The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Kaitlyn knew all too well that things couldn't be that simple; there must have been someone fanning the flames behind the scenes.

But by then, the Littletons had fallen from grace. Those who once flocked around her family with flattering words were nowhere to be found after her parents' untimely deaths. To seek their help now would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

Yet the persecution from the ancient warrior lineages did not cease.

Tears streamed down Kaitlyn's cheeks as she struggled to catch her breath, coughing twice. "My father-in-law, Julian, ever since someone accused him of taking bribes... It's been one thing after another. Private tutoring, disciplining students too harshly. And now... they're accusing him of... of indecency with a student."

Julian had once been a celebrated teacher at Rivenwood High, but now his reputation was in tatters.

His wife, Sadie, couldn't continue with her job either, taken in for questioning by the school board time and again. Only after the school let them go did the tumult finally begin to subside.

and took her life. Her parents think it's Julian's fault, so... so they called the cops and had him taken away." Vivienne listened intently to

finally speaking up, "What's the girl's name? Is

was shaky, "Her name is Cassidy. After the incident, I heard her family was so ashamed

"Havenwood?"

ages. She paused for a moment before reassuringly smiling, "Don't worry. What's done is done, and it's high time we

Kaitlyn started to protest, but Vivienne had already turned away, dialing on her cell phone, "Check for a family in Havenwood, daughter named Cassidy, moved there five years ago from Rivenwood, left because of a scandal

the call, she texted Draven, [Dig into the bribery case involving Julian

gratitude for the most impulsive decision she had made years ago, which turned out to be the best one. Without Vivienne, she might have already

simply patting Kaitlyn's hand to

on the road ahead, spoke, "Bribery and unauthorized tutoring are one thing; allegations of indecency are another, especially after so much time

people didn't even bother investigating. They just took her word for it. Julian wasn't jailed, but he was detained for weeks. During that

surprised and switched gears, "What about the bribery case?

clear and bright, were tinged with resentment as she clenched her teeth, "Who else but that ungrateful brat? Without Julian's financial support, he wouldn't have been able to afford his education. Yet, he was the one who accused Julian of bribery and unauthorized tutoring! And they believed him without considering that

Sophie was in a foul mood, roused from her bed in the dead of

blouse. But before leaving the Abernathy estate, Madeline had given her instructions: no matter what, they needed to retrieve the item from

at the couple behind bars before a venomous plot took root, "Give those two a taste

sorry, Ms. Abernathy. We can't use excessive force

is nothing new. Are you saying you've never done that before?" The officers were in a bind. If not for Sophie's influential status, they'd be rolling

two old geezers looked like a strong breeze could knock them over, let alone the chill of an air conditioner combined with the

the local