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.

the couch, accepted a glass of

silent until now, finally spoke up. “Mom, if you hadn’t eaten so much, we wouldn’t have followed

many glances, but you just kept eating,

you really think I

others were taken

mother.

to eat either, but my hand acted on its

sob. “Dad, could it be

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

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

who Vivienne is,” Wendy

and Percival’s arrival in Sea City, Wendy had thoroughly investigated Vivienne—or so she thought. What she found was likely

in Havenwood before going to

why Percival, of all people, would fall for a country girl. She must have bewitched him. What do we

Yannick growled, still seething from the recent nausea. “Some backwater

however, sensed something amiss. “She’s just a girl. Even if she learned something, it couldn’t be that powerful. The real masters are all over

will suffer.” Mara pressed, her lips thin. “Plus, Gillian is

agreed with

aligned with the Boyds’ intentions for inviting Percival to Sea City—to marry him to Gillian Ashford and cement an alliance between the Boyd and Ashford families. No matter how far Vivienne

back at their villa, Vivienne and Percival were settling

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

an hour, making them do as they wish. I

ruffling Vivienne’s hair with pride. “Look at you, my

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

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

maid shot Percival and Vivienne a knowing look, her smile broadening as she scurried off, as if she could not bear to delay whatever awaited

exchanged

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