The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival tightened his embrace, resting his forehead just above Vivienne’s brows, whispering tenderly, “Looking at my Vivienne.”

My Vivienne.

Few words in the world could send Vivienne’s heart fluttering quite like those.

She felt as if she had plunged into a pool of spring water, her entire being drenched in its soothing embrace.

Their gazes locked, neither willing to take a step closer.

In their eyes, there was only each other, each deeply etching the other’s features into their memory.

They tugged at each other, eyes speaking volumes.

Creak…

The lab door swung open, and Karen marched in, dragging Rex by the ear, the awkwardness in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

Karen was the first to snap out of it. “Carry on, lovebirds. I’ve got a bone to pick with this good-for-nothing apprentice!”

Vivienne watched as Karen pulled Rex aside and, with a swift kick, sent him sprawling.

Meanwhile, she and Percival were still wrapped up in each other, fingers interlocked.

“Boss, your daughter’s over here making goo-goo eyes, and you’re not saying a peep? She’s underage and being seduced by an older man—aren’t you gonna do something about it?”

Rex’s outburst was swiftly silenced by Karen’s expert move.

“If you don’t spill the beans on all those toxins you’ve been cooking up over the years, you might as well forget about talking ever again.”

Karen had zero tolerance for her underlings causing trouble.

If she had known Rex was actually Brody, she would have cut him down long ago!

Vivienne pursed her lips, conceding that when it came to inner strength, her mom was unbeatable.

“Old man, gonna let go, or do you want to play a live show?” Vivienne teased, pulling away with a mischievous wink.

Percival let go, touched his nose awkwardly, and stepped forward, handing Karen a stun baton. “Master, this might come in handy.”

at the push of a button and was designed to simulate the debilitating force of

the baton a twirl. “Not bad at

shot Percival a look

Alright, he got it.

a feather flock together—Karen was shamelessly cunning, Percival was sly and ruthless,

of revenge, Percival, with Vivienne in tow, left

the events that had unfolded at Mara’s house to Percival, “Looks like they’re targeting the Miller family again, trying to use them to stir up trouble within the

lot, but all Percival heard was: “Something,

“Alright, I got it.”

paused, “Got what,

subject, “Thomas called

What position?” Vivienne

par with Vance, appointed as the new Secretary-General. Officially, she’s there to learn, but reality is she’s the

left, Rivenwood’s Vanguard Agency became a thorn in Sea

Vanguard Agency were Percival’s people. Even with him gone, their

prevent Rivenwood from becoming entirely Percival’s domain, a

to send Gillian, who had a

Rivenwood was not

least picked someone with brains like Leopold—that’s the bare minimum, and

someone’s

laughed. “Who can discern

Vance called

As the

up—never had he seen

the understanding of Thomas’ inner

there. Just focus on your job and show her around the training

begrudgingly acknowledged. “Will

a wave of his hand, Vance

deeply, pondering over

had personally recommended her—Gillian was no

it, her

warrior lineage. Now, with Patrick Ashford locked up, Gillian Ashford had managed to join

had no

was

powerful enough to protect Noah for years and to place Gillian safely within the Vanguard Agency, this person’s influence had

he bumped into Gillian, who was on her way to deliver some

said with a smile, unfazed by