The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Dracon shook his head in panic, knowing all too well why he was here, yet hoping against hope that his actions could somehow be justified.

Arthur advanced on him, grabbing Dracon by the shirt and glaring with such fury that it seemed to emanate the dominance of someone born to lead. "It was you! You're the one who gave Alyssa that voice recorder!"

Caught in Arthur's iron grip, Dracon's face was a mask of terror. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered, "Bro, please... I just... I lost my head for a moment. Please, let me off this time..."

But excuses would do Dracon no good; not when Arthur was this enraged.

He shouldn't have voluntarily entered the Linklater family's surveillance room.

Had he heeded the warnings, he wouldn't have been caught so swiftly-like a moth drawn to flame, he had sealed his own fate.

Sasha approached, her presence commanding. "Besides the voice recorder, what else did you give Alyssa?"

Dracon's eyes darted away, caught off guard by her insight. But before he could react further, Arthur's fist connected with his face, numbing his cheek and drawing blood from the corner of his mouth. His legs trembled beneath him.

Arthur's voice was a low growl, barely containing his rage. "My wife asked you a question. Answer her!"

head, his voice trembling. "I... I also gave her a

begging for mercy he knew wouldn't come. "Please, don't tell Dad... He'd disown me,

icy, his grip tightening. "You should have

looked up, disbelief etched across his face, then anger. "Why? Why am I the one to go? When you and Hector were away, I was the one who kept

what of it? If not for me keeping things running smoothly at home, could you have pursued your battles without a second

When you drugged our father, did you think I wouldn't find out? If not for Dad's constant pleas on

Dracon had underestimated the

of his betrayal wasn't as well-kept as he'd believed, with even Vivienne, the renowned Specter Heafer and Arthur's ally, being privy to his

him at every turn. His attempt to sabotage Arthu

doomed. from the

question, highlighting the core principle of the Linklater family ethos, "What is our family's

head bowed in shame, whispered, "Together in glory, together

yet, you chose this path for power? For

filled with the weight of his actions driven by a deep-seated need for validation-a

absolutely no way he could let Sasha marry into the Linklaters. Better yet, he thought, to

But he failed.