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.

had agreed to dine with Gillian the next day. Gillian

Percival’s embrace, observing the scheming

Wolf, what are you plotting

face playfully, and said deliberately, “I’m thinking about how to properly attend to the matriarch tonight to

on the brakes so hard

a cat just dashed across the

goodness, are Percival and his lady now discussing such explosive topics? This isn’t a

I demand a task swap. I’d rather guard Griffin’s bomb

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

crimson. She had only

he would take her

on his lap, felt a stir in

…

At the Perez Mansion.

Perez was having dinner when she

mentioned she’s busy and might not visit

tightly. Despite her years with the Perez family, she had never

was

she had called Jasper to check in, and all he talked about was his foster

It was maddening!

“Vivienne’s here, and I really should

…

was awakened by

up after the water ceremony yesterday.

one might think it was a

Vivienne next to him,

be too efficient sometimes; she had cleared his room in just

did not mind sharing the sprawling king-sized

I’m beside myself here. The doctor said Grandma might be

Boyd, Vivienne isn’t someone you should talk about like

Percival use her full name, Mara was taken

he had always called her Mara. His sternness, especially over Vivienne, stunned

made Mara seethe

Your grandma’s situation is definitely because of Vivienne. We all know she’s the matriarch, but come on, Grandma’s an elder. You can’t treat an old lady like