The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Gillian gripped her hands tightly, frustration and disbelief etching her features.

There was no way Leopold could have mistaken her. In the entire Vanguard Agency, she was the only one with curly, untamed hair. How could anyone mix that up?

“Second squad, what’s the holdup? Move out now, or it’s a ten-kilometer march with full gear!” barked Thomas.

Leopold hopped onto the truck, smacking the canvas cover. “Let’s roll out, folks. If we lose to that smug jerk Hotshot today, I swear you’ll wish you were never born!”

Powerless, Gillian watched as the truck rumbled away from her. She turned to hop into Thomas’s vehicle, only to see him already seated and starting the engine.

“Thomas, wait for me!” she yelled, but Thomas drove off as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Vehicles had strict protocols at Vanguard Agency; you couldn’t just take one without prior approval. With her own car off-limits within the training grounds, Gillian had no choice but to chase after them on foot.

Upstairs, Micah sipped his coffee, watching the scene unfold with a sly grin curling his lips.

That kid Thomas was definitely taking a page out of Percival’s book.

On the phone, Micah relayed Thomas’s antics to Percival.

Percival chuckled. “Let them be.”

“But Percival, keep an eye out for Gillian. She’s backed by Yorick. She’s no simpleton,” Micah warned.

“Don’t worry. She’s not going to stir up any real trouble.”

Hearing Percival’s confident tone, Micah scoffed. “What did your mentor say?”

After a few seconds of silence, Percival replied, “How come, after all these years, you still depend on my mentor? Don’t you have a mind of your own?”

“Percival! You…”

The call ended with a dial tone, and Micah slammed the phone down in irritation.

“That little rascal!”

Percival nonchalantly scratched his nose and tossed the phone aside.

Vivienne glanced at him. “Aren’t you worried your boss might not let this slide?”

to worry about? We’ve got Vance,

eyebrow. “Alright, if you

training on the field, received

on my

Anna heading out and called after her, “Where are you off to?

Anna retorted without looking back, waving off Soren. “Next time, I’ll make sure you’re crying

heartily. “Go get ’em, Anna! I’m

taunted Leopold,

the training grounds, she ran into

at any moment, Gillian waved

Gillian might just melt into a puddle under the sun, said, “I’m on a mission. Since when do you oversee our daily

assert some authority. “Isn’t it my job to

worry more about those two

“What big

as she asked, the sound of barking grew louder

had trained to chase after the agents, smart enough to adjust their ferocity

recruits, but with veterans like Leopold and Thomas, they showed no

being chased across the training field as if she

kept an eye on Gillian but

our training ground? In

for her life, narrowly avoiding becoming lunch for the

Help!” she screamed while running, but

aside, cheering and clapping as

You’d win any endurance

a determined woman—go,

and Black are

Black and Black were the names

other option, Gillian dove into a

in disappointment at Gillian from the mud pit’s edge,

her twenty-some years, had never been so

hands, wishing

the end of training blew, and

it up early and head

boarded

depart, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Where are you going? Wait

the ten-inch-deep training mud pit specifically designed for the Vanguard Agency’s special squad. It was deep enough to trap a person’s