The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne shot Arthur a look, pretending not to hear his objection, her long legs crossed as she sat on the sofa.

She then clicked on the third trending topic on Twitter, curious to see how Alyssa had dug her own grave this time.

Opening the tweet, there was an audio clip that played for both Sasha and Arthur to hear.

"What's going on with you and Scott? Have you been with him?"

"What does it matter to you if I've been with Scott? What right do you have to ask?"

"I'm not interested in your personal life. I've been waiting for Arthur for years..."

"Why drag my brother into our issues?"

"We're family. Why can't your brother pay for your mistakes?"

Sasha frowned, murmuring, "I never said any of that. She's clearly manipulated my voice."

Arthur, angered, added, "Sasha would never say such things. This is obviously doctored!"

Vivienne looked at the online file, the audio continuing to play, and raised a question, "When she entered, would the guards have checked her? Could she bring something that even the Linklaters couldn't detect?"

Arthur, catching on to Vivienne's implication, his gaze sharpening, said sternly, "Someone get those two guards in here now!"

It was either the guards were bribed by Alyssa to let her sneak in the recording device, or Alyssa had something so sophisticated that even the Linklaters' latest detectors couldn't pick it up, though the latter seemed highly unlikely.

When the two guards came in, they felt the intense pressure emanating from Arthur, like a lion asserting his dominance, making them exchange nervous glances.

Arthur played the recording from Vivienne's phone out loud on the coffee table, letting it loop.

recording, one guard's legs trembled as he stammered, "Mr. Linklater, I swear I followed protocol and thoroughly scanned Ms. Wright with the detector! Knowing

Ms. Wright carefully. We didn't intentionally let her bring any electronic devices in!" Arthur, with

flying over her laptop keyboard, pulled up the Linklaters' comprehensive surveillance footage in less

entrance of the Linklaters' estate, Alyssa and Winston being scanned by two guards with a detector,

not their

the surveillance footage. Vivienne chuckled coldly, "Seems like there's a third possibility." All

rubbing her belly, suggested, "Let's not sit around all morning. Let's go have breakfast; dad should

daughter in

Arthur's eyes, followed by a

gathered for breakfast except for Hector Linklater, who was always abroad due to his diplomatic duties. Yorick, at the head of the table, served Sasha a fried egg and handed Vivienne a glass of

Sasha's red-rimmed eyes, Yorick's hands trembled

have you been crying? It's my first

by him, wasn't known for

well, Sasha shook her head, feigning strength amidst her vulnerability, "Dad, I'm fine. Just getting older, losing some of my former resilience." Dracon looked on in disbelief; his sister-in-law was

his

"Sasha and I are getting married

slandering her integrity, accusic.net

her

mistreating Alyssa and extending her wrath to Alyssa's

even find evidence to refute the recording's content! Sasha was so wronged she couldn't

instructed the butler to

the comments under the tweet, Yorick's initially stern

was manipulative, but this

clearly

with Scott, poor Alyssa waiting faithfully only