The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

“Damn it!”

Leopold was floored for a solid half-hour when he saw the personnel appointment circulate with the new appointments.

Just the other day, he was consoling Soren, warning him to watch his back with the new Director sniffing around for scapegoats. And now, it turned out he was the one who would be dancing to the Director’s tune!

The joke was on him, and he was the last to know.

Anna clapped Leopold on the shoulder, a look of sympathy in her eyes. “Captain, looks like I’ll be counting on you from here on out .”

Soren walked over, tucking the insignia of the third squad into his desk drawer, but his words were for Anna. “Don’t jump the gun calling him ‘Captain’ just yet. We’re all drawing lots again to decide who ends up in which team.”

Anna blinked in disbelief. She could not fathom landing in Soren’s team in this fifty-fifty toss-up!

The whole organization was reshuffling. Anna pulled her lot. When she saw the number “1” glaring back at her, it felt like the sky was crashing down.

Soren glanced over and patted Anna on the shoulder, “Anna, looks like I’ll be counting on you from here on out.”

“Counting on my foot! More like a curse!” Anna screamed inside.

She raked her fingers through her hair, her real worry was not about who would be the captain.

It was whether she would still be tasked with her original assignment amid this grand reshuffle at the Vanguard Agency.

As it turned out, Anna’s concerns were not unfounded.

“Effective immediately, Squad One is on lockdown. All assignments are on hold, and no one leaves without authorization,” Vance announced at the morning briefing.

As a member of Squad One, Anna was naturally confined within the Vanguard Agency, ready for orders.

After the meeting, Percival retreated to his office.

He looked over the new squad arrangements and frowned slightly.

What was Vance plotting with such a grandiose reshuffling within the Vanguard Agency?

direct command, supposedly because the Chief Commander, Thomas, was out

in, and Leopold spoke up, “Percival, this reshuffle is one thing, but having

“Has the Director

why would he? To apologize?”

authority so abruptly would sit well with no

Vanguard Agency to follow

and the Ellington families had been allies for generations. This seemed like a blatant attempt to undermine Percival, maybe even to

does. You’ll find out soon enough,”

mentioned a secret mission for Leopold the day before.

contain himself either. “With Squad One answering directly to the Director, isn’t that a power grab? When the special squad was formed, it was under the Chief’s sole command. Since when does the Director get

dilute Percival’s power and render him

was day one, what would

when Percival’s office phone rang

gestured for silence and picked up

I’ve got a personal

Percival straightened his suit

up?” Percival

and Ms. Hawthorn to join us for dinner tonight. She tried calling Ms. Hawthorn but couldn’t get through, so she asked me

This surprised Percival.

the Brooks family for a family dinner. The formality was ostensibly to celebrate

had been undercover for years, and to the Brooks and the Edwards families, he was just a man doing business abroad. His role as head of the Edwards family was a perfect

return was a cause for celebration for the Brooks family, especially after the myriad of events that had befallen them. They hoped

all connected

for the Brooks family and Vivienne, Percival did not commit immediately but did not decline either. He took the invitations and

meet this legendary niece who’s got our Deputy so obsessed,”

token smile

watching Percival’s car pull away, the smile on his

&