The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Ronald felt a twinge of embarrassment as he saw Vivienne’s forthright manner. The troubles of the Brooks clan were not her fault after all; she had merely been the one to lift the veil on those unsightly scars.

They had no right to blame her. In fact, they should be thanking her. Without Vivienne’s intervention, who knew what would become of the Brooks family in the future?

Yet, it was hard to digest such a dramatic shift. The Brooks clan had been a thriving and harmonious household, and to see it change so abruptly was unsettling, like a sudden shift in the weather.

Take Ashley, for instance—she still grumbled about Vivienne’s lack of tact.

Since Scott had been taken away, Baron had checked himself back into the nursing home, occasionally bickering with Richard. He spent his days leisurely sipping tea and admiring the view—content, it seemed.

Timothy, lacking a knack for business, had delegated a significant portion of the company operations to Ronald. Now, he was practically a co-patriarch of the Brooks family.

As a potential future leader capable of shouldering the Brooks family’s legacy, Ronald could not afford to be as petulant as Ashley.

Now that Vivienne had cleared the air, he let bygones be bygones.

“Dawson, after you,” Ronald gestured with a hand, inviting Dawson to enter first.

At the dinner table, Vivienne and Anna focused on their meal, staying silent. On the other hand, Dawson was engrossed in a subtle back-and-forth negotiation with Ronald over drinks, which concluded with a $600 million deal for that coveted piece of land.

A few rounds of drinks later, and with Ronald feeling the buzz, he inquired, “Dawson, what’s your plan for that plot of land? If you’re thinking of building a mall or a residential area, how’s the sales channel? I’m quite interested myself.”

Ronald was indeed shrewd. Selling his land for others to develop, then reinvesting in it, was a win-win. He not only offloaded a piece of land he could not develop himself but also stood to make a profit from the deal.

Dawson glanced at Vivienne. “Oh, that’s a gift for Vivienne.”

Ronald was taken aback, his eyes flicking to Vivienne in surprise. Spending $600 million on land only to give it away rather than develop it? That was not how one should spend money, even if one had it to burn.

Ronald chuckled. “Vivienne, got any plans for it? Need a hand?”

“I’m considering building

on his drink. A

this venture. Speaking of film

Has the production for

the last TV show recording, Percival had promised Kala a significant role. But

with the agency,” Ronald said, becoming chattier

of guilt and concern for Kala. Her agency

the issue?” Vivienne

Kala’s career had seen a resurgence. Even with Scott’s arrest, it should

a sip. “Her contract with the agency was nearing its end, and she renewed it. Initially, they were

“Undercut?” Vivienne’s brow furrowed.

drama, they feared a bad influence,

stopped short, realizing he might be sounding

sorry, Vivienne, I didn’t mean that. It’s the agency’s fault for using the Brooks family issues as an excuse. Kala

off. “No need to

on the ride home, Vivienne called

“Boss, you remembered me! What can I

background noise suggested Stephen was amidst

the

on the set of ‘Betrothed Understudy.’ I’m fine, but Kala’s struggling. Her scenes are getting cut drastically, and the second

word doesn’t count

lead, but we follow the director for everything else. I’m a singer, not an actor by trade. And yeah, the second lead, Lucia—you know her. She’s the

Vivienne paused, “Lucia?”

Who was that?

Did she know her?

exasperation, “Boss, when did your memory get so bad?

right.” Vivienne’s