The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Indeed, no sooner had Percival finished speaking than he received a confidential message from the higher-ups.

He was ordered to return to Rivenwood immediately to take control of the situation at Rivenwood headquarters.

Stretching languidly, Vivienne remarked, “Looks like it’s time to wrap this up.”

That evening, Mara sat anxiously in the living room of the Ashford Mansion.

“Gillian, I’m still worried. What did Percival mean? I didn’t say anything, and he said he’d bring what you want. This…”

Gillian handed Mara a cup of steaming cola. “Oh, don’t fret, sweetheart. If your brother said so, we just wait. Dad mentioned that as long as the contract and the Boyd family signet ring are brought over, you can inherit the Boyd family. Trust me.”

To Gillian, neither the contract nor the Boyd family signet ring mattered much; she could not understand why Patrick was so hung up on them.

Earlier tonight, she had merely phoned Patrick to inform him that Mara had brought the items without getting into details.

Before long, Percival arrived at the Ashford Mansion with Vivienne, knocking on the door.

Gillian quickly primped her hair and went to answer the door, brimming with excitement. To her absolute surprise, the door opened to a squad of armed individuals who stormed in and surrounded the Ashford Mansion.

Staring at Percival in disbelief, Gillian asked, “Mr. Ellington, what is this?”

“Patrick is suspected of drug trafficking. We’re here to search the premises.” Percival produced a search warrant, flicking it so that agents from Vanguard Agency began scouring the Ashford Mansion.

“You must be mistaken; my father has been framed…” Gillian stepped back, only to see someone retrieve a plaster doll from her room.

It was a gift from Patrick for her eighteenth birthday.

With a crack, the doll shattered, spilling its contents on the floor: a bag of Keco!

Vivienne approached, opened the bag, and took a sniff. “This is the original Keco we’ve been searching for, identical to the batch seized at the docks.”

of car doors closing came from outside, a scream

as Patrick in person, suspect is

in horror at the sight of the plaster doll fragments on the

I don’t know why

Keco, shaking it

a flicker of guilt crossed

was Patrick’s code name

to his knees, realizing his end

did you

had been operating under GTO for the past decade, essentially acting as their chief

for Karen’s

production and trafficking, providing GTO with cutting-edge

years, he had become bolder in his illicit

chuckled. “What’s done in the dark

his ambition to absorb the Boyd family’s mysterious business network was too great to

schemed

Tracing Keco led them to the factory where it was produced –

bionic tech, but in truth, it was a front for drug

also

some international kingpins,” Leopold slapped Patrick on the head, “Damn, thought I’d have a big bust, but the

knowing from Leopold’s words that the factory was just a drug production site, not GTO’s virus research

another dead end, though

to the local division, and GTO’s virus research base would

away.” Percival gestured for the agents to

entire ordeal, too stunned to grasp what had just

in drug trafficking? Who were Percival and Vivienne, and how could they

earth was

changed overnight;

Vivienne left without a second glance