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.

understand. If you want to help Kaitlyn, why do you give her trouble on the one hand and assist her in secret on the other, making

gave him a sidelong

at the Abernathy estate. “That dog, Harrison, and that Bitch, Sophie, are watching me like hawks. If I openly helped Kaitlyn, it would only arouse their suspicions. That foolish woman, to risk everything

he knew Victoria envied Kaitlyn’s

fate, standing tall even when life knocked her down. Victoria admired her spirit, and when she learned that Tyler’s leg had been deliberately broken by one of Harrison’s goons, leaving the Littleton family desperate and without a buyer for their

Littleton family faced, she found the

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

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

silence. “Doesn’t today’s outburst expose your

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

Walter nodded. “Understood.”

my father not noticed

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

cold smile played on Victoria’s lips. “You’d better be. Those who betray me meet

well aware, Miss,”

…

Elsewhere.

leaving the

his work and called Vivienne to

on the phone when he arrived. Without disturbing her, he simply opened the car door

command, “Dig up everything on the Littleton family.

she hung up, Percival asked,

hadn’t heard of any Littletons

my life, a member of the once-prosperous Littleton family from Rivenwood. They’ve run

Percival pondered for a moment. “The

“You’re aware?” Vivienne inquired.

Littletons are an ancient warrior 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