The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Astrid chuckled dryly.

Mature enough?

If leaked, the research material in the lab would send shock waves around the globe.

Yet, in Vivienne’s words, it was merely mature enough?

Astrid glanced at her and asked, “So, you agree to stay in the lab?”

Vivienne nodded. “Yeah.”

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Thanks, Vivienne. I really appreciate you agreeing to be part of this experiment. Our progress will surely skyrocket now.”

Vivienne did not respond. Instead, she turned her gaze to the car window, watching the streetlights fall, and a slow smile spread across her lips.

After dropping Vivienne off at home, Astrid did not go upstairs. Instead, she turned the car around and drove away.

In the back seat lay the experimental data Vivienne had revised that day.

…

Returning home, Dorian and Cordelia were already asleep, and even though the light was on in Thaddeus’ room, he was sound asleep, too.

Vivienne switched off Thaddeus’ light and entered her own room.

The moment she opened the door, her steps faltered, her eyes sharpening instantly.

A chill ran through her as she looked towards the window – a piece of paper was wedged in the crack.

This was the twenty-third floor; unless it was an inside job, this kind of infiltration was extraordinary!

She was sure that apart from Dorian’s family, no one else was here.

Obviously, she was dealing with a pro!

She walked over and pulled out the paper.

The message was a mishmash of newspaper cutouts, and crooked letters forming a single line.

[The TCL Lab.]

the paper tightly in her

who sent this was not the same mysterious

could

Suddenly, she smirked.

the outside world, that

want to

lips curled slightly as she pulled out her phone and

had resisted signing up for Twitter, but Matthew had insisted it was

not used it since signing up, just letting

a public figure, and her Twitter followers had grown.

from the same master were the first to get the

others were clueless, they knew there was only one person

bucks,

his

for payment, it was clear

could they miss out on helping Vivienne

echoing Vivienne’s message,

of the nine, were baffled, wondering

her, only Leopold replied seriously, “The debtor is our

him in a post, [Master, a grand isn’t a fortune. Time to settle

sent their followers into

What was going on?

master dodging

nowadays

Vivienne’s followers began to retweet

Leopold’s tweet, the

was the first to message the group, [Holy smokes! Leopold, you’ve got guts! Aren’t

[Nice one, Leopold! I support

for you

A man’s gotta

you all, scaredy-cats! Did Vivienne treat you right for nothing? It’s her hard-earned money the old man owes. Aren’t we supposed to help her get it back? If I were you, I’d be tweeting right now, hounding the old man to pay! Isn’t Vivienne’s happiness worth more than your little troubles? Besides, who knows where that old guy is enjoying his life?

Jerry: [Makes sense!]

[Leopold used to be unreliable, but he’s spot-on this time. We stand with Vivienne and must stand

talk. I’ve retweeted

rest of Finnian’s disciples also tweeted, tagging him and demanding

in the retweeting frenzy, shooting Vivienne’s debt-collection campaign to the top of the trend