The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Mara was in a state of panic, hands clamped over her ears as she screamed shrilly, fighting with all her might. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown into the kennels, no way was she going to be fed to the dogs!

"No, you can't do this to me! Yes, I drugged my uncle, and that was wrong, but how can you prove that he didn't take advantage of me?" Her eyes were bloodshot, lips slightly parted, filled with hatred. Then, the door opened, and in came Richard Ellington. Leaning on a wooden cane with his left hand, his butler trailing behind him. The butler had already informed Richard about the incident.

With such a scandal rocking the Ellington family, Richard was bound to know, and he was seething with anger. He couldn't believe that Cecilia's kindness had been turned against her like a sharp knife. The Boyd family, aside from Cecilia, were indeed no good at all!

Seeing Richard enter, Mara tried to get up, desperately crawling towards him. She grabbed at Richard's trouser leg, gasping for air, seeing him as her only hope. Choking back sobs, tears streaming down her face like strings of pearls, she banged her head against Richard's foot, "Richard, I beg you, save me! Vivienne and my brother want to throw me to the dogs. I know I messed up, acted recklessly, and betrayed my uncle, but it wasn't my intention. It was all, all my brother's doing!"

Mara's lips trembled slightly, "Huxley, you were once my dearest brother, but if you can do this to me, don't blame me for not caring about our sibling bond anymore!"

Her eyes reddened further as she cried out loud, like a child left behind, "Grandfather, it was all Huxley. He said he wanted to restore the Boyd family's glory, to become the head of the Boyd family. He made me drug my uncle so he could blackmail him into helping revive our family."

With every excuse she made, the faces of those present grew colder. Especially Richard, his face tight, his gaze icy, exuding authority and rage, "Rubbish! You deserve to be thrown to the dogs for bringing such disgrace upon the Ellington family! You dying a thousand times wouldn't be enough. How could you betray your aunt like this?" Richard clenched his cane so tightly that it nearly cracked from his anger.

Hearing this, Mara's legs gave out, almost fainting. But she wasn't ready to give up, biting her lip till it bled, "Richard, I know what I've done is unforgivable, but I've been intimate with my uncle. What if I'm pregnant? This could be the next generation of the Ellington family. How could you let this child be cast aside?"

Percival's face darkened immediately, his gaze deadly as if looking at a dead thing. Vivienne casually twirled a dagger in her hand, the atmosphere around her almost electrifying. It seemed as if the dagger might fly out and decapitate Mara at any moment.

Richard, however, didn't immediately respond. His once robust voice sighed softly after a long moment, "Enough, let her stay."

family is thinning in numbers. I cannot ignore this. We've

pregnant, let the child be born. But once the child is born, Mara is to be sent

Richard, feeling the most remorseful towards his daughter-in-law, said, "Cecilia, rest assured, the Ellington family acknowledges only you. I know I

as if I never existed in the Ellington family!" With that, she turned and ran

Vivienne

his lips pressed into a thin line as he took Vivienne's hand and

don't agree with grandfather either, don't worry, this isn't over. I believe dad would never have approved of this!"

tracks and embraced Vivienne, "Thank you,

smile,

different." They comforted each other before returning

each

front of the

Anna pretended

After all, being third wheels

it's smarter to pretend you don't see what's being

but