The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Gavin sprang to his feet, his face contorted in rage as he glared at Emrys. "That's utter nonsense! Have you thought about the consequences of your words?"

Vivienne raised an eyebrow and spoke in a calm, leisurely tone, "Oh? Threatening a witness in front of the judge now, are we?"

"You!"

Gavin glared at Vivienne, words failing him, just as Emrys declared emphatically, "Everything I've said is the truth. If there's a single lie, I'm ready to face the legal consequences!"

Gavin wanted to argue back, but the judge hammered down, cutting him off, "The verdict will now be pronounced!"

Just then, the courtroom door swung open.

Arthur, flanked by a team of fully armed officers, strode in. He nodded respectfully towards the judge and presented a document. "Under orders from the higher-ups, I'm taking over the cases of Harrison and Gavin!"

The courtroom erupted into murmurs. It was unprecedented for defendants to be escorted out during a verdict announcement. And especially right at the moment of verdict delivery.

Online, the chat was buzzing:

"Who's this guy? His power must be huge to take the defendants right out of the courtroom?"

"Yeah, and it sounds like he's trying to protect those two?"

"You don't get it. That's Arthur, our nation's War God. A hero on the battlefield, safeguarding our homeland. It's not about his power; it's his mission to protect us. Rumor has it he's never married because of his dedication."

"But why save the guilty? Isn't that a slap in the face to the innocent?"

about to clear his name, and then the War God pulls this

Harrison and Gavin

serious? With all the evidence against

and see what

and with Arthur personally involved, even if it bent the rules, he had to comply. Returning the document, the

all that could be done was to adjourn. Regardless of what investigation awaited Harrison and Gavin, they would still have to face trial

announcement, the courtroom began to empty, leaving behind the jury, the plaintiffs, the defendants, and Arthur's

were so close to unraveling it all when Arthur had to

abruptly and marched towards Arthur,

been looking

I.n

her, hardly any of it good, shaping a rather negative image in his mind. He sought her out, curious about the woman who had disrupted his plans. If not for Vivienne, his net would

to speak to him like that

off Arthur's grip with a burst of energy, her tone frosty. "A War God indeed, masquerading

what are

yours? Harrison and Gavin were my bait, months in the making, and

emotionlessly. "Regardless of what you plan to do, taking them from

locked eyes with Arthur. "You dare

Vivienne's words when Percival's remark struck him.

puzzle, he turned to Vivienne. "You're

only realizing this now? My information

silent. He had indeed gathered information on Vivienne, but none included her photograph. Despite her