The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Scott had mulled over the idea of bringing Brody into the fold more than once, but the folks he had sent out to extend the olive branch had all met untimely ends, and a few had even vanished without a trace, their bones yet to be found.

Those in the know about Brody understood one thing clearly: He was not beholden to any organization. It all hinged on whether he was interested, and no one could force his hand to save or snuff a life.

Calista sucked in a sharp breath, the memory of Brody’s brutal methods during her treatment sending a shiver down her spine.

Scott exhaled slowly. “You should head back. Get the job done as soon as you can. Once you’re back with the Brooks family, don’t breathe a word of seeing me. You know what’s at stake.”

“Yes, I understand.” Calista quickly rose, snatching her purse and scurrying out the door.

The room lapsed into a moment of silence as Scott leaned back on the couch, a frown creasing his forehead.

He had overplayed his cards this time.

Vivienne had played him like a fiddle.

The lab had been a pet project of the boss, meticulously overseen to completion. Neither sensor probes nor thermal imagers could detect an exit.

Vivienne had been calm, deliberately cryptic.

And with his cover blown, he had mistakenly thought the lab’s location had been compromised.

To think he had actually led Vivienne and Percival straight to the lab.

What a blunder.

Scott chuckled wryly, a shade of melancholy crossing his face as he murmured, “As expected from your daughter, Karen.”

At Percival’s private clinic, Vivienne treated two children whose lives had been hung by a thread.

Thankfully, they were regaining vitality, and their hearts were beginning to regenerate.

With close observation over the next few days, they could be discharged.

had been located and were en

spitting images of each other?” Leopold peered through the glass of the incubator

head. “Ever

his head. “Vivienne, you

plain dumb,” A man and

pair—Vivienne and the unwilling-to-admit-it

waist. She looked every bit the intelligent beauty in her white lab coat, her hair pinned up in a bun, loose strands

a sight to behold. His wife was

approached. “Percival, the kids’ parents have

“Yasmine, Natalia.”

sobbing female voice echoed from behind

saw a woman in her mid-thirties, dressed simply

keep it together. We need

none other than Yuri Perez, the fourth son of the old man Jasper, who had recently bought the plagiarized

the children’s parents,” Yuri said as he supported Zelda, politeness in his eyes

“Yes, the children are here. Have a look, but they can’t leave just yet. They

let Yuri

she had not yet passed on. Revealing their suffering to their mother

to see

so sorry. It’s all my fault.” Zelda’s tears streamed down the

“Zelda,

Percival quietly left the family to their moment, relieved that the children’s condition was stable and

expression was serious. Vivienne sensed his

feel like I’ve seen that Yuri somewhere before. He

thought I was

she laid eyes on Yuri, she felt as if she had known him long ago, and there was a peculiar

they pondered this, someone called out Vivienne’s name from behind.

name, Vivienne. You didn’t respond, so I…” Yuri said apologetically, then asked,

day to

noticing her hesitation, gave a rueful smile. “They must’ve suffered.

and Vivienne holding hands, Yuri said awkwardly, “Erm, I’m

you think?” Percival thought but