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

it be with Dorian?” Draven asked, “I’ve searched every nook and cranny of the Hawthorn family’s. If it’s not there, it could only

12:05

her head, “It’s not with

when she’d first moved in, but

she’d searched again, but the

why she’d sent Draven to search

family’s either – that

that Dorian knew the importance of the potion and didn’t

it

home, where else could Dorian hide the

just ask Dorian directly?” Draven

her head,

sure what kind of

to be, or if he

for sure if

had to make sure

before suddenly adding, “By the way, there are two other teams looking for the potion recently. One is GTO, and the other’s identity is unknown. I didn’t

has already found the

boss. You’re in

“Shouldn’t they

lost for words. He knew his boss would say something

is

your people pull out from the

“But you..”

flashed him a mischievous smile, “I’ve got nine lives!

won’t die.”

Draven was speechless.

214

12.05

coffee shop, Vivienne returned to Tranquil

others were

Cordelia immediately came to

been thinking about that meal

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

Isolde was playing with the toy Vivienne had bought for Thaddeus Hawthorn on

Thomas were each holding a phone, engrossed in whatever

opposite Percival.

the potion.

of his mother today was