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?”

nothing like a strawberry cheesecake made by Mr.

to dig into the cheesecake, and

sun cast its dying light across the

while the one he had waited half an hour in

highlighted the cake box

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

Mara watched the scene unfold, a slow smile

eating the strawberry cheesecake he had bought. The

campus heartthrob was moping here, so I came to check it

spent much time with Mara, their mutual friend Kenneth

about a campus heartthrob?”

him, plucking a strawberry from the cake and popping it into her mouth. “You and Kenneth, man. The gaming ace and the future finance mogul,

frowned. “What’s all this

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

campus network on her phone. “Look at all the confessions. People are saying if you guys were not a thing,

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

know you guys are just bros, but it’s fun for

the mention of secret crushes, Aaron’s spirits

No amount of strawberry

right through Aaron, having witnessed the scene with

here to

needing to vent, did not care

She’s been my entire youth, but she doesn’t like me

how to get her to notice me. It feels like

outstanding, but Percival is many times