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

set off in pursuit. She had planted a tracker on

discovered the tracker had split, moving in different

eyes, she saw that together, the locations

[Frost, you’re still green!]

wall, creating a

nowhere near as powerful as her

would catch up to

turning to Vesper and saying, “You’re done

at Finnian. “No worries. It’s

that although Vivienne could not find Karen, she could

mother, like daughter!”

“Finnian, I learned

pressing matters to attend to—Diana had made

Meanwhile, at Vanguard Agency.

word and printed the document. The bold title stared back at

moment, he rose from his chair and made his way to the

was a picture of surprise when he saw

sure you want to do this?” Vance frowned, searching Percival’s

But there was none.

icy as

the desk, Vance

you realize what you’re doing? I know you have issues with me, and you’re still sore over Leopold’s case, but this is no reason to

Percival, unable to

field. He was the youngest deputy

he wanted

that was not

was stoic, his resolve clear in

were his apprentice, he would have slapped him

GTO? Micah is still under investigation, and you’re just walking away? All because you have a problem

gaze, ever calm as if nothing could disturb the peace of his

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

crossing his face. He could not quite grasp what Percival was

began to speak in a measured tone, “What exactly are you trying