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,

were

as a pawn to kill Karen

Because it was the woman he

his shock,

she vanished, she used his identity

along. She had stayed silent, biding

could not tell if

he knew he

Scott was absolutely

also knew Arabella was not his child, yet he played along.

was not his daughter. He had never been intimate with Karen! Even though they had shared a bed that night, and the

with another man and so cunning, use intimacy with him

had arranged paternity tests to put to rest the faint hope in his

results confirmed a genetic match between him and Vivienne, he found solace, repeatedly convincing himself that Karen had loved

the results from Frostfire Intelligence Agency

believed it, believed that he had been

he knew someone would always shatter his self-deception. That person was

Vivienne

“I know you didn’t

Scott remained silent.

“So, spare

was like a dagger, piercing Scott with

didn’t come here just to talk about my identity and your mother, did you? Out with it. What

“Why don’t you introduce me

rejected the

B was the organization’s right hand, the benefactor who had elevated him. He would never betray GTO, not even for Karen, and certainly

had anticipated

an odorless gas that shot straight for

air, hands clutching at his neck, his eyes wide