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. Wolf himself. Give it

cream, Vivienne could not wait to dig into the cheesecake, and the stoic Percival unwrapped it for

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

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

sun’s last gleam highlighted the cake box before fading away, along

wind seemed to scoff at his futile effort. “How laughable, your painstaking efforts couldn’t

Mara watched the scene unfold, a

steps, methodically eating the strawberry cheesecake he had bought. The cloying sweetness made him feel nauseous

offering of iced coffee.“I heard the campus heartthrob was moping

not spent much time with Mara, their mutual friend Kenneth had introduced them,

about a campus heartthrob?”

her mouth. “You and Kenneth, man. The gaming ace and the future finance mogul, the ideal boyfriend, inheriting a fortune. You guys are always together, and people are shipping you two together,

“What’s all this

guess. I knew about it on my first

showed him the campus network on her phone. “Look at all the confessions. People are saying if you guys were not a thing, they’d go

between us. If anything, he’s my rival. Always has

but laugh at Aaron’s flushed face. “I know you guys are just bros, but it’s fun for us to

the mention of secret crushes, Aaron’s spirits

of strawberry

having witnessed the

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

needing to vent, did not care

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

hung his head low. “I don’t know how to get her to notice me. It feels like she’s slipping

is many times more outstanding,” Mara