The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The scene was utter chaos. Gillian did not even see who yanked her away, and Patrick was besieged by a mob of angry parents demanding explanations.

Even the Boyds were not spared, with numerous hot-headed lads demanding to know why their sweethearts were suddenly engaged to someone else.

Amid the turmoil, Vivienne and Percival exchanged a knowing glance and could not help but chuckle.

Vivienne turned her head to Percival with a smile, “Mr. Wolf, is it just me, or do our engagement parties always seem to end in a ruckus?”

Percival took Vivienne’s hand, and they walked down from the stage side by side, “It seems the heavens are telling us we should marry sooner rather than later.”

Vivienne rested her head on Percival’s shoulder. “Is the betrothal gifts ready?”

Percival lightly tapped her nose. “Don’t worry, you’ve got me, lock, stock, and barrel!”

Patrick had to fight through the crowd to rescue Gillian from those who had lost their senses, and with the help of the bodyguards, they made it to the safety of the parking lot and away from the scene.

Safety, however, was a relative term. Gillian’s face bore the marks of slaps, her princess-like coiffure was a tangled mess resembling a bird’s nest, and her gown took the prints of several shoes, clear evidence of being trampled on.

Gillian had never imagined such a scenario. Although she had many men around her, none were boyfriends, and any talk of love or affection was just lip service.

She had them all under her thumb and had even fabricated excuses to prevent them from attending the engagement party with their parents.

How on earth did they all end up here?

And that video – who dug it out?

It was just a night at the bar playing games with some good-looking guys. How did it come to this?

“It had to be that Vivienne behind this. Dad, I swear I’ll destroy her!” Gillian shouted at the top of her lungs.

Patrick looked at his daughter and, in a fit of rage, slapped her across the face. His eyes were sharp as a hawk’s.

“Dad… You hit me?” Gillian looked at Patrick in disbelief.

her before, not even a

you!” Patrick’s face turned red with anger. “Tell me,

saw a

got a clear look at Vivienne, he thought he was seeing his boss for a moment. She had to be the missing daughter of his

to realize that her father was more concerned about Vivienne’s identity

care who she is? Just get rid of her. I

“Do you have any idea who you’ve crossed? If Vivienne really is her daughter, our family,

what her father was going on about, “Whose daughter could she

touch Vivienne again, you’ll answer to me!”

switched cars to head directly

surprising that Patrick could find Vivienne’s address

four hours outside the villa, Patrick saw Vivienne and Percival return, hand in hand and carrying

curved into a smirk as a cold glint passed through

Vivienne’s

knelt on

gaze indifferent. “Mr. Ashford, seems

correct! Boss once instructed that if anything happened to her, we were to follow your orders. My daughter is young and foolish; I beg your forgiveness. I, Patrick, am willing to take full responsibility for all

her pockets as she

Patrick before. In fact, aside from her mentor and Dorian’s family, she had never encountered anyone related to her mother before she left the mountains. Those people certainly had

to find her, and neither the Pendleton nor the Churchill families had recognized

had identified her at first

family was indeed

his lips. “Had it not been for Boss, there would be no Ashford family today. Not just us, but the Pendletons and the Churchills within Rivenwood all owed allegiance to Boss. But after she

Vivienne remained silent.

and Churchill families were her mother’s allies, a fact she only learned after arriving in Havenwood when Matthew uncovered that there had been

set out to find her only daughter, determined to protect her. But by the time he arrived, Vivienne had already been taken in

the time, she did not know William’s connection to her mother. Not until they went to Havenwood and had Matthew dig into the past did she learn of their shared

was also curious about what the Churchill family was really after. Faye’s father and William

Ashford family was the one group

eyeing Patrick intently, a flicker of something unreadable

you to me?” Vivienne asked, her tone neither warm nor

of the Ashford