The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Finnian’s face grew somber as he recounted the tale.

“But surprisingly, the family heads lost it. They accused my father of spouting madness and greed. A week later, our family suffered an unprecedented blow. That night, everyone disappeared without a trace.”

Finnian paused, the pain of the old wounds surfacing fleetingly across his features before vanishing just as quickly.

Perhaps time had dulled the sharp edges of his grief, but the sudden recollection still pierced him deeply.

After a minute, Finnian continued, “I wasn’t home that night. I was out with Jasper Perez—your granddad—knocking back a few beers. When I got back, the stench of blood was heavy, but there was no sign of their bodies, not even of my baby sister, who had just been born. I knew something was off, so I hid.

Sure enough, by the next day, all traces of the Sheldon family were wiped clean. No one but your granddad looked for me, and I couldn’t risk exposing myself or bringing trouble to him. Soon after, our family’s Mystic Vein was carved up by the same family heads who had sought my father’s fortune-telling. And just like that, no one mentioned the Sheldon family again.”

Having finished his story, Finnian drained the last of his carrot juice and handed the empty glass to Percival. “Hit me.”

Percival took the glass without a word, refilled it with carrot juice, and handed it back, then turned his attention back to grilling, serving up portions to Vivienne and Finnian.

“Kiddo, Vance descends from one of those families, an in-law from back in the day. You should know this. The Edwards family got rich off our Mystic Vein, beneficiaries of that old mess. Now they’re looking for me, probably with some ulterior motive. But don’t worry, they pose no threat to me. And Vance, he’s not one of the ones who hunted me. Rest easy on that.”

Vivienne relaxed a bit at Finnian’s words.

If Vance was not after Finnian, his reasons for seeking him out must be different.

“Finnian, are you going to meet him?” She asked.

Finnian waved the idea off. “I’ve still got a lot of things to figure out. I can’t meet him now. You go ahead with your business, and when it’s time, I’ll face him myself. Won’t stand in the way of your payday.”

Finnian’s face lightened as he tucked into the grilled meat.

He knew his protégé all too well.

A little money-grubber, that one.

lot of things”

coughing violently for what

everything already, and still you ask

only to find that Vivienne and Percival

“Good evening, sir. Your table’s total comes to 38,800 dollars. Will

for a few plates of meat?

you earlier took a bottle

Damn it!

not sworn in ages, cursed

knew the girl would not treat him to barbecue out of

thousand eight hundred

Hard-earned cash, gone!

a heavy heart, packed up the leftovers, and handed them to Vesper, “Forty grand, pay up, or

pot of hotpot. “Enjoy your

were cozied up in a hotpot joint, savoring

beats a hotpot,” Vivienne mumbled, contentedly biting into a slice of hand-cut

corner of her mouth. “Vivienne, something about

took a swig of cola. “Yeah,

a fortune-telling? For an ancient warrior lineage sworn to serve their country,

persistent hunt for Finnian only deepened the mystery. It could

something else at play,

her interest in the

broth for her, and she ate

said to Percival, “Mr. Wolf, the

got you snooping around the Sheldon’s cold case and Leopold poking into the Martinez family,

Leopold. I’m itching to see exactly what kind of mission

hand with Vivienne, they left the bustling diner, the aroma of sizzling steaks still clinging to their clothes. “He might be a loose cannon, but the guy’s got his