The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Sophie’s face paled as she caught the words, and the woman beside her shifted uneasily.

Without hesitation, the woman clung to Gavin, tears streaming down her face as if on cue.

“Darling,” she wept, “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. Since the crack of dawn, I’ve been slaving away over a hot stove to prepare your favorite health tonic, not even meeting Victoria. And no sooner had I finished than I was met with a barrage of insults.

I know she dislikes me, but I am her elder, after all. And to be humiliated in front of all the housemaids—what about my dignity?”

At the sight of her tears, Gavin’s heart clenched. Without a second thought, he swung at Victoria.

This time, Victoria didn’t just stand there; she dodged with a swift move. She scoffed coldly at Gavin, “You think you can hit me? Do you really think I was born to be trampled upon?”

Enraged, Gavin grabbed the fruit bowl from the table and hurled it at her. “I’ve had enough of your insolence!”

With a swift kick, Victoria sent the fruit bowl flying. “And I’ve had enough of you!”

Glaring at Gavin, she roared, “I’ve had enough of you long ago! For this woman, you abandoned my mother, threw her out, leaving her in a vegetative state, and you live happily ever after with this bitch and her daughter. You use me to do your dirty work for your own selfish desires—why should I? I’m done!”

With that, Victoria stormed out.

Gavin bellowed from behind, “Get back here!”

Victoria didn’t look back, striding out the door. Once outside the villa, her expression of rage vanished.

Walter approached her respectfully, “Miss.”

As they walked, Victoria asked, “Is the new place ready?”

Walter nodded. “All set. Kaitlyn and her family can move in tomorrow.”

“You didn’t use our men, right?” Victoria pressed.

trouble on the

him a sidelong glance. “What do you

are watching me like hawks. If I openly helped Kaitlyn, it would only arouse their suspicions. That foolish woman,

lips were sealed, he knew Victoria envied Kaitlyn’s

and when she learned that Tyler’s leg had

faced, she found the right moment to offer

time Victoria had to pressure Kaitlyn to hand over the treasure and then smashed a glass, leaving Kaitlyn with a debt of half a million. When she heard Kaitlyn planned to sell her blood to repay it, Victoria arranged for an exorbitant sum to be

pint but received half a million in return. Her frail appearance was due, in part, to regular malnutrition rather than blood

broke the silence. “Doesn’t today’s outburst expose

expression was icy. “That’s precisely what I intended. Keep an eye

Walter nodded. “Understood.”

him. “Has my

stepped back, bowing his head. “Miss, I’ve been loyal to you. I’ve always been

on Victoria’s lips. “You’d better

well aware, Miss,” Walter

…

Elsewhere.

the Littleton

and called

phone when he arrived. Without disturbing her,

car, Vivienne’s conversation ended with a command, “Dig up everything on the Littleton family.

asked, “What about the Littleton

heard of any Littletons

phone, explaining, “I ran into someone who once saved my life, a member of the once-prosperous

for a moment. “The ones who went

“You’re aware?” Vivienne inquired.

lineage, too. Rumor has it they got booted for crossing paths with another ancient warrior lineage. About a decade ago, there was a scandal with the Littleton product line—people died, their finances tanked, and Mr. and Mrs. Littleton… they both took a dive off their