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.

Percival pointed at Anna and said, “Continue the

to Leopold. “You’re driving

in trouble with

look. “After you drop me off, do five hundred push-ups and six hundred sit-ups outside Griffin’s house. Don’t even think

the picture of shock. Push-ups and

to split up, their

a direct mission from HQ to the Vanguard Agency’s special

Tiger sighting in Weststart City. Wolf leads the team.

faces. Anna wanted to speak, but Percival cut her

crisply, “Yes,

and Leopold set

furrowed deeply, his

known for its abandoned

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

in agreement.

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

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

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

death; they could not afford to act rashly for the

and White Tiger as its head

capture such a high-profile

furrowed her brow, “Anna, let’s go see

asked no questions. She donned her coat, checked

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

come through yet. Familiarize yourself with the

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

on point, scouting the terrain. Thomas’s second squad covered the perimeter, and Soren joined Percival to head straight for the heart of enemy

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

head honcho. You

stay back and oversee the

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

command vehicle on-site, and Micah

not care if he heard it all; the whole situation was out of order, a clear sign that someone

had managed to tick off lately was