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.

and protocol. Freedom was what Karen thrived on, and the Agency was anything

way,” Vivienne gestured toward a cell

to the left, to a cell

former head boss of CK, known as

something about that cell made her skin crawl—a reluctance mingled with an

“Mom, do you

snapped back to reality. “No, let’s move

cell to find him making the most

be enjoying yourself,”

were different and Scott had not been the second-in-command of GTO and had not been Belle’s stand-in, he and Karen might have been good friends, like

was her. But he could

just how strong Scott’s feelings toward Karen were,

probably did not care about that at all, and neither

be considered Karen’s old flame, it was only polite to give them

took a seat. “Old

disbelief. Approaching the bars that separated them, his hands shook as currents zapped from the metal. It hurt, but he did not let

her. She

like old times, but the electric barrier was a cruel reminder of the distance between them.

“Looks

nerves. “Karen, have you been well

voice cracked, betraying his

been fine, thanks

chuckled sadly, words failing him. Thousands of thoughts choked in his

in silence for a moment

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

I got sold to the GTO by the Brooks family. Once, this Vanguard