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.”

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

a twirl.

a

Alright, he got it.

was sly and ruthless, and Vivienne was

revenge, Percival, with Vivienne

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

all Percival heard was: “Something, something… Aaron saw me

“Alright, I got it.”

“Got

changing the subject, “Thomas called me earlier and said Gillian

quick? What position?”

new Secretary-General. Officially, she’s there

Rivenwood’s Vanguard Agency became a thorn in Sea City’s

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

prevent Rivenwood from becoming entirely Percival’s domain, a new

to send Gillian, who had a grudge

message was clear: Rivenwood was not for Percival

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

feel like someone’s

“Who can discern the main office’s true

Vance called

with everything around here. As the captain of the headquarters,

up—never had he seen a former suspect become his

the understanding of Thomas’

Just focus on your job and show her around the training

acknowledged.

his hand, Vance dismissed

deeply, pondering

had personally recommended her—Gillian

how he looked at it, her

once-mighty Boyd family, an ancient warrior lineage. Now, with Patrick Ashford locked up, Gillian Ashford had managed to join the

hard to believe she had no connections to the

was backing

safely within the Vanguard Agency, this person’s

had just stepped out of his suburban home when he bumped into Gillian,

Thomas,” Gillian said with