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.”

discharge a burst of high voltage at the push of a button and was designed

gave the baton a twirl. “Not bad at

shot Percival a

Alright, he got it.

cunning, Percival was sly and ruthless, and Vivienne was

moment of revenge, Percival, with Vivienne in tow, left the

they’re targeting the Miller family again, trying to use them to stir

a lot, but all Percival heard was: “Something, something… Aaron saw me today, something,

“Alright, I got it.”

paused, “Got what,

grin, deftly changing the subject, “Thomas called me earlier and said Gillian has already reported

What

as the new Secretary-General. Officially, she’s there to learn, but reality is she’s the main

Rivenwood’s Vanguard Agency

agents of Rivenwood’s Vanguard Agency were Percival’s people. Even with him gone,

from becoming entirely Percival’s domain,

the agents, they had to

clear: Rivenwood was not

someone with brains like Leopold—that’s the

like someone’s

discern

Vanguard Agency, Vance called a disgruntled

around here. As the

he seen a former

eyes twinkled with the understanding of Thomas’ inner

there. Just focus on your

acknowledged. “Will

of his hand, Vance dismissed

pondering over

had personally recommended her—Gillian was

how he looked at it, her ties to

coveted the assets of the once-mighty Boyd family, an ancient warrior lineage. Now, with Patrick

hard to believe she had

who was

Noah for years and to place Gillian safely within the Vanguard

suburban home when he bumped into Gillian, who was on

see, Captain Thomas,” Gillian said with a smile, unfazed