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.

at Anna and

to Leopold. “You’re

on, “Oh, got it. You’re in trouble with your father-in-law because you did something to Vivienne,

a look. “After you drop me off, do five hundred push-ups and six hundred sit-ups outside Griffin’s house. Don’t even think about rejoining the squad until you’re

Push-ups and sit-ups were

to split up,

direct mission from HQ to the

in Weststart City.

faces. Anna wanted to speak, but Percival cut her off. “You stick with

saluted crisply,

Leopold set

deeply, his expression

in Weststart City, a place known for its abandoned

“It was all

in agreement. “I

aside the puzzling appearance of White Tiger in Weststart City, the mission itself was riddled with

the details before a mission, including the command structure, snipers,

a heads-up to plan within half

could not afford to act rashly for the sake

and White Tiger as its head honcho,

capture such a high-profile target

“Anna,

questions. She donned her coat, checked her sidearm, and left with

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

through yet. Familiarize yourself with the basic layout,” Percival commanded from

through satellite. Micah would be in the field, in

squad covered the perimeter, and Soren joined Percival to head straight for the heart of

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

head honcho.

the squad leader, the one supposed to stay back and oversee the safety of all the team members, commanding

and to top it off, the deputy director, waltz into

vehicle on-site, and Micah heard everything loud and

whole situation was out of order, a clear sign that someone had it out for

person Percival had managed to tick