The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Patrick’s limbs were beyond his control, his body betraying him as he followed Vivienne’s retreating steps.

Behind him, Gillian’s heart-wrenching cries for her father echoed through the air, but he was powerless to respond.

Patrick finally felt the command of his body returned when they reached a secluded cabin on the ship.

But now, with both Percival and Anna guarding the door, escape was an impossibility.

“Kneel,” Vivienne commanded, her voice serene as she sat on the seat representing authority.

Patrick fell to his knees with a thud, not out of compulsion but from the sheer force of Vivienne’s presence.

His legs tingled with numbness, sharp pains shooting through his knees as if a thousand needles were pricking them.

Beads of sweat formed on his brow, trickling down his temples and disappearing onto his shoulders.

Vivienne sat with her legs crossed, her slender neck held high with disdain, a hint of scorn in her gaze.

As Patrick knelt, Vivienne wondered what her mother had seen in him. How could such a spineless man be entrusted with the critical technology of bionics?

She regarded him with contempt and curiosity, slowly pulling the small “Morning Glory” from her pocket and tossing it at Patrick.

Instinctively, he caught it, his forehead bulging with veins, paralyzed with fear.

When he saw what it was, he finally heaved a sigh of relief.

He had thought she had thrown a knife at him!

“Madam, what is this?” he stammered.

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, her voice calm. “A miniature bomb.”

Shocked to his core, Patrick scrambled behind the couch for cover.

He thought it was a knife, but it was even worse – a bomb! Vivienne was more reckless than his boss.

Who in their right mind tosses a bomb around like a toy?

Observing Patrick’s reaction, Vivienne could almost be certain of his innocence regarding the bomb incident that evening.

your ship,” she stated, her legs shifting position as she lounged back on the sofa,

panting, “Madam, I swear I had no idea about this. Even if we set aside your presence on the ship, my daughter and

know,” Vivienne murmured absentmindedly, frowning

and began to rise,

she looked at him. “You know

of the bionic tech,

to apologize, claiming their matriarch was indisposed and that he would represent her. I agreed, and during preparations yesterday, my men told me the Boyd family’s head wanted to drop off a floral arrangement. I did not question it, but it’s suspicious now that I think about it. I had always dealt with Eliza,

then a signal beeped in

The shipment had arrived.

wanted to check it but could not do so in front of Vivienne, so he remained kneeling

yawned, her eyes

she went

move. He knew Vivienne was not dozing off but contemplating

bomb had touched a nerve, and his pale excuses and baseless suspicions held little

phone

shipment had

Why bother messaging him?

their post outside the cabin and were now at the

secured the docks, sealing off

found it—it’s Keco,” Thomas reported, handing over a bag of what seemed

black market, identical to

furrowed.

Leopold before

“Three tons.”

Anna gasped. “How much?”

“Three tons,” Thomas repeated.

could profit enough to buy a small

a significant haul but had not imagined it would be

Keco, we’ve found nothing else,”

had come to Sea City to uncover GTO’s virus research base, following leads

was their chance to breach the base, so Leopold and Thomas had been on watch

Vivienne kept their eyes on Patrick’s movements from the ship’s cabin; each of his moves was a potential key to unraveling the web of intrigue surrounding

their surprise, and instead of securing the experimental substance, they had stumbled upon a

was neck-deep in

tons of Keco was no small find, and it demanded the

gear and coordinate with the DEA officers,” Percival instructed as he took the Keco bag. “And keep this