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.

on the couch, accepted a glass of water from a

hadn’t eaten

“I gave you so many glances, but you just

“Do you really think I wanted to eat that

others were

puzzled, looked at her mother. “What do

didn’t want to eat either, but my hand acted on its

a sob. “Dad, could

being possessed. I moved when Vivienne moved

Hayden, frightened. “Don’t scare me, not

forget who Vivienne is,”

arrival in Sea City, Wendy had thoroughly investigated Vivienne—or so she thought. What

some convent in Havenwood before going to Rivenwood. Maybe she picked up some dark arts there to

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

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

couldn’t be that powerful. The real masters are all over fifty. There must

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

agreed with

cement an alliance between the Boyd and Ashford families. No matter how far Vivienne and Percival had gone, Gillian was destined to wed into their

their villa, Vivienne and

antics. “What did you do to make

an hour, making

hair with

villa, where the servants had

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

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

and Percival exchanged a puzzled

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