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.

she stated, her legs shifting position as

the ship, my daughter and

know,” Vivienne murmured absentmindedly,

in relief and began to rise, “Could this be connected to

sharpened as she looked at

just find it odd. After the engagement party fiasco, I cut all ties with the Boyd family. But for the sake of the bionic tech, I could not completely

wanted to drop off a floral arrangement. I did not question it, but it’s suspicious

nodded, then a signal beeped

The shipment had arrived.

phone buzzed with a message. He wanted to check it but could not do so in front of Vivienne, so he

yawned, her eyes

that, she

not to move. He knew Vivienne was

a nerve, and his pale excuses and baseless suspicions held little

as his phone

the shipment had

Why bother messaging him?

had left their post outside the cabin and were now at the Sea

had secured the docks, sealing off all incoming shipments and detaining the

reported, handing over a bag of what

drug on the black market, identical to flour and often sold

furrowed.

Leopold before revealing

“Three tons.”

Anna gasped. “How much?”

“Three tons,” Thomas repeated.

tons of Keco could profit enough

anticipated a significant haul but had not imagined it would

than Keco, we’ve found

virus research base, following leads to the Ashford family’s harbor, expecting a

base, so Leopold

from the ship’s cabin; each of his moves was

securing the experimental substance, they had stumbled upon a

all people, was neck-deep in drug trafficking, a

substance was a dead end by now. Three tons of Keco was no small find, and

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