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.”

of Brody’s, could discharge a burst of high voltage at the push of a button and was designed to simulate the

gave the baton a twirl.

shot Percival a

Alright, he got it.

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

enjoying his moment of revenge, Percival,

at Mara’s house to Percival, “Looks like they’re targeting the Miller family again, trying to use them

all Percival heard was:

“Alright, I got it.”

paused, “Got what,

subject, “Thomas called me earlier and said Gillian has already

quick? What

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

Rivenwood’s Vanguard Agency became a thorn

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

entirely Percival’s domain, a new overseer

agents, they had to send Gillian, who

Rivenwood was not for Percival to rule

“A spy? They should’ve at least picked someone with brains

I feel like someone’s praising me… or maybe

“Who can discern

Vance called a

the captain of the headquarters, take care of

had he seen a former

the understanding of Thomas’

her. No issues there. Just focus on your job and show her around the training

begrudgingly acknowledged. “Will

wave of his hand,

deeply, pondering over Gillian’s

her—Gillian was no small

no matter how he looked at it, her ties to

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

had no connections to

who was

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

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

time no see, Captain Thomas,” Gillian said with a smile, unfazed by the