The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne was no stranger to using her imagination. She rummaged through her bag and handed Aaron a stack of papers. “I need the final product in three days. Get it done.”

Aaron accepted the papers, and to his surprise, they contained plans for a state-of-the-art camera system made from transparent crystal material. If installed as the eyes of a bionic robot, they would be indistinguishable from human eyes!

“I assure you, the task will be completed.”

This was Aaron’s first mission since joining the Nine Mystics Society, and he could not afford to take it lightly.

He had to nail it to impress Vivienne and to prove that he, not Percival, was her most capable assistant.

“Good.” Vivienne nodded, watching Aaron’s confident demeanor.

This was his chance to prove himself, and whether he succeeded or failed, she would finally be able to flush out the traitor.

The reason she had tasked Aaron was to test him, to ensure he was not naively treating the Society like some kind of adventure game.

As Vivienne prepared to leave, Aaron opened his mouth to speak when a deep, magnetic voice called out from ahead.

“Vivienne, I’m here.”

Both Vivienne and Aaron looked up, their expressions changing. Vivienne was elated. Aaron, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed.

“Mr. Wolf! Did you bring the strawberry cheesecake?” Vivienne ran over like a schoolgirl, throwing herself into Percival’s arms, her eyes lighting up at the thought of her favorite treat.

Percival chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Don’t you want to see me instead of just eyeing the cheesecake?”

a strawberry cheesecake made by Mr. Wolf himself.

into the cheesecake, and the stoic Percival unwrapped it for

cast its dying light across the playground, the two strolled off

profile as she savored each bite of the cheesecake, while the one he had waited half an hour in line to purchase sat abandoned

box before fading away, along with Aaron’s

futile effort. “How laughable, your painstaking efforts couldn’t outshine a simple

scene unfold, a slow smile creeping across her

methodically eating the strawberry cheesecake he had

of iced coffee.“I heard the campus heartthrob was moping here, so I came to

accepted the iced coffee. Though he had not spent much time with Mara, their mutual friend Kenneth had introduced them, and they had become

this about a

it into her mouth. “You and Kenneth, man. The gaming ace and the future finance mogul, the ideal boyfriend, inheriting a fortune. You guys are

“What’s all this

about it on my first day. The top-liked post on the campus network is about you and

at all the confessions. People are saying if you guys

on his tea. “There’s nothing between us. If anything,

“I know you guys are just bros, but it’s fun for us to fantasize. There are plenty who have secret crushes on

the mention of secret crushes, Aaron’s spirits visibly

painful. No amount of strawberry

right through Aaron, having witnessed the scene with

If you want, I’m here to listen,” she offered with a warm

not care

been my entire youth, but she doesn’t like me back. She’s already engaged

to get her to

begin with! You’re outstanding, but Percival is many times more outstanding,” Mara thought