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.

for going to the Hawthorn family was to find that bottle of

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

12:05

head, “It’s not with him

apartment when she’d first

Tranquil Estates, she’d searched again, but

she’d sent Draven

in the Hawthorn family’s either – that

possible that Dorian knew the importance of the

expression froze. Could it really

from his home, where else could Dorian hide the

you just ask

can’t,” Vivienne lowered her head,

kind of

if he was really as kind as he appeared to be, or if he was acting nice to her on purpose to

more, asking him directly without knowing for sure if the potion was with him could be a

had to make sure Dorian

before suddenly adding, “By the way, there are two other teams looking for the potion recently. One is GTO,

“GTO has already found the Hawthorn family so

boss. You’re in

laughed, “Shouldn’t they be the ones in

knew his boss would say

boss is always

stood up, and said, “Have your people pull out from the Hawthorn

“But you..”

him a mischievous smile, “I’ve got nine

won’t die.”

Draven was speechless.

214

12.05

the coffee shop, Vivienne returned to Tranquil

and the others were

came to

thinking about

bring it to you.” Cordelia knew Vivienne hadn’t eaten, so she

Isolde was playing with the toy Vivienne had

and Thomas were each holding a

on the sofa, directly opposite Percival. She glanced at

another team was looking for the potion. She had a

of his mother today was certainly not