The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Wendy was the first to pick up her milkshake and take a gulp, setting off a reluctant chain reaction among the others. They had no choice but to follow suit and sip away.

It was not until the last drops of the milkshake were consumed that Vivienne stood up, flicking her wrist in dismissal, “That’ll do for today. Get some rest, folks. See you all tomorrow.”

With that, Vivienne and Percival left the Boyd residence and returned to the house Maddox had prepared for them to catch some sleep.

No sooner had they left than Wendy, forgetting her cane, bolted to the bathroom and began to hurl.

The other Boyds followed suit, much to the dismay of the household staff, who pinched their noses in disgust.

It was revolting.

To have so many people retching at once was unheard of, and Yannick even spewed on Wendy’s beloved woolen rug.

Already, the house was tainted with the smell of barbeque and smoke, and now this collective upheaval of recently chewed food added insult to injury.

The odor was insufferable.

The Boyds spent a grueling half-hour vomiting before they finally collapsed back onto the couches, utterly spent.

The once prized woolen rug had been relegated to the trash, a sight that made Wendy’s heart ache.

Theodore, drained and pale, leaned on his wife’s shoulder, still dry-heaving.

Teresa, repulsed, shoved him away. “Get off me. You stink of decay. It’s disgusting.”

Theodore weakly slapped Teresa, not because he could not bear to hurt his wife, but sheer exhaustion. “You wench, you think you smell any better?”

“You dare hit me? Believe it or not, I’ll divorce you for this!” Teresa howled, her voice nearly giving out from the strain.

Dehydrated and powerless, no one had the energy to argue further.

accepted a glass of water from a servant and

until now, finally spoke up. “Mom, if you hadn’t eaten so much,

“I gave you so many glances, but you just

“Do you really think I wanted to eat that

were

looked at her mother. “What

either, but my hand acted on its own,

choked back a sob. “Dad, could it

felt similarly manipulated. Teresa confessed, “It was indeed like being possessed. I moved when Vivienne moved and ate uncontrollably even though I was fully

closer to Hayden, frightened. “Don’t scare me,

is,” Wendy reminded them

arrival in Sea City, Wendy had thoroughly investigated Vivienne—or so she thought. What she found was likely only what

convent in Havenwood before going to

people, would fall for a

recent nausea. “Some backwater

girl. Even if she learned something, it couldn’t be that powerful.

We can’t let her be with Percival, or who knows how much he will

agreed

between the Boyd and Ashford families. No matter how far Vivienne and Percival had gone, Gillian was destined to

villa, Vivienne and

curious about Vivienne’s earlier antics. “What did you do to make

hour, making them do as they wish. I simply enhanced it a bit, extending the effect to an

with

together, making their way into the villa, where

you might need. If anything is missing, just press the button by the bed, and we’ll be at your service. We won’t disturb you any further—have

Vivienne a knowing look, her smile broadening as she scurried off, as

Percival exchanged a

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