The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the car, there was a brief silence between Percival and Vivienne before Percival broke it, his grip tightening on Vivienne’s hand. “We need to split up. I’m heading over to Vanguard Agency to confront Vance. He’s up to his neck in this heist, and I’m sure he’s involved. You should visit your grandpa. With this mess involving the ancient warrior lineage, he might know how to help.”

Vivienne suddenly remembered that Leopold’s imprisonment was due to pressure from members of the ancient warrior lineage, which left the Vanguard Agency unable to intervene.

The Perez family might just have a solution.

With that thought, Vivienne’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

She had spent ten years training at the Emerald Monastery, taking time each year to build her circle of influence.

She founded the Nine Mystics Society, strengthening the Monastery’s influence, believing she had become strong enough to protect those she cared about. Yet, facing the ancient warrior lineage, her power seemed insignificant.

The Nine Mystics Society was like an ant in front of the ancient warrior lineage, easily crushed.

And her control over GTO, which she thought was firm, had slipped through her fingers.

It was time to act.

“Okay, I’m on it,” Vivienne said, squeezing Percival’s hand back. “Make it quick. We can’t let anything happen to Leopold.”

“Right. Our Husky? No one’s going to pluck him without a fight.”

They parted ways then and there, Percival driving straight to Vanguard Agency.

Thomas, Anna, and Soren were all waiting in the deputy director’s office, trying to get a hold of Leopold.

When they saw Percival return, they all approached him eagerly. “Deputy!”

“Where’s Vance?” Percival’s voice was grim.

Understanding dawned on the others, “In his office, Soren’s been keeping an eye on him. He hasn’t left.”

They were all elite members of Vanguard Agency, smart enough to guess Vance’s involvement.

and there

To have kept such a secret from him until the trial was nigh meant

the others had been closely watching Vance’s every move at

watch and tossed his jacket on the sofa,

Percival shoved

other choice, Soren remained in

pushed open Vance’s office door

It was Leopold’s phone.

had teased Leopold about

Percival enter, silently pocketed the phone. “What

not home, sitting here with Leopold’s phone, messaging Thomas. Amusing, is it?”

was, Leopold’s phone and tablet, right

put it on silent?” Percival grabbed Vance by the collar,

might snap Vance’s neck at any

Soren and Anna were

in the face.

with his superiors, regardless

this time, he

expect him to

soon drew everyone in the agency. Percival loosened his tie. “Get out, all

nobody dared linger, and even the other agency heads did not try

a fierce

themselves, yet they had not expected Percival to explode with such

tried to reach Vivienne to

she know that Vivienne encountering Vance now would be an even

lifting Vance off the floor.

“I ordered Leopold to steal

barely

“But Leopold’s current predicament is his own doing. The Martinez family caught on to him because

second punch, it turned out, could

and the trajectory of his own future, he

was obedience; commands were to be followed without question, and he had not broken this rule.Books Chapters Are