The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 161

Percival’s eyes fluttered open to the soft light of dawn filtering in from the balcony.

Propping himself up on his elbows, he saw Vivienne seated in front of the floor–to–ceiling glass door, engrossed in the minicomputer in her hands.

The morning sun draped her in a gentle halo, making her seem ethereal.

She had been staring at the name ‘Wolf‘ on the screen for a long while before her gaze shifted towards Percival, lying on the bed with an inscrutable expression in her eyes.

Matthew had once told her that the code–name of the new team leader who had taken over her mother’s team after her mothe demise was Wolf.

Could it be that Percival was Woll?

He was her mother’s colleague?

“What’s wrong, Vivienne?” Percival asked as his handsome face bathed in the warm morning light and a soft smile played on his lips.

Vivienne paused for a moment before turning the tiny computer screen towards him. “Who are you, really?

The sight of the black interface and the striking red ‘Wolf‘ on the screen didn’t surprise Percival.

He had known from the start that Vivienne wasn’t living in his home to take care of his injuries or to court him. She was here to investigate him.

So, he had been waiting for her to unravel the truth herself.

His room was never locked at night, and he had deliberately changed his phone passcode to her birthday. He was aware of her snooping around but pretended not to notice.

He was sure of her identity now. He had no secrets from her.

“Frost.”

Vivienne stiffened. The playful smile faded from her face, replaced by a deadly seriousness. “Who are you?”

‘Frost‘ was her nickname.

Only her mother used to call her that.

No one knew about this nickname, not even Dorian.

It was the name she had taken after leaving the Hawthorn family when her mother and she were being pursued.

She had watched helplessly as her mother fought off their attackers, and she had wanted nothing more than to tear them apart.

that it was crucial to remain calm to come up with a better plan. They

prone to acting impulsively, so to remind herself to stay calm,

composed demeanor was a result of constantly

Percival know

composed Vivienne

a long while, managed to croak out, “Don’t you

scrutinized Percival from head

absolutely certain that she had never met him before

She demanded with her voice

gently patted her head, his voice soft and soothing. “Frost, I’ll buy you a strawberry cake every

vanished instantly as her voice went higher than usual. “Mr. Wolf? Is that

on his own saliva,

Chapter 161

Mr. Wolf?

was a name from

now, only she had ever

And the reason why?

she was only two, and

full decade

by her mother to get her to call him ‘brother,‘ she brazenly declared that someone ten years older shouldn’t be referred to

was. Since she always said that

that was how he had never mentioned his real

she had used that nickname for only a

adopted the code–name ‘Wolf‘

me.” Percival murmured, breaking away

flashed a genuine smile, the likes of which she hadn’t sported in a long time. “I could never forget.

heartwarming feeling of meeting a long–lost relative. A reminder that she still had family in the world, and through him,

different

had a family of his own now, and he didn’t remind Vivienne

But Percival…

had an unusually good memory and remembered everyone who had ever been

the kindest person to her, after her

did. He fulfilled all her whims and fancies, tolerating

could be her unguarded self around

she hadn’t seen Mr. Wolf since

that he had changed

smile. He ruffled her hair and promised, “I’ll bake you a strawberry cake tomorrow. I owe you for all these years. I’ll make it up

Vivienne agreed, her

moment of

my mother? How

replied, his eyes full of