The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

After leaving the Brooks Mansion, Vivienne and Percival had hopped aboard a private jet and touched down in M State.

Stepping off the jet, they were met by a line of Percival’s men, clad in black suits, standing rigid like soldiers. It was an impressive sight.

“Mr. Wolf, seems like you’ve carved out quite the kingdom for yourself here,” Vivienne said, her eyes crinkling with a teasing allure.

She knew her Mr. Wolf had more than one identity—there was the public one as the head honcho of Vanguard Agency, and then there was the private one, Mr. Percy, whose depths she hadn’t plumbed.

Looking at the reception they got, it was clear Mr. Wolf was a big fish in this area.

How much dough was he stashing on the side?

Percival looked at her fondly and playfully tapped her nose. “This is my turf.”

As if reading her thoughts about his secret stash, he chuckled softly. “There’s no secret fund. All the income from here is being accounted for. I’m going to hand it all over to you in due time.”

“Not bad! You’re on the ball,” Vivienne replied, clearly pleased.

Her three uncles trailed behind, cringing at the display. They were here for a rescue, not to witness this lovey-dovey nonsense!

They settled into the lavish accommodations arranged for them, places that outshone even the grandeur of the Ellington and Perez family estates. Hardly had they sat down when someone came in with news: three men had been spotted down at SouthMine.

Maddox, Fredrick, and Yuri, eager to get to SouthMine and pull off the rescue, were bewildered to find Vivienne and Percival still lounging, sipping water without a hint of urgency.

“Aren’t we going to move? Shouldn’t we rush to save them?” they asked, baffled by the couple’s nonchalance.

Percival explained, “My people have got them covered. They won’t let anything major happen.”

Vivienne set down her teacup, shadows flickering in her eyes. “If they went through all this trouble to lure us here, why not play along?”

At first, when the sanatorium went up in flames, it was Ronald’s doing—he didn’t want her to find Carl and prevent him from seeking revenge. But as they were about to be escorted back by Percival’s men, they learned that Larry and the others had been abducted by another group, one that intended to draw her and Percival out.

or someone else’s was still

what grand

the first to catch on. Before he

up. “Vivienne, if you

been eating at the three uncles over this

discussing things on the plane, and it

exchanged

surely, this couldn’t be their

be that

was trouble, it was surely Percival’s

uncles nodded in rare

was just another day of Percival

Meanwhile, down in SouthMine…

longer,” Carl said after a full day, hungry and thirsty, unable to bear it

we don’t find a way out, we’re going

be tied up

seethe. Vivienne had entrusted him with a solo mission, and not only had he failed, but he had also ended up

was embarrassing for a man of Emerald Mountain’s caliber to be

a chance to fight back. The identity of those behind the kidnapping was still

day. But now, with no sign of Vivienne and their strength

might as well sign their own

in determination as he stood. “The priority is finding a

have to save ourselves. Maybe Vivienne can’t find the

stood behind the

resisting the urge

right now, he didn’t have the luxury of indulging his anger. Standing up, he said, “Stick close

keeping up with Larry’s stride. Huxley

could do was keep up with the other two. Though he knew their character