The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Alyssa's arms were etched with scabs and whip marks that Brianna could clearly see, yet she pretended not to notice.

Those were the handiwork of Grandpa George himself, a man who wouldn't stop until he'd drawn blood.

The mention of it left Alyssa in a daze.

Right, she thought, I'm the eldest daughter of the Wright family. Even for the sake of the family name, Arthur shouldn't have treated me this way.

It must be Sasha who's stirring things up.

"Big sis?"

Brianna watched Alyssa zone out, her eyes betraying a hint of disgust.

Winston, accompanied by a servant, came jogging over, his young face full of concern that seemed genuine. He was startled upon seeing Alyssa's injuries, "Big sis, what happened to you?" Alyssa frowned and withdrew her hand.

The last person she wanted to see right now was Winston.

If it hadn't been for him, Grandpa George wouldn't have been so harsh on her.

Brianna saw it all and, hiding her scorn, explained to Winston, "Little bro, someone bullied your big sis. Didn't you notice?"

"Bullied?"

Winston's young brow furrowed, puzzled as he looked at Brianna. "Big sis, who bullied big sis?"

Brianna's face turned cold at being called 'big sis.' "Who else could it be? In the Linklater family, who wields such power? If not Sasha and her daughter Vivienne, then who?" Winston quickly figured it out.

Shaking his head, he spoke clearly, "I trust Auntie; she wouldn't bully anyone. Maybe big sis didn't apologize to Auntie? Grandpa said if you do something wrong, you have to own up to it." Brianna raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

Alyssa's face darkened.

She knew what she had done and certainly didn't need a five-year-old lecturing her.

Just as Alyssa was about to send him away, Winston said in his soft voice, "Then I'll apologize to Auntie for big sis. Auntie is so nice; she won't blame big sis."

Alyssa, who was

"Winston, you'd apologize to

my fault for being too weak, it has nothing to

mind raced, thinking of how she could use this

are you out of your mind? Believing a child's words? Have you forgotten how furious Grandpa was last time? He won't let you take

even get into the Linklater family was one thing; if Grandpa George found out she'd taken Winston there, it would be another

stayed longer, a servant began to urge

asked, they would be held

Winston left; he really

seek Arthur's favor? If he's on your side, who cares about Sasha and

"But Arthur has lost patience with me...

Linklater estate without Arthur showing his face was proof of

to eliminate her, that would remove a significant thorn

it all wrong. Arthur, powerful as he may be, is still a man. No man dislikes a woman's

in Rivenwood knows you two are meant for each other. The matriarch's position at the Linklater estate was always meant to be yours. Sasha

Alyssa silently agreed.

Arthur's other half. Sasha's sudden appearance not only shattered her dream of marrying

her daughter. If something happened to her, Sasha would be too

covering for herself, "Of course, if big sis could win Arthur over by herself, we wouldn't need to resort to this. It's

Sasha gone, not anyone

not Vivienne, who was

Brianna. You can go now," Alyssa said, turning

Alyssa on the bed. For some reason, she felt there was something

in the room, Alyssa received a

her heart sank,

end, a voice altered to a low

furrowed, "The boss usually contacts me directly. Why go through

grating over

soured on you.

these past few days? Do you really think

heart skipped a beat, and she hurried to

it. The boss wants