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.]

gaze dropped; she clenched the paper

the person who sent this was not the same mysterious texter

could it

Suddenly, she smirked.

outside world, that old coot was

want to

lips curled slightly as she pulled out her phone

resisted signing up for Twitter, but Matthew had insisted it was the rage and would not stop

it since signing up, just

a public figure, and her Twitter followers had grown. She had about a million

‘brothers’ from the same master were

others were clueless, they knew there was only one person in the world who could owe Vivienne money: their

bucks, unpaid for

had faked his death, leaving them grieving

with Vivienne’s public call for payment, it was clear the

out on helping Vivienne

all nine tweeted, echoing

of the nine, were baffled, wondering who owed her money to warrant

Leopold replied

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

sent their followers

What was going on?

dodging a thousand-dollar

job nowadays would

followers began to retweet

tweet, the other disciples

smokes! Leopold, you’ve got

one, Leopold! I support you. Keep

mourn for

to fear? A man’s

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? If we don’t push,

Jerry: [Makes sense!]

he’s spot-on this time. We stand with Vivienne and must stand up

I’ve retweeted Leopold’s

the 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