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.

pointed at

to Leopold. “You’re driving me

in trouble with your

gave him a look. “After you drop me off, do five hundred push-ups and

picture of shock. Push-ups and sit-ups were

split up, their

HQ to the Vanguard Agency’s

Tiger sighting in Weststart City. Wolf leads the team. Depart

their faces. Anna wanted to speak, but Percival cut

crisply, “Yes,

and Leopold set out

brow furrowed deeply, his

in Weststart City, a place known for its abandoned coal

sudden mission details to Vivienne, “It was all very abrupt; I don’t know the specifics. But Ms. Vivienne, something doesn’t feel

in

aside the puzzling appearance of White Tiger in Weststart

including the command structure, snipers, and such. They would disseminate maps to squad leaders and decide on roles and

in emergencies, team leaders would have a heads-up to plan within half an hour before

missions were life and death; they could not afford to act rashly for the sake of the

Agency had been tracking CK and White Tiger as its

capture such a high-profile target

brow, “Anna, let’s

no questions. She donned her coat, checked her sidearm,

and his team geared up in combat attire and boarded the transport to Weststart City. Only en route did the team receive a brief terrain map, lacking

yourself with

HQ would be commanding this operation through satellite. Micah would be in the field, in charge

terrain. Thomas’s second squad covered the perimeter, and Soren joined Percival

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

you’re the commander, the head honcho. You shouldn’t be

to stay back and oversee the

to top it off, the deputy director,

vehicle on-site, and Micah heard

he heard it all; the whole situation was out of order, a clear sign that

managed to tick off lately