The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Evening had settled when Eliza stepped into Wendy’s room.

“Mom, why are you still up at this hour?” Eliza perched herself beside Wendy, the picture of a dutiful daughter.

Wendy cherished Eliza deeply, having protected her like the apple of her eye since she was a child.

Now, in her current state, she trusted no one more than Eliza.

“Eliza, with me in this condition, I would not put it past my daughters-in-law to have all sorts of ideas. We can’t let them get the better of us, darling. Your brothers are no use either, only seeing dollar signs.”

Eliza nestled close to Wendy, chuckling softly. “Don’t worry, Mom. The Boyds won’t be played by my sisters-in-law. Our family’s assets won’t fall into the wrong hands, not on my watch.”

Wendy nodded in assurance. “I knew I could count on you to ease my worries. Eliza, I’ve taken note of your ambitions all those years and prepared for it. This visit from Percival, it’s so you can get acquainted with the Ellingtons, you understand?”

Relief washed over Eliza with those words.

As long as she could see Nathan Ellington again, she would do anything.

“Yeah, I know you’ve always got my back, Mom.” Eliza leaned on Wendy’s shoulder, briefly catching sight of her amputated hand and quickly averting her gaze with a hint of distaste.

Wendy’s hand was already skeletal, a ghastly sight, and with the stump so starkly exposed, it was downright macabre.

“Mom, what are your plans regarding the Specter Healer?” Eliza inquired.

Wendy scoffed. “He’s just after money, isn’t he? I have plenty, though it might be a bit tricky to come up with 800 billion dollars at once. But, opportunities are not nonexistent.”

Eliza looked at Wendy skeptically.

Plenty of money? What a joke.

As the CFO of Boyd Group, she was all too aware of how much the Boyd family had.

Not to mention 800 billion, even 800 million would require careful consideration.

Where was her mother getting this confidence from?

Noticing Eliza’s doubt, Wendy smiled. “Have you forgotten our ace in the hole?”

the hole?” Eliza’s

remote and switched on the

The screen

Eliza in

was plotting to seize control of the Ashford family’s fortune, turning their empire into

than

so sure Patrick will turn

ruins, who would want her? But, just one

exploiting the

trouble, Gillian, as the sole Ashford heiress, would be desperate

one was a fool. With the gravity

the only ones to extend help, Gillian would

and unveiling

make the call

snatch all the Ashford business, it would be about more than just 800 billion

operation had to be kept secret from the other Boyds, or they

the Ellingtons from a position

the Ellington family’s next

wait to be cast aside,” She cursed

…

had barely processed Patrick’s arrest when

company and its numerous projects, Patrick had inevitably

the banks

Gillian tossed her phone aside, clueless

friends who once flocked around her had vanished into thin

doorbell rang. Surprisingly, it was

her warily. “What

smiled warmly. “Gillian, I came to see how you’re holding up. Your dad and I go way back, and I’ve watched you grow up. I could not just

had heard in

rushed forward and

to Mara and had grown up calling Eliza

smile and pulled Gillian to sit beside her. “Gillian, given the circumstances, there’s only one thing I can think of to help you, but I need

to do. I’ll follow your lead,” Gillian said, entirely out of her depth with business affairs. Having someone

a document. “It’s quite simple. You’re now the sole heir to the Ashford Group. After your father’s incident, you’ll take over as CEO. All you have to do is sign

fog. “Auntie, I

will still be the same, just under the