The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Scott’s normally stern face took on an even more sinister cast as he glared at Vivienne.

“When did you figure it out?” he asked, his voice deep and heavy with accusation.

He had always suspected that Vivienne would uncover his true identity, but he had not anticipated her discovery would come so swiftly.

Perhaps it was not today. Maybe she had known for quite some time, watching him like a court jester, smiling sweetly as he played his part, likely mocking him silently all the while.

“Let me think…” Vivienne propped her chin in her hand, feigning deep recollection. “I’d say it was around the time Rowan and Ismene disguised themselves as my foster parents.”

Scott felt his heart tighten, realizing she had known for longer than he thought.

Clearly, he had underestimated Vivienne.

Like mother, like daughter.

As the saying goes, a viper never gives birth to a dove.

“So, you didn’t come back to the Brooks family to find your biological father but to avenge your mother?” Scott’s voice was a low growl.

Vivienne’s lips curved slightly, but she remained silent.

Scott paused for a moment, then spoke again. “Since you know everything, you must also understand that I didn’t kill your mother.”

He had fallen for Karen at first sight, a love so sudden and all-consuming.

But he knew they would never have a future together.

When he discovered Karen was ‘Lark’, he knew his feelings would dissipate like mist. Because he was Scott, the high-ranking agent of GTO, the only person apart from the boss who knew the true face of Mr. B.

GTO was his allegiance, and Lark was its arch-nemesis.

For three years, he and Karen explored every nook of Rivenwood’s flower fields, witnessing the world’s most beautiful vistas together.

thought they would be forever, just

were as impure as

to use Paula as a pawn to kill Karen at their engagement

apart. Because it was the woman he loved the

his shock, Karen

she vanished, she used his identity to eliminate

stayed silent, biding her

could not tell if he felt relief or

knew he would never forget

was absolutely certain she was

was not his

his daughter. He had never been intimate with Karen! Even though they had shared a bed that

in love with another man and so cunning, use intimacy

tests to put to rest the faint hope in his

a genetic match between him and Vivienne, he found solace, repeatedly convincing himself

the results from Frostfire Intelligence Agency came back positive:

believed it, believed that he had been with

someone would always

countenance shift unpredictably, Vivienne knew precisely what

a poppy risen from the underworld. “I know you didn’t

Scott remained silent.

“So, spare me the act of deep affection. You’re really

was like a dagger,

and after a moment of silence, he said, “You didn’t come here just to talk about my identity and your mother, did you? Out with

don’t you introduce me to

rejected the idea

had elevated him. He would

had anticipated

released an odorless

to breathe, Scott gasped for air, hands clutching at his neck, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched