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.

up on the couch, accepted a glass of water from a servant

if you hadn’t eaten so much, we wouldn’t have followed suit. Why did you have to

glances,

“Do you really think

others were taken

puzzled, looked at her mother.

either, but my hand acted on its own, reaching for food and bringing it

“Dad, could it be we’ve

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

frightened. “Don’t scare me,

forget who Vivienne is,” Wendy reminded

City, Wendy had thoroughly investigated Vivienne—or so she thought. What she found was

the dots. “Vivienne stayed in some convent in Havenwood before going to Rivenwood.

would fall for a country girl. She must have bewitched him. What

seething from the recent nausea. “Some backwater girl isn’t going to best us, especially not

couldn’t be that powerful. The real masters

can’t let her be with Percival, or who knows how much he will suffer.” Mara pressed,

Boyds agreed with

City—to marry him to Gillian Ashford and cement an alliance between the Boyd and Ashford families. No matter how far Vivienne

and Percival were

about Vivienne’s earlier antics. “What did

people for half an hour, making them do as they

hair with pride.

laughed together, making their way into the villa, where the servants had everything prepared for a restful

by the bed, and we’ll be at your service. We won’t disturb you any further—have a good rest,” the head

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

exchanged a

rush?Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join &