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.

parents had been located

twins supposed to be spitting images of each other?”

head.

of his head. “Vivienne, you

plain dumb,” A man

aback, eyed the pair—Vivienne and the unwilling-to-admit-it Percival. “Alright, a

beauty in

was a sight to behold. His wife was beautiful in every

“Percival, the kids’

“Yasmine, Natalia.”

sobbing female voice echoed from

over, Vivienne saw a woman in her mid-thirties, dressed simply yet in fine

together. We need to be

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

must be Vivienne, hello. I’m Yuri, and we’re the children’s parents,” Yuri

here. Have a look, but they can’t leave just

stepped aside to let Yuri and

held onto a medical report she had not yet passed on. Revealing their suffering to their mother seemed

could not bear to see a

I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.” Zelda’s tears streamed down the glass as

caught her. “Zelda, it’s not your

the family to their moment, relieved that the children’s condition was stable and no longer required her constant

Percival’s expression was serious. Vivienne sensed his mood. “What’s on

feel like I’ve seen that Yuri somewhere

paused. “I thought I was the

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

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

stunned. She had planned to discuss the situation with Yuri the next day to give him time

noticing her hesitation, gave a rueful smile. “They

Percival and Vivienne holding hands, Yuri said awkwardly, “Erm, I’m not disturbing your date, am

do you think?” Percival thought