The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Leopold, the leader of the first squad, knew the unwritten leadership rules all too well. So, it stood to reason that Percival, the head honcho of the entire task force, would be even more clued in.

But now, even Leopold’s moves were being curtailed, never mind the liberty of the whole special squad.

Percival set aside the application form he had been holding, tapping his polished fingertip on the signature line. “Why don’t you take this up with the boss yourself?”

The rage on Leopold’s face fizzled out in an instant.

Would he dare?

For someone even Percival called “boss,” he was just a small fry; there was no way he would throw himself into the shark’s jaws.

Leopold slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples in frustration.

After a few seconds of silence, he asked, “Boss didn’t even ask you before signing off on this? Why didn’t you go to him first?”

Percival took a sip of his sweet fruit juice and said, “He said since Fiona’s my flesh and blood, having me sign could give someone leverage over me. If anything went sideways, there would be no one to cover for me, so he just went ahead without telling me.”

Leopold’s jaw worked silently, failing to snap shut.

Every word Micah said was for Percival’s sake. How could anyone argue with that?

Unable to sit still any longer, Leopold cursed under his breath, stood up, and stormed out. He slammed the door behind him, not caring if he would end up getting a beating.

This was just too damn suffocating.

Percival neatly filed the application form away and glanced up at Vivienne, his eyes usually icy, now melting with a certain warmth. “Vivienne, shall we go have a look?”

Vivienne rose, taking the fruit juice from Percival’s hand, and sipped the rest through the straw. “Yeah, let’s check it out.”

…

Ellington family’s

cries, one could have thought her daughter Fiona was already

all Vivienne’s fault. If not for her, my girl wouldn’t be like this. Dad, even if you’re mad at your son, you can’t

her face wet with tears, laid the blame thickly on

marriage; you can ignore me, but my children are Ellingtons by blood. If you don’t step up, we three might as well die now and stop bothering

irritation. He had never approved of Heloise marrying Henry, knowing she was not the type to settle down. But she was pregnant, and the scandal was huge. The Ellington family had no

keep such a woman out if he had known it would

hospital bed, her complexion ashen. “Mom, please leave us. I want to speak with Grandpa

to make her own appeal — it was always more effective than

the more she made a scene, the more reasonable Fiona appeared. That was the real reason

I’ll disown you,” Heloise warned before slamming the

when she opened them again, they were rimmed red with distress. She turned to Richard. “Grandpa, this mess is my fault. It

meddled in the younger generation’s affairs. He had taken even more of a back seat since the Ellington family was

Percival had his own fish to fry and never

of financial fraud; it was bound

way of doing things, and Fiona would not

out, live your life well. I won’t let you down. My promises are still good, and I’ve

Ellington family. Once I’m better, let Mom, Jeffrey, and me leave Rivenwood. As

agree, nor did he have the heart to outright refuse. He could not

and before Isolde was

not dote on her, the only girl amidst a houseful of rambunctious

always been self-reliant, never troubling the family, and had a knack

others jostled for the Ellington fortune and butted heads with Percival, she

not for her crime, Richard would have welcomed her back to the company without a

What a pity…

always been by my side, never left Rivenwood; nowhere else is suitable for your recovery. Stay

in Fiona’s heart seemed to lift, and a genuine smile

Uncle Flynn, Richard’s youngest son, was the

his nieces and nephews, Flynn had been the ringleader of their