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.

been

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

smacked his head. “Ever

of his head. “Vivienne, you must’ve

dumb,” A man and a woman

eyed the pair—Vivienne and the

looked every bit the intelligent beauty in her white

a sight to behold. His wife was

“Percival, the kids’ parents have

“Yasmine, Natalia.”

sobbing female voice echoed from

woman in her mid-thirties,

keep it together. We need to

stood a man in a suit, none other than Yuri Perez, the fourth son of the old man Jasper, who had recently bought the plagiarized painting at the

Vivienne, hello. I’m Yuri, and we’re the children’s parents,” Yuri said as he supported

a look, but they can’t

let Yuri and Zelda see

a medical report she had not yet passed on. Revealing their suffering to

not bear to see a

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

quick to react, caught her. “Zelda, it’s not your

the family to their moment, relieved that the children’s condition

the hospital, Percival’s expression was serious. Vivienne

that Yuri somewhere before.

thought I was the only

she felt as if she had known him

someone called out Vivienne’s name from

Yuri said apologetically, then asked, “May I inquire about

had planned to discuss the situation with Yuri the next day to give him time to digest the news, but here he was, seeking

gave a rueful smile. “They must’ve suffered. I can’t be oblivious

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

you think?” Percival thought but