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.

was also why Percival had agreed to dine with Gillian the next day. Gillian was a crucial player in his mission and had to be handled

rested in Percival’s embrace, observing

what are you

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

brakes so hard he nearly flew

Percival, a cat just

such explosive topics? This

bomb factory and get blown to bits if

car, thinking maybe Maddox should consider a

crimson. She had

knew he would

on his lap, felt a stir in his

…

At the Perez Mansion.

in Sea City?” Diana Perez was having dinner

“Yes, she has arrived. Master Maddox mentioned she’s busy and might not visit the Perez family. He said not to

Perez family, she had never

was

to check in, and all he talked about was

It was maddening!

composure and smiling. “Vivienne’s here, and I really should visit her.

…

Percival was awakened by

ceremony yesterday. She’s bedridden and

so intense one might think it was

bed, missing the warmth of Vivienne next to him, which only added

had cleared his room in just

did not mind sharing the sprawling king-sized

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

Boyd, Vivienne isn’t someone you should

Percival use her full name,

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

thought made Mara seethe

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