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?

under Vance’s direct command, supposedly because the Chief Commander, Thomas,

“Percival, this reshuffle is one thing, but having Squad One report directly to the Director?

“Has the

would he?

abruptly

cared about power. In fact, he only entered the Vanguard Agency to follow Percival. However, there was

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

You’ll find out soon

mission for Leopold the day before.

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

Vance’s agenda: to dilute Percival’s power and render him a

was day one, what

discussing this when Percival’s office phone rang with the distinct ringtone of

for silence and picked

to my office. I’ve got a personal matter to

matter was unexpected. Percival straightened

up?” Percival asked upon

wife would like you 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 Vance’s

Edwards families, he was just a man

the Brooks family, especially after the myriad of events that

of Rivenwood’s elite, all connected

implications for the Brooks family and Vivienne, Percival did not commit immediately but did not decline either. He took the invitations and said, “I’ll ask Vivienne. If

also eager to meet this legendary niece who’s got our Deputy so

offered a token smile

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

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