The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Astrid fidgeted nervously beside Vivienne, apparently still wracked with guilt over the previous day’s events.

Vivienne, unfazed, glanced at Astrid with eyes as soft as a strawberry cheesecake and stood up.

Astrid halted her with a call, “Vivienne.”

Vivienne’s lips curved into a smile, her bright eyes flashing with disinterest. “What is it?”

Astrid rose and approached her, lifting her shirt.

On her slender waist was a hideous black scar.

A knife wound, poisoned.

Astrid clenched her fist. “I got this on a mission when I fell into the enemy’s trap. Now, I still suffer from the pain, especially when it rains, my whole body aches.

Vivienne, I’m not trying to gain your sympathy. I just want to tell you that we’ve sacrificed our lives to ensure that our organization can develop a defense against the biochemical weapons of rival nations.

So, on behalf of the organization and our country, I’m inviting you to join our fight!”

Vivienne’s gaze fell on the scar on Astrid’s waist.

It was clearly real.

She grasped Astrid’s wrist and felt for her pulse.

The poison had been lurking in her body for years; she, indeed, had suffered greatly.

Vivienne casually took out a life-saving pill and popped it into Astrid’s mouth. “This poison isn’t hard to cure. Just come to me once a day.”

After a pause, she added, “I’m quite interested in what you’ve said. I’ll give it a try.”

Astrid froze, surprised. “You mean you agree?”

Vivienne nodded slightly. “Yeah, but I’m out if your experiments don’t meet my standards.”

“Great. You’ll find our experiments fascinating,” Astrid said with a smile. “I’ll notify the organization and see when they can take you to the lab.”

With that, Astrid went into her room.

Looking at her door, Vivienne let a sly smile creep onto her face.

and texted Percival, [How’s it

[Came up empty. You?]

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

Vivienne’s cunning expression from those words –

…

of the Ellington family’s second

The doctor said you can’t get out of bed yet,” Heloise

their imagination. A mere toss had

were not for the timely hospital visit, he might have lost his

limped to the couch. “I’m going stir-crazy lying in

there was useless; he was in agony. It was better to move a

off impatiently. “Never mind me. What about Fiona? Why was

isn’t any better. No matter what, Fiona was good to him. How could he just throw her out of the

the spotlight. Now look what’s happened. What are we supposed to do now? Wait to starve?”

sat nearby, equally furious, shouting upstairs to Fiona’s room, “Fiona, what are you doing hiding all day? Think you can get back into

family’s second branch, with half their savings coming

that she was out, they had lost a significant source of

her room, ignoring her parents’ and Jeffrey’s complaints below. She put

the company was not her most pressing concern. It was her clandestine dealings

just in the art galleries; she also needed the Ellington Group’s resources and connections,

was her livelihood,

If she failed to deliver as

on

hands, being moved as you

a close eye. I’ll find a way

rubbed her fingertips, her usually cool face fading to

unfamiliar

hesitating, she answered, “Who’s

replied, “Ms.,

Fiona paused.

Calista?

had

the cheap daughter of

had also become reclusive. Why was she calling

asked,

through. “Got time for a

“Sure, see you soon.”

…