The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Kaitlyn stared in bewilderment at the ancient-looking sheet of paper in Vivienne's hands.

It was filled with neatly penned recipes for potions, some familiar and some utterly foreign to her. The ink script was delicate and refined as if it could only have been penned by a character straight out of a period drama. The paper itself looked like something from a bygone era, rough around the edges as if it was crafted with antiquated methods.

Blinking back her confusion, her mind whirred back to life. Suddenly, it clicked. "You mean to say we swap this fake recipe for my parents' ashes?"

Vivienne nodded while Anna flipped through the recipes, puzzled. "But will this really work, Ms. Vivienne? What's this recipe even for?"

"It's something I got from Brody. It's not highly toxic; at worst, it'll give someone the runs if they take it over a long period."

Vivienne guided Kaitlyn back to the living room, massaging her temples that throbbed with the day's tension. "Gavin might not even know what the real recipe is. Oliver Grimshaw would never come to collect it himself. This decoy is the perfect bait."

She paused, a sly glimmer in her eye. "Besides, we don't have to rely solely on this 'recipe.' I've got a backup plan."

"A backup plan?" Percival settled beside her. He caught the cunning in Vivienne's gaze and knew instantly what she was planning. "Are you sure she's trustworthy?"

He had not a shred of fondness for anyone from the Abernathy family, even if the person in question was his aunt's daughter!

Vivienne patted his hand soothingly. "There's only one way to find out, right?"

She pulled out her phone, quickly found Victoria's number, and without hesitation, sent a text that read: [Your mother's with me. Meet at Aurora Mountain Villa in one hour.]

"That's that. Now, we wait." Closing her phone with a snap, Vivienne stood up, linking arms with Percival. "Let's catch some Z's for an hour. Anna, give us a shout when Victoria shows." Anna nodded. "Will do."

spreading to Matthew. As his physical exhaustion took hold, all he could think about was how uncomfortable he felt. "Draven, you're in charge of our guests in the

give you any trouble, just knock them around a bit," Matthew said with a

door closed behind him with

around at the others, clueless. "They're not actually going to mine coal, are

door. He shook his head, deciding not to burden Percival with the details just yet. Leading the way out, he ignored Anna's probing stare that screamed, 'You definitely know

in later. For now, let's

living room, restless. She glanced

Vivienne's confident and serene gaze. Her tense muscles relaxed at the thought. She didn't know why Vivienne would trust Victoria, but it Vivienne

shirt in her hands, lost in

time ticked away, the doorbell of Aurora

Her eyes sparkled as she heard the commotion, quickly standing up with one hand on the weapon concealed at her back, inching toward the

"Vivienne! Come out here!

frenzied voice was coupled with a rapid thud on the door. Amid it, Thomas's voice tried to soothe, but Anna and the others

to action. "It's Victoria. I'll

Victoria?

it was only Victoria and Thomas before opening the door, "What took you so long, Thomas?" "Vivienne! Get

figure barged in, her gaze

man wanted me to tell Percival to come home for a visit. Once we got chatting, time just got away

said she needed

the room like a headless chicken. "Why are you stopping me? Vivienne called

"Quiet!"