The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Diana locked eyes with Vesper and felt a sudden tightness in her chest. Guilt washed over her, and she quickly averted her gaze, scurrying back to her room.

Once inside, she realized she was drenched in a cold sweat, her fear palpable.

Then, the itch started. She scratched furiously, but it brought no relief. It felt as if a million tiny bugs were crawling over her skin.

Soon after, a bone-chilling cold enveloped her as if she had plunged into an icy cavern.

Outside, Vivienne withdrew her hand, her cheeks as cool and expressionless as a winter’s dawn.

She had not outright killed Diana because something about the situation perplexed her. In this world, there was only one kind of poison that could elude her senses—Karen’s poison.

And yet, Diana had somehow managed to get her hands on it.

Vesper, too, pulled back in silence.

Though it was not time to strike a lethal blow, ensuring Diana suffered a little was within Vesper’s means.

Feeling the cold grip of winter amid the height of summer certainly had a certain appeal.

“Vivienne, I will get to the bottom of this. Your suffering won’t be in vain,” Jasper said, his features etched with concern.

Even if he trusted Diana would not do such a thing, it did not mean the juice Vivienne had been served was not poisonous.

Vivienne would never lie, and Vesper would not have forced the poison out without good reason.

“Grandpa, don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Vivienne’s smile was a feeble attempt to ease his worry. She would handle this herself.

“Dad, let me help you back inside. Mr. Linklater was supposed to—hey, where did Mr. Linklater go?” Yuri looked around, perplexed by Vesper’s sudden disappearance.

Vivienne turned, and sure enough, Vesper had vanished without a trace!

She had been unguarded last time, but this time, she was on high alert, and he still managed to slip away.

Jasper suddenly realized he had not heard Finnian’s voice in a while. He turned around to find nothing but a grinning face carved onto an old banyan tree.

“That old codger, I’ll get him one of these days!” Finnian cursed.

him. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll bring him

had planted a tracker on Vesper, and now

when Vivienne reached the crossroads, she discovered the tracker had split, moving in different

saw that together,

[Frost, you’re still green!]

wall, creating a spiderweb

she was nowhere near as powerful as her mother

she would catch up to

saying, “You’re done for.

a smile, eyes twinkling as he looked at Finnian. “No worries. It’s you who won’t have a single day of

Vivienne could not find Karen,

like daughter!”

I learned from the best.

that, she slipped away. She had more pressing matters to attend to—Diana had made contact with GTO, and there was nothing simple about

Meanwhile, at Vanguard Agency.

printed the document. The bold title stared back at him, reflecting a

rose from his chair and

a picture of surprise when he saw the papers in

this?” Vance frowned, searching Percival’s eyes for a hint of

But there was none.

was icy as he

letter on the desk, Vance

issues with me, and you’re still sore over Leopold’s case, but this is no

Percival,

He was the youngest deputy director

he

not

expression was stoic, his resolve clear in

If Percival were his apprentice, he would have slapped him

still under investigation, and you’re just walking away?

met Vance’s gaze, ever calm as if nothing

deal with my mentor’s issues and GTO in my own way. As for Micah,

look of suspicion crossing his face. He

began to speak in