The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In Rivenwood, in the depths of an off-the-grid prison unlike any other, the inmates were not your garden-variety criminals. Not even the hardened murderers found solace within these walls.

At present, this prison housed a mere trio of prisoners.

Flynn, Scott, and Fiona Ellington.

Fiona, though her body was a patchwork of decay, possessed sensory faculties that rivaled a healthy man in his prime. However, this heightened perception meant she also endured agonies far beyond the ken of ordinary humans.

Flynn, too, lived each day in excruciating pain, a modern-day Prometheus, his vitals ravaged daily, only to regenerate each dawn anew. This was Vivienne’s brand of retribution.

Scott, in contrast, seemed almost content. Free from the physical torment, his punishment was a Sisyphean task of endless paperwork. He accepted his fate with a disarming calmness, even pointing out errors for correction by his wardens from the Vanguard Agency.

Many said Scott was the quietest of the three.

Vivienne and Karen arrived to find Soren and Anna waiting at the gate.

“Ms. Vivienne, Ms. Karen,” Anna greeted as she adorned their wrists with security bands.

Back then, Vivienne was Percival’s wife, and Percival was the deputy. Thus, she had never needed such measures before, but times had changed.

Soren collected all their communication devices, casting curious glances at Karen. She gave him a playful warning, “Hotshot, any more staring, and you’ll be crossing a line.”

“My apologies, Captain,” Soren blurted a tad too quickly.

His curiosity stemmed from wondering why Percival respected Karen so much to call her master.

“Don’t call me Captain; I have no plans of returning to the Vanguard Agency,” Karen said with a smirk before stepping through the threshold.

with the Agency’s rigid structure and protocol. Freedom was what Karen thrived on, and the Agency was

gestured toward a cell on the

Karen’s eyes were drawn to the left, to a cell

Flynn’s cell, the former head boss of CK, known as White Tiger,”

cell made her skin crawl—a reluctance

offered, “Mom, do you want to take

snapped back to reality. “No, let’s

most of his confinement by exercising in a meticulously

enjoying yourself,” Karen remarked

the second-in-command of GTO and had not been Belle’s stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like she was with Micah. They shared an unspoken understanding

froze, his body tensing up. Without turning, he knew—it was her. But he could not bring himself to look, fearing the disappointment

exited without saying a word. She could tell just how strong Scott’s feelings toward Karen were, or he

care about that at

Scott could be considered Karen’s old flame, it was only

seat. “Old friend,

bars that separated them, his hands shook as

her. She was

if to touch her face like old times, but the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of the distance between them. His hand lingered

her characteristic smile. “Looks

his nerves. “Karen, have you been

cracked,

“I’ve been fine, thanks

him. Thousands of thoughts

in silence for a

to walk down memory lane,” she said, “I actually wanted to ask you about

a bell. Back in the day, I got sold to the GTO by the Brooks family. Once, this Vanguard Agency guy took a dozen of us, including me, from the base. I