The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the dead of night, with the lights off and still in the bedroom!

“Damn it, Percival! What have you done to my daughter? She’s still a minor!”

Percival looked into Dorian’s fuming eyes with a hint of resignation, “We were just talking.”

“Talking? Why in the dark? Were you two kissing like Isolde said, right here in the room?” Thaddeus giggled behind his hand.

Isolde had spilled everything to Thaddeus, including when she overheard Vivienne and Percival kissing in the bedroom!

Dorian’s eyes seemed to bulge even more.

Cordelia’s cheeks flushed as she pulled Thaddeus away. “Thaddeus, stop making things up. Vivienne and Percival were just… doing homework. Yeah, that’s it. Now you better finish yours.”

Thaddeus snickered and scampered off to his room with his backpack.

Percival deliberately avoided Dorian’s gaze and cleared his throat, “Mom, Dad, I should head out.”

With that, Percival made a beeline for the door.

The more he thought about Thaddeus’s words, the guiltier he felt!

Where the heck was Leopold when he was supposed to be on the lookout?

Leopold and Anna were indeed on duty, standing guard with due diligence.

When Percival emerged from the house, Leopold dropped his guard and approached. “All sorted out, Percival?”

Percival responded with a swift kick to Leopold’s rear. “Didn’t you see someone go upstairs?”

Anna and Leopold looked baffled, nodding in unison.

“We saw, we even texted you.”

Especially Leopold, rubbing his backside with a woebegone expression. He had sent Percival the message the moment he saw Dorian’s family within thirty feet!

Percival glanced at his phone, and sure enough, there was a message, which he had missed while with Vivienne.

his throat, Percival pointed at Anna

he turned to Leopold. “You’re driving me

got it. You’re in trouble with your father-in-law because you

look. “After you drop me off, do five hundred push-ups and six hundred sit-ups outside Griffin’s house.

picture of shock. Push-ups and sit-ups were one thing, but why

about to split up,

HQ to the Vanguard Agency’s special squad, demanding immediate

in Weststart City. Wolf

their faces. Anna wanted to speak, but Percival cut her

saluted crisply,

set out at

brow furrowed deeply, his expression

Tiger in Weststart City, a place known for its abandoned coal mines,

relayed the sudden mission details to Vivienne, “It was all very abrupt; I don’t know the specifics.

nodded in agreement.

of White Tiger in Weststart City, the mission itself

before a mission, including the command structure,

would have a heads-up to plan within half an

could not afford to act rashly for the sake of

Vanguard Agency had been tracking CK and White Tiger as its head honcho, a

high-profile

brow, “Anna, let’s go see

her coat, checked

attire and boarded the transport to Weststart City. Only en route did the team

hasn’t come through yet. Familiarize yourself with the basic layout,” Percival commanded from the lead

satellite. Micah would be in the field, in charge of the vehicles, while Percival would

the perimeter, and Soren joined Percival to

car, and it was not because they were heading deep into enemy territory—it was because Percival

you’re the commander, the head honcho.

and

off, the deputy director, waltz into the lion’s

vehicle

the whole situation was out

had managed to tick off lately