The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In front of the Boyd Mansion.

As Wendy approached, she could not miss the sparkling ring on Vivienne’s finger. Under her breath, she cursed, “That little bitch!”

But her face was all smiles as she said, “Percival, darling, why stand out here? You’re at granny’s now; there’s no need to be so formal. Come on in!”

Percival scanned Wendy with a glance. If it weren’t for the mission he was concealing, he’d never again associate with the Boyds. It made his skin crawl.

“We haven’t sanitized and showered yet; it wouldn’t be proper to come in,” Percival replied coolly.

Wendy despised him all the more for it.

Percival was even more insufferable than his grandfather. Give him an inch, and he would not take it. Those Ellingtons, all with a stick up their backside! But for the sake of that elusive trade route, she had to play along.

With a thwack, Wendy brought her solid oak cane down on the butler’s shin, sending him tumbling to the ground in surprise.

“You ungrateful wretch, Percival’s family, isn’t he? I told you to have those riff-raff from who knows where to clean up, not Percival! You muddle-headed fool, you can kiss your bonus goodbye this month.”

Vivienne watched from the side, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

Riff-raff from nowhere?

Was that directed at her?

Surely, it was.

After scolding the butler, Wendy turned back to Percival with a forced smile and said, “Percival, the servants are clueless sometimes. Please, come inside. Don’t just stand out here.”

But Percival acted as if he had not heard Wendy. Instead, he turned to Vivienne.

Vivienne smiled lightly. “I heard it’s Boyd tradition to sanitize and shower before meeting the head of the house?”

seconds before replying, “We don’t have such a

now,” Vivienne said, twisting the ring on her finger, and without changing shoes, she and Percival stepped onto the

it meticulously by hand. Now, with four dirty footprints stamped across it, she

the coffee table, her gaze casually turning to

to smash it over Vivienne’s

a presence that even

Wendy reluctantly headed to the prepared decontamination room to shower and change, ready to

dressed. Vivienne looked her over; she

at seeing her

water, saying, “Percival, your aunt and

clock. It was already 7:30 PM. Still out working? The Boyds were surely hardworking

narrowed, his lips curling into a sneer. After all these years, his grandmother

a child, every time he and Cecilia returned, only Wendy would be home, claiming his aunt and uncle were out working, and they would eat when they returned. But once

back. “Fine, we’ll wait for them.

had nothing to him but his looks. Now, he seemed to radiate a chilling aura, like someone who had

him, not a trace of girlishness

was silent, devoid

Boyds started to

by their children. The injured butler stopped them, “Master

years, Theodore had never heard of such a thing as a household head

slapped the butler. “You mutt, who do

wife Nancy, and their children

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