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.”

…

the Ellington family’s

cries, one could have thought

in the ICU. Can you imagine her suffering? It’s all Vivienne’s fault. If

face wet with tears, laid the blame thickly on

an Ellington by 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

not the type to settle down. But she was pregnant, and the scandal was huge. The Ellington family

a woman out if

bed, her complexion ashen. “Mom, please leave us. I want

her theatrics. She left, allowing Fiona to make her own appeal — it was always more effective than her

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

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

them again, they were rimmed red with distress. She turned to Richard. “Grandpa, this mess

younger generation’s affairs. He had taken even more of

his own fish to fry and

financial fraud; it was bound to

doing things, and

out, live your life well. I won’t let you down. My promises are still good, and I’ve kept that credit card for you. Think about what you want

ashamed to stay with the Ellington family. Once I’m better, let Mom, Jeffrey, and me leave Rivenwood. As for

the heart to outright refuse.

first granddaughter, and before Isolde was born, he

dote on her, the only

never troubling the

and butted heads with Percival, she focused on improving herself and genuinely considered the

her crime, Richard would have welcomed her

What a pity…

“Don’t worry about your father. You’ve always been by my side, never left Rivenwood; nowhere else is suitable for your recovery. Stay here. In a little while, your uncle will return, and you’ll have to meet him. He’s

in Fiona’s heart seemed to lift, and

Flynn, Richard’s youngest son, was the cool uncle

the ringleader of