The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Eliza had just tucked Wendy in when she bolted out the door.

“Hold on a sec, Percival!” she called out.

Percival was about to slide into his car when he heard his name being called. He turned around and asked, “What?”

Eliza tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Percival, we haven’t had a proper chat in ages. Can we catch up the day after tomorrow, maybe over dinner?”

Percival squinted slightly. “What’s on your mind, Eliza?”

She chuckled awkwardly, “I just wanted to talk to you about your mother, my sister, you know?”

Percival gazed at Eliza, his thoughts concealed by the dim light around them.

After a moment, he said with a deep voice, “Day after tomorrow it is.”

Eliza then pulled out something from her pocket, handed it to Percival without explanation, and headed back to the Boyd residence.

In the car, Vivienne sniffed the object curiously.

It was an antidote for some love potion!

“Why did she give you this?” Vivienne was puzzled.

Could it be that Eliza, a member of the Boyd family, did not want Gillian to marry into Percival?

Percival chuckled. “She probably wants to curry favor.”

Vivienne nodded in understanding. “So, are you going to accept this favor or not?”

“Absolutely,” Percival said, wrapping his arm around Vivienne and rubbing her shoulder, “It wouldn’t be fun otherwise. Can’t be completely uninvolved with the Boyds during this time.”

Percival had come to Sea City on a mission, and getting close to the Boyds was just a cover.

He needed to entangle himself with them when necessary to mask his true purpose better.

Now that his enemies were hidden and he was exposed, he had to tread carefully.

day. Gillian was a crucial player in his mission and had to be handled with

rested in Percival’s embrace, observing the

are you

thinking about how to properly attend to the matriarch

hard he nearly flew out of his

cat just dashed across

such explosive topics? This isn’t a mission — it’s a

bomb factory and get blown to bits if I

lowered the privacy screen in the car, thinking maybe Maddox should consider a new driver for Vivienne and

turned crimson. She had only been

would take her

flushed face on his lap, felt a stir in his heart, and leaned down to kiss the blushing

…

At the Perez Mansion.

City?” Diana Perez was

mentioned she’s busy and might

fork tightly. Despite her years with the Perez family, she had never received such attention from

granddaughter was

she had called Jasper to check in, and all he talked

It was maddening!

her fork before regaining her composure and smiling. “Vivienne’s here, and I really should visit her. Please ask Maddox where

…

was awakened by a frantic

the water ceremony yesterday. She’s bedridden and can’t get up. What should

intense one might think it was a

of bed, missing the warmth of Vivienne next

had cleared his room in

sharing the sprawling king-sized

“Percival, are you listening? I’m beside myself here. The doctor said Grandma might be

Vivienne isn’t someone you should talk

her full name, Mara was taken

called her Mara. His sternness, especially over Vivienne, stunned

Mara

said, “Percival, it’s Uncle Hayden. Your grandma’s situation is definitely because of Vivienne. We