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!”

moment, the three officers who had

Thomas. “Cap, what are you doing

would I be? But what about you guys? Shouldn’t you be training

escort Flynn, but didn’t you intercept us on

facing a threat. “What are you talking about? I’ve been in meetings all morning. I just got a break, and I

“Then who did you

that, Gillian?” Thomas

any idea what level of security Flynn requires? Three armored vehicles and special protection, plus my

hoped to keep things low-key by moving Flynn discreetly.

have

you have to question me?

his back, his

Gillian frantically dialed

long wait. “Who said you

“Didn’t you take Flynn?”

before the person said, “Didn’t I

Thomas took

I have no time for such antics, and

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

“Gillian! Who do you think you are?

the office, his rage

person on the phone hung

chair. “I had… I had approval from

headquarters,” Vance spat, ripping the badge from Gillian’s

headquarters now!” He bellowed, “If I see you here in half an hour, you’ll replace Flynn

the office and landed on the ground in a

…

driving down

writhing in agony from the poison Vivienne

to open his eyes and

time no see, my

the wheel, masquerading

the fake mask and tossed it back, hitting

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