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

second son who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “Mom, if you hadn’t eaten so much, we wouldn’t have followed suit. Why did you have

you so many glances,

really think I

were taken

looked at her mother. “What do

want to eat either, but my hand acted on its own, reaching for food and

back a sob. “Dad, could it be

possessed. I moved when Vivienne moved and ate

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

forget 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 only what

in some convent in Havenwood before going to Rivenwood. Maybe

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

handle it,” Yannick growled, still seething from the recent nausea. “Some backwater girl isn’t going to best

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

or who knows how much he will suffer.” Mara pressed, her lips thin. “Plus,

other Boyds agreed

intentions for inviting Percival to Sea City—to marry him to Gillian Ashford and cement an alliance between the Boyd and Ashford families. No

their villa, Vivienne and Percival were

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

It’s supposed to control people for half an hour, making them do as they wish. I simply enhanced it a

with

their way into the villa, where the

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

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

and Percival exchanged

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