The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the bowels of an unnamed city, a clandestine lab was the scene of yet another failure for Calista. Her frustration at yet another botched experiment reached a tipping point, and she sent glassware and papers flying off her desk in a fit of rage.

Why was she unable to develop the “Boar Poison”? And why, oh why, could she not surpass Vivienne’s accomplishments in medicine? She was just as competent, if not more so. Yet, this “Boar Poison” formula continued to elude her grasp.

The door to the lab burst open, and Calista jolted upright, stumbling backward in a panic. “Mr. B… I’m working on it. I’ll have it soon. I promise no more troubles, oh!”

However, before she could finish, a pair of iron-strong hands grabbed her by the hair, slamming her head against the sharp edge of the lab table. Blood gushed from a gash on her forehead, painting her vision in a haze of red.

Mr. B’s face twisted with fury as she continued to shake Calista by the head, bashing her against the wall and the table, unleashing his anger.

Calista felt the grim reaper’s presence, certain her last breath was imminent.

Finally, Mr. B ceased her onslaught, flinging Calista to the floor with a force that was calculated—cruel enough to torment but careful enough to keep her alive.

Blinking through the blood, Calista made out the scar that marked Mr. B’s face, a constant reminder of her cruelty.

Trembling, Calista knelt, pleading. “Mr. B, please give me another chance.”

Mr. B, with a nonchalant gesture, unscrewed a water bottle and poured its contents over Calista’s head, leaving just enough to quench his thirst.

Calista’s hair dripped, and a chill crept over her limbs.

Mr. B exhaled deeply, troubled by recent events. A bounty hunter had been snooping around, constraining her operations. Thankfully, her location remained a secret, or the hunter would have already been on her tail.

Turning back to Calista, she said, “Do you realize the lengths we went to to pull you out? Twice I’ve risked exposure for you, and you’ve been nothing but useless!”

Calista shuddered with fear. “I’m close to a breakthrough, I swear. The ‘Boar Poison’ will be ready soon.”

Mr. B

a farce. Not only had she failed to secure

on Calista and that man was the only thing she could

demeanor shifted as she walked

“Hello.”

side, a passive and chilling voice

at Calista again as

quickly lowered her head, afraid Mr. B might give her

seemed to be doing a stretch. “I got a message from

B was stunned momentarily before asking,

they’d prefer us to bail Fiona out because she’s still of use to them. In exchange,

Fiona to be this

no difficult task to release Fiona, given she never committed that big of a crime. The Boar Poison is more important than that. Things will be much easier for you

“Okay. Understood.”

hung up and smiled, turning to

chin, and said, “Recover well. I have something important for you to do in a

nodded as quickly as she could. “Okay,

…

to free her husband. With her daughter gone and Jeffrey as the sole heir, the family’s

family? She’s sick

had a heart attack in the cell and would have died if not for the warden’s timely discovery. Afterward, she was sent to the hospital and was diagnosed with

Percival, upon hearing the news, shared a knowing smile. Fiona’s sudden and convenient illness was laughably

another one escaped. I’ve known Fiona for so many years and have never heard of her

smiled and did not

checked on Fiona’s health before she was imprisoned and knew very

leftover fruit juice, looking at the signature

his direct