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."

his fatigue spreading to Matthew. As his physical exhaustion took hold, all

you any trouble, just knock them around a bit," Matthew said with a stretch, heading off

closed behind him with a

clueless. "They're

the others disappear behind a door. He shook his head, deciding not to burden Percival with the details just yet. Leading the way out, he ignored Anna's

Vivienne fill you in later. For now, let's

in the living room, restless. She glanced around, her anxiety subsiding only

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

shirt in her hands, lost in

doorbell of

bite of her sandwich. Her eyes sparkled as she heard the commotion, quickly standing up with

an impatient voice shouted, "Vivienne! Come out here! What the hell does your text mean,

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

snap to action.

Victoria?

Victoria and Thomas before opening the door, "What took you so long, Thomas?" "Vivienne! Get out here! I want to know what the hell your cryptic message

figure barged in, her gaze

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

"Ms. Vivienne said she needed her help. Beyond

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

"Quiet!"