The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival’s lips curled into a smile, his eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.

The divine beauty of Vivienne’s face, akin to a masterpiece carved by the gods themselves, made even someone like her—who prided herself on being no stranger to handsome men and beautiful women—pause in sheer admiration.

She belonged to him, and the fierce surge of possessiveness that rose from the depths of her heart quickly spread to her eyes.

Unabashed by her desire, Vivienne discarded her drenched dress. Her pale arms wrapped around Percival’s neck. “What’s so funny?” she asked, her voice sultry.

Percival’s gaze flickered. “I’ve already shared my thoughts,” he said. “Now’s not the time, so we have to… postpone ‘it’ a bit longer.”

Vivienne rolled her eyes internally. Who was really being put out here?

“You’re not worried about Kaitlyn?” Percival asked just before their lips met, voicing the final question of the night.

Before Vivienne could respond, the sound of labored breaths filled the steamy bathroom, spreading throughout.

As her mind hazed over, she thought she heard her phone ring. But then she was pulled into a sea of desire by Percival, all thoughts forgotten.

…

At the Hawthorn residence, the clock struck midnight.

Dorian sat up in bed, sleep nowhere in sight. His gaze then shifted to the emails on his laptop, feeling as if a boulder weighed heavy on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

[By tomorrow, I want to see that Hawthorn Group has terminated the endorsement deal with Kala.]

He had been on edge for days, and those few words made his heart tremble once again.

He opened and closed Vivienne’s contact on his phone, looking years older all of a sudden.

The once gentle and resilient eyes were now filled with weariness.

sigh echoed through the empty

was he supposed

The next day.

determined not to follow the path laid out for them, which

they decided to visit the Hawthorn residence with

your garage, do I really have to play chauffeur?” Leopold complained as he followed Vivienne into the house. He’d been up late with Griffin the night before and had

he was waiting in his car beneath the couple’s apartment

unrepentant. “Got

at all,” Leopold replied, shaking his head like a tambourine. “Besides, I’ve got nothing else going on except

and glanced back at him. “What? You’re on

nearly jumped. “The War God is on a mission to root out corruption in the Vanguard Agency. Right now, anyone not assigned to an important person is basically

and Thomas tried calling you yesterday. Said

nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ve already arranged for him

Leopold didn’t understand. Wasn’t that the same as

in response, apparently not inclined to explain, and followed

both upstairs and downstairs, but received no

that morning with no answer and wouldn’t have come over if it weren’t for the lack of

she was ready to call on the Order of Nine

master bedroom on the

paused, “Dorian, why didn’t you answer

desk, impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, ready to walk out the door at a moment’s notice, yet

seeming to just now hear Vivienne’s voice. “Vivienne, what brings you

noticed the fine sweat on Dorian’s

called you yesterday, and you didn’t pick up, so I came to check on you. Are you hot? It’s 79 degrees outside,

just worked out a bit. Got a little hot, so I turned it on

honest, he was terrible

merely glanced around before turning to whisper something