The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Three squad members efficiently unshackled Flynn’s chains, casting puzzled glances at the man before them.

“Cap, what’s the deal here?”

The man was none other than Thomas!

“Just got a last-minute directive to transfer the prisoner. Head back to HQ, folks.” Thomas hefted Flynn single-handedly and stuffed him into the back of a Bentley, speeding away.

The special squad members exchanged confused looks, clueless about what had just happened. With no choice but to follow their commanding officer’s orders, they returned to base.

…

At Vanguard Agency.

Gillian was idly nursing the remnants of a scar on her cheek, now mostly healed, revealing her basic features.

With no real power at Vanguard Agency and not exactly popular, she spent her time bored in front of a computer screen, restricted from the outside world—even online shopping was off-limits.

Her colleagues, once courteous, now treated her with a cool distance, leaving her feeling out of place.

Thankfully, she was tracking Flynn’s transfer.

“Gillian, sign this,” Thomas said, dropping a logbook on her desk.

Signing papers was about the most challenging task for Gillian these days.

She shot Thomas a glare filled with disdain. “Oh, how kind of you, Captain Thomas, to deliver this personally.”

“Not at all, Gillian. You seem quite busy yawning over there,” Thomas replied with a casual smile.

The nearby agents couldn’t help but chuckle at Thomas’s comment.

Gillian’s face flushed with embarrassment as she scribbled her name on the logbook.

“Take it!”

officers who had

upon seeing Thomas. “Cap, what

surprised, too. “Where else would I be? But what about you

were following Gillian’s orders to escort Flynn, but didn’t

at his subordinates as if facing a threat. “What are you talking about? I’ve been in meetings all morning. I just got a break, and I definitely didn’t take any Flynn from

“Then who did you

be asking you that, Gillian?” Thomas slammed

level of security Flynn requires? Three armored vehicles and special protection, plus my presence on

protocol but had hoped to keep things low-key

it have been

had headquarters’ approval. What right do you have to question me? Shouldn’t you be

he turned his back, his anger seemed to vanish without a

he was gone, Gillian frantically dialed

wait. “Who said you could call me

“Didn’t you take Flynn?”

a pause on the line before the person said, “Didn’t

impersonating Thomas took him halfway through.

for such antics,

anxiety peaked. “What do we do now? He’s gone, and we don’t

was kicked open, and a furious voice bellowed, “Gillian! Who do

into the office, his

person on the phone hung up

“I had…

spat, ripping the

“If I see you here in half an hour, you’ll replace Flynn in

out of the office and landed on the ground in

…

a car driving

in agony from the poison

a struggle, he managed to open his eyes and looked

time no see,

wheel, masquerading as Thomas,

fake mask and tossed it back,

too weak to remove the mask, managed, “Uncle, you’ve become quite the