The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Patrick was floored by the girl before him, his words catching in his throat as he fell silent.

Quincy did not bother with further conversation. Grabbing her press pass from the table, she stood up and left.

Patrick tugged at his tie, exhaling a long breath of relief.

Dealing with the devil always comes at a price, he mused.

After leaving Patrick’s press conference, Quincy took a shortcut and emerged transformed, her professional aura all but gone.

Dressed in a tank top with overalls and sporting a baseball cap, she slung a canvas bag over her shoulder, the picture of a college student.

She waited at the crossroads until a nondescript black Volkswagen pulled up.

“Are you my Uber?” Quincy asked.

The driver poked his head out, sunglasses masking his eyes. “Yeah, hop in, sweetheart.”

Quincy smiled and opened the door. Soon, the Volkswagen blended into the stream of city traffic.

“Captain Wolf, can’t you guys get me a better ride next time? This one just doesn’t suit my style,” Leopold grumbled from the driver’s seat, resting one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the door.

Percival, seated in the passenger seat, turned his head slightly, disregarding Husky’s complaints.

In the backseat, Quincy tipped her cap to greet Vivienne. “Long time no see.”

“You’ve gotten taller.” Vivienne smiled back.

They skipped the small talk, diving straight into the heart of the matter.

“Ever since the operation to take down Mark ended, I’ve been out of the loop, just lying low in Rivenwood. After the lab was blown up by someone named Willa, I got zero instructions. It was not until yesterday that I was suddenly told to come to Sea City and give Patrick his next assignment.”

you met

by F-Poison. The orders come through online messages. I’ve tried tracking him, but there’s nothing to trace.” Quincy pulled out her phone and showed a forum post

to trace the source on her laptop

been beefed up since our mentor’s days. We can’t track it with what we’ve got,” Percival said,

upped their game. Plus, the original backdoor was locked away at Vanguard Agency headquarters, probably already

into GTO’s internal network was a pipe

the thought of having such

for the bomb on the ship, I was out of the

“Another team?”

would activate us, the underlings, but it never happened, and the operations kept

has more than one

City. I’ve yet to figure out who that is,” Quincy said, which

trip to Sea City and the discovery of the bionic scandal, Vivienne would never have suspected

second-in-command after all; she was just

in charge

was F-Poison

I know for now. I’ll let you know if anything else comes

the car, and

she left, Percival moved to the back seat. “What’s

Sea City lab is right under the Ashford

Boyd family will probably fall to Patrick soon. Once a person gets too

exchanged knowing smiles, anticipating

Boyd family, something that had never happened in decades was happening – the first and the second branches united, completely sidelining Wendy and Eliza to take over the

the contract with the Ashford family? Speak up, you decrepit old fool!” Teresa slammed her hand

beating, was in

“Ah, ah, ah…”

wheelchair aside and grabbed Eliza by the hair. “Spit it out, you little wench. Where is

and spoke,

split the assets, you have no part

seemingly oblivious, allowing their wives to wrestle control of the Boyd