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 water

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

chimed in. “I gave you so many glances, but

think I

others were

mother. “What do you

to eat either, but my hand acted on its own, reaching

sob. “Dad, could it be we’ve been

like being possessed. I moved when

Hayden, frightened. “Don’t scare

forget who Vivienne is,” Wendy

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

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

Percival, of all people, would fall for a country girl. She

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

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

he will suffer.” Mara pressed, her lips thin. “Plus, Gillian is a far better

other Boyds agreed with Mara’s

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 and Percival had gone, Gillian was destined to wed into

at their villa, Vivienne and Percival were settling in for

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

an hour, making them do as they wish. I simply enhanced it

with

together, making their way into the villa, where the

with everything 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 a good rest,” the head servant

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

Percival exchanged a

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