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.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll bring

off in pursuit. She had planted a tracker on Vesper, and now it was moving in a

when Vivienne reached the crossroads, she discovered the tracker

together,

[Frost, you’re still green!]

Vivienne punched the wall, creating a spiderweb of

as powerful as her mother yet. She had to

day, she would catch

saying, “You’re done for. Your girl’s fuming. You won’t have a single

twinkling as he looked at Finnian. “No worries. It’s you who won’t have a

could not find Karen, she could

like

smile deepened. “Finnian, I learned from

She had more pressing matters to attend to—Diana had made contact with GTO, and there

Meanwhile, at Vanguard Agency.

The bold title stared back at him, reflecting a

from his chair and made

a picture of surprise when he saw

are you sure you want to do this?” Vance frowned, searching Percival’s eyes for a hint of

But there was none.

was icy as he affirmed,

the resignation letter on the

have issues with me, and you’re still sore

accusingly at Percival, unable to

mind and a commendable record in the field. He was the youngest deputy director

he wanted to

not madness,

resolve clear in his eyes. “My decision

air. If Percival were

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

ever calm as if nothing could disturb the

mentor’s issues and GTO in my own way.

face. He could not quite grasp what Percival

long pause, he finally began to speak in a measured tone,