The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne froze for a moment.

Was Maddox implying that she should carry on with this contract?

“Exactly as you’re thinking,” Maddox slid the contract toward Vivienne. “The Perez family has its own fish to fry these days, not focusing on bionic tech. And I know the reason the Ashfords have stood the test of time has a lot to do with this project.”

He paused, his gaze growing intense before he continued, “The person who got the Ashfords involved in the first place was your mother, Karen, right?”

Vivienne nodded but remained tight-lipped.

She was not ready to stir the pot with the Perez family’s waters still uncharted.

“Vivienne, only the Perez and the Boyd families are in on the bionic tech secret. Your mother managed to bring this concept to life, and it’s nearly identical to what the Perez family envisioned. I think she must have seen their initial concept draft. I’m not saying she copied or stole it. I’m just saying…”

“Uncle, I get what you’re trying to say.”

Vivienne smiled at Maddox.

She knew he was beginning to question her identity.

If her mother had indeed introduced those concepts, matching the Perez family’s ideas, it only meant she had some connection with them.

If that was the case, could Karen perhaps be Sasha?

Maddox hesitated to voice his suspicion, fearing another disappointment.

Vivienne tucked the contract away. “Thanks, Uncle. I’ll take it from here and push the research forward.”

Maddox nodded. “Yeah, I believe in you.”

He also believed that she must be his niece, his sister’s daughter.

But with a paternity test looming, this was a matter that still needed resolution!

…

At the Ashford Mansion.

an abrupt blow,

Boyd lineage, and Patrick had intended to consolidate his power by winning over the

was supposed to retrieve the Boyd family signet ring from Vivienne, and the contract was supposed to be

key and the murder footage spreading like wildfire online, no one could

turned pale with

his trump card had

ages; you’re making my head spin. What’s going on with Eliza? Did she really kill Wendy?” Gillian had woken up to see Patrick

still preoccupied with dreams of

sat down and asked, “Gillian, has Mara called

don’t want to deal with her anymore. Percival has already cut ties with them, so she’s useless to me now.” Gillian snorted with disdain for her once close

bother with

was one of mutual exploitation,

the Boyd family signet ring.

you still want to entangle with

won’t be at Vivienne’s mercy anymore if you manage to get them.

but seeing

had never seen her father

dialed Mara’s number. For the Boyd family fortune, Mara readily

had heard every word

her headphones, chuckling as she reviewed the translated

these years relying

fixated on the

dots were converging

any sense, he’d realize that loyalty to my mentor is the

curved her lips. “Traitors always meet

minutes later, Mara’s call came

“Bro, it’s Mara.”

not fully comprehending

turned on the

don’t know what to do. With all this chaos at home, I… Can I come to

the Ashford Mansion. Tell Gillian I’ll bring over

that, Percival hung

out of patience for playing games

settling on Percival’s expression with a