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

embrace, observing the scheming look in

what are you

snapped back to reality, pinched Vivienne’s face playfully, and said deliberately, “I’m thinking

brakes so hard he nearly flew out of

cat just dashed across the

such explosive

Griffin’s bomb factory

car, thinking maybe Maddox should consider a new driver

She had only

he would take

face on his lap, felt a stir in his heart, and leaned

…

At the Perez Mansion.

Diana Perez was having dinner when she overheard the servants discussing

might not visit the Perez family. He

her fork tightly. Despite her years with the Perez

granddaughter was getting all

to check in, and

It was maddening!

“Vivienne’s here, and I really should visit her. Please ask Maddox where she’s staying when you have a

…

next morning, Percival was awakened by a frantic

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

sobs were so intense one might think it was

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

sometimes; she had cleared his room in just

did not mind sharing the sprawling king-sized bed with

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

Vivienne isn’t someone you should talk

use her full

had always been close, and he had always called her Mara. His sternness, especially

Mara seethe with

Hayden took the phone and said, “Percival, it’s Uncle Hayden. Your grandma’s situation is definitely because of Vivienne. We all know she’s the matriarch, but come