The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Gillian fought with every ounce of her strength, her mind desperately screaming.

“Mara, you fool, if you don’t show up soon, Yannick is really going to defile me!”

Where on earth had Mara taken Percival to?

If Mara did not arrive shortly, the aromatherapy candle would burn down to the stash of drugs, and even she would not be able to control herself!

“Yannick, let me go! My dad is right outside. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” Gillian clung desperately to her body, protecting her most vulnerable parts.

Yannick, driven mad with desire, paid no heed to such an impotent threat.

“Oh, how perfect, let your father witness just how slutty his daughter can be. With all the guests outside, you’ll have no choice but to marry me, and you’ll be Mrs. Boyd whether you like it or not!”

As Yannick spoke, he pinned Gillian’s hands to the bed, his hands roaming her body to satisfy his vile cravings.

When he first pursued Gillian, the belle of Sea City, he had been humiliated, and to this day, he was still mocked by his circle of friends.

To make matters worse, in their efforts to arrange Gillian’s marriage to Percival, the Boyd family had stirred up trouble with Vivienne, a force to be reckoned with. They had been stripped of their dignity, and his grandmother had even lost her hand, which had not been reattached yet!

And to add insult to injury, reattaching a hand and medical treatment for his grandmother’s back would cost a staggering 800 billion!

He thought the Boyd family had gone mad. Why spend so much on someone nearing the end of their life?

But his opinion did not matter; he had to follow the family’s plans.

Yet all this was because of Gillian, and today, he was determined to have her submit to him completely.

Gillian could not afford to care about dignity or propriety now. If Yannick had his way, she would be left without a shred of hope.

“Help, somebody, help me! Please, anyone!”

Her cries for help seemed only to excite Yannick further, his movements becoming more forceful.

Finally, her pleas reached the ears of someone outside the door.

Percival, however, remained unmoved.

Mara rushed to knock on the door, yelling, “Open the door! Yannick! Open the door! Percival is here,

relieved. Had Mara come later,

while Percival leaned casually against the wall, fiddling

the sidelines,” Vivienne said as she secured the ropes, holding tools in her

particular setup would not blow the entire ship to pieces, just enough to damage

to cause a malfunction, and coupled with an explosion at the bow deck, it would leave the

romantic and heroic as the Titanic’s

mind played the iconic line, “You jump, I jump,” an exquisitely beautiful

ship’s bow, spreading their wings to fly, and could not help

his earpiece with a

are just the beginning,” Vivienne muttered,

would have ensured their story did not

the last of the “Morning Glory,” removed the rope anchors, and climbed

Meanwhile…

task, standing

complete. No

a

the

area, the most likely location

Gillian’s door in, sending Yannick, who had been about to confront the intruder, sprawling to the

at Percival, “Damn you,

had no time for a brawl, landing a

come… If you had not, I would have…” Gillian sat on the bed, draping the sheets around her,

a picture of both vulnerability and inadvertent

her a glance,

and Gillian were puzzled by his actions and clueless

that she should drag the unconscious Yannick

grabbed Yannick by the leg, and hauled him out, closing the door

had broken the lock with his kick, meaning no one would need to break it down

scene would be even

disgust. “Looks like a

cause a scene once Percival barged in, which would definitely attract a crowd. Then, Mara would

well. Mara dragged Yannick away, buying a bit