil Estates, she’d searched again, but

why she’d sent Draven to

in the Hawthorn family’s either – that

that Dorian knew the importance of the potion and didn’t keep it at

it really be like

aside from his home, where

ask Dorian directly?” Draven

Vivienne lowered her head, her

what kind of

couldn’t be certain if he was really as kind as he appeared to be, or if he was acting nice to her on purpose to

for sure if the potion was with him

to make sure Dorian

for the potion recently. One is GTO, and

found the

You’re

“Shouldn’t they be the ones in

for words. He knew his boss would say something

boss is always

sip of her coffee, stood up, and said, “Have your people pull out from the Hawthorn family. You don’t need to

“But you..”

pat and flashed him a mischievous

won’t die.”

Draven was speechless.

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12.05

the coffee shop, Vivienne returned to

and the others

immediately came to greet

thinking about that meal all

it already. Give me a second, I’ll bring it to you.” Cordelia knew Vivienne hadn’t eaten, so she quickly went to the

were playing chess, and Isolde was playing with the toy Vivienne had bought for Thaddeus

and Thomas were each holding a phone, engrossed in

opposite Percival. She glanced at him and her eyes

another team was looking for the potion. She had a hunch this

mother today was certainly