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.

her phone and texted Percival,

[Came up empty. You?]

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

expression from those words

…

house of the Ellington family’s second

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

their imagination. A mere toss had

timely hospital visit, he

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

he was in agony. It

mind me. What about Fiona? Why was she kicked

Percival isn’t any better.

letting Fiona hog the spotlight. Now look what’s happened. What

nearby, equally furious, shouting upstairs to Fiona’s room, “Fiona, what are you doing hiding all day? Think you can get back into the company that way? Come out and figure out how to ask your grandpa to reinstate

of the Ellington family’s second branch, with

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

sat in her room, ignoring her parents’ and Jeffrey’s complaints below. She put on headphones, locked

ousted from the company was not her most pressing concern. It was her

also needed the Ellington Group’s resources

her livelihood,

If she failed to deliver as promised, it could cost her her

an unknown number on

our hands, being moved as

close eye. I’ll find a way to get her

fingertips, her usually cool face

an unfamiliar

hesitating, she

voice replied,

Fiona paused.

Calista?

Fiona had heard of Calista in

once-proclaimed prodigy of traditional medicine, the cheap daughter

Scott’s arrest, Calista had also become reclusive. Why was she calling

asked, her voice smooth, the

cheerful voice came through. “Got time for a

“Sure, see you soon.”

…