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 she lounged back on

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

murmured absentmindedly, frowning

and began to rise, “Could this

gaze sharpened as she looked at him.

all ties with the Boyd family. But for the sake of the bionic tech,

told me the Boyd family’s head wanted to drop off a floral arrangement.

then a signal beeped in

The shipment had arrived.

message. He wanted to check it but could not do

yawned, her eyes

she

dared not to move. He knew Vivienne was not dozing off

the bomb had touched a nerve, and

increasingly anxious as his phone continued to vibrate in

shipment had arrived, just

Why bother messaging him?

post outside the cabin and were now

docks, sealing off

Thomas reported, handing over a bag

a notorious new drug on the black market, identical to flour and often sold alongside

furrowed. “How

Leopold before revealing an

“Three tons.”

Anna gasped. “How much?”

“Three tons,” Thomas repeated.

profit enough to buy a

had

we’ve found nothing else,”

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

base, so Leopold and Thomas had been on watch

each of

experimental substance, they had stumbled

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

substance was a dead end by now. Three tons of Keco was

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