The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne rolled her eyes at the scene before her and silently slipped out of the room.

Anna stood at the doorway, gripping Mara, who was feigning unconsciousness.

“Ms. Vivienne, what should we do with her?”

“Forget her,” Vivienne waved dismissively. “Just feed this to Aaron when he wakes up.”

Anna nodded in understanding. “Got it.”

As Vivienne left, she couldn’t help but give Mara a wry smile.

Meanwhile, Kenneth was floundering in the bedroom, shouting, “Isn’t anyone coming to save me? Hello? Anybody?!”

Anna glanced indifferently at Kenneth, then descended the stairs, dragging the “passed out” Mara behind her.

Mara bit back the pain, seething with resentment. Couldn’t this woman carry her down the stairs properly instead of dragging her like some rag doll?

Her legs were probably covered in bruises!

And why on earth was Kenneth here?

Mara had planned to trap Aaron and Vivienne together and then bring Percival over to witness. Even if nothing happened, the misunderstanding would be enough.

Without Percival, and with a rift between her and Aaron, her mission would be complete.

But Kenneth ended up being the one to show up, ruining everything!

Idiot!

It wasn’t until nightfall that Aaron finally opened his eyes, lying atop Kenneth.

With a throbbing headache, he sat up, parched and clueless about what had happened.

“Dude, you’ve been sitting on my junk,” Kenneth groaned.

Aaron jumped back as if electrocuted, stumbling until he hit a dresser, finally snapping to his senses.

did you end up here? What the

on top of me the

lifted his shirt to reveal a red mark on his chest where Aaron

Anna, who had been waiting, walked in to check on them and caught Kenneth

“Sorry, didn’t mean to

thinking she had chosen the

tried to follow her, but Aaron held him

yourself! What’s going

locked in a room with Vivienne, who

for why Kenneth was there and what Anna was doing there, he

Vivienne’s hand like that? I rushed in to rescue her from your clutches, and you just dragged me down and laid on top of me, trying to rip off my shirt. If I hadn’t

frowned, clueless. “You brought

lips, guilt flickering in

was, he had received a text from Percival saying Anna was coming over to discuss some college prep with Aaron, so he brought the fire extinguisher as a precaution for the confrontation. But he hadn’t expected to

sense Kenneth got played by

I

you care what I bring? What about you, holding onto

at a loss for words,

the shoulder, walking him out. “Forget it. Let’s head back to

…

at the successful chip synthesis on her

her wrist

“The chip has fused

smiled faintly. “Vivienne,

glance, “Not as amazing as you.

at a glance if someone was

found anything unusual in Mara’s home, be it the fruit

could Percival have been

Vivienne’s palm gently. “I’ve got a sixth

Wolf, that’s not

raised an eyebrow playfully. “Actually, the drugs Mara bought were

to drug me and Aaron. You switched my medicine but let Aaron suffer.

course not.” Percival pulled Vivienne into his embrace. “Because I

narrowed her eyes at