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.

legs shifting position as she lounged

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

know,” Vivienne murmured absentmindedly,

and began to rise, “Could this be connected

as she looked

all ties with the Boyd family. But for the sake of the bionic tech, I could not completely sever our relationship. I thought of sending

during preparations yesterday, my men told me the Boyd family’s head wanted to drop off a floral arrangement.

nodded, then a signal beeped in her

The shipment had arrived.

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

eyes closing. “Let me

that, she

knew Vivienne was not dozing off but contemplating

bomb had touched a nerve, and his pale

as his phone continued to

had arrived, just deliver

Why bother messaging him?

had left their post outside the cabin

docks, sealing off all incoming shipments

Thomas reported, handing over a bag

black market, identical to flour and often sold alongside grains

furrowed. “How

a glance with Leopold

“Three tons.”

Anna gasped. “How much?”

“Three tons,” Thomas repeated.

profit enough to

but had not

other than Keco, we’ve found nothing else,”

had come to Sea City to uncover GTO’s virus research base, following leads to the Ashford family’s harbor,

so Leopold and Thomas

each of his moves was a potential key to unraveling the web of intrigue surrounding

substance, they had

in drug trafficking, a

now. Three tons of Keco was no

the DEA officers,” Percival instructed as he took the Keco bag. “And keep