The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Everyone was absolutely floored by Vivienne's audacious move.

But Arthur? He was thrilled!

His daughter had given an order, and he was determined to see it through.

"Listen up, everyone!" he announced. "Ladies to carry a weight of 10 pounds, gents 20 pounds, and we're going to do an extreme cross-country run along the Rivenwood suburb roads, back and forth to the Perez household for a total of 12 miles!"

The Perez family just stared, dumbfounded.

What in the world were this father-daughter duo thinking?

20 pounds and a cross-country run?

And with added weight?

On one hand?

Did they think they were immortal beings or something?

This was going to kill them if it didn't leave them half-dead!

Seeing the Perez family unmoved, Arthur couldn't issue commands like he might in his squad, so he approached Jasper with a low voice, "Dad! Vivienne seems serious. Let's just go along with it, otherwise, who knows what she'll concoct next if we don't?"

Jasper glanced at Vivienne, unsure of what had gotten into her, but preferring the cross-country challenge to any unpredictable antics, he declared, "Let's do as Vivienne wishes!"

There was no arguing once the head of the Perez family had spoken. Everyone scrambled to fill their backpacks with items weighing exactly 10 or 20 pounds, then lined up and started running!

Vivienne, meanwhile, found a long bamboo stick and hopped into a car, sternly instructing the driver, "Follow them closely!"

Maddox, jogging beside Percival, looked back at Vivienne and whispered, "What did you do to Vivienne?"

Percival responded with a heavy silence, "...Nothing!"

"Why is she acting this way then?" Maddox was baffled. A perfectly fine day, and suddenly they're subjected to an extreme run?

felt like a

had the chance to

reluctantly dialed Jerry's number, but with no response,

was quickly answered, "What's up

me," Percival spoke

then recognizing the number, "Percival? Why are you

run out of the blue.

a loss, "I've

hung up abruptly when I mentioned Vivienne drinking. Maybe he

Percival confirmed, "Around ten

all. If she's making you run 12 miles now, who knows what's next? I

abruptly

Leopold dropped a bombshell, "Vivienne's drunk off

"Damn, what are we

He'd been with Vivienne long enough but had never seen her drink, assuming she didn't want to, not that she couldn't.

his temples, feeling a

grimaced, "So,

Percival sighed, "Yes."

luck!" Maddox groaned, as they all trudged on, Arthur taking

to Shane, "Get some cars and

complied

sped up and deliberately crashed into Vivienne's, causing just

Shane and Dante approached,

the

it. With a flick of

ve

leaving them

embarrass themselves in public.

had already conveyed to him, albeit discreetly, to keep Vivienne from going further, out of concern

Though confused by Vivienne's