The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The car swiftly reached its destination.

Perhaps sensing the presence of family, Winston's face turned to panic the moment they entered the inner room. Vivienne squeezed his hand, reassuring him. "Don't be scared. We can leave whenever you want."

But despite his fear, Winston didn't back down and followed Vivienne into the deepest room of the house.

Upon seeing the elderly man with white hair sitting inside, Winston whispered, "Grandpa, is that you?"

The man in the room jolted, turned around, and upon seeing Winston and then Vivienne, everything clicked in an instant.

He stretched out his hand, calling out to Winston with the same warmth he had shown at the Wright family gatherings, "Winston, come here to grandpa."

This was the first time Winston had seen Declan's face without the masks he wore at Wright family events. Winston felt a surge of unfamiliarity but mustered the courage to approach. Vivienne discreetly gave them space, standing a short distance away.

Ten minutes later, Winston walked back to her. "Grandpa and I had a chat. He said you had things to discuss, so I'll wait outside."

Vivienne patted his head, "Okay."

She signaled to Thomas to escort Winston back to the car.

Then she approached Declan.

Separated by a barrier, Declan accused, "You brought Winston here to threaten me!"

Vivienne scoffed, "Forgot to mention, Winston's now staying with the Linklater family. If I wanted to use him to threaten you, I wouldn't have waited till now."

"I brought him only to fulfill one of his wishes."

"The Linklater family?" Declan caught on to the key point and laughed, "Well, as long as he carries the blood of the Edwards family, what does it matter where he stays?" Vivienne found his words ironic. "If you truly consider Winston your kin, why use his blood to concoct a serum for your own escape plan?"

"Declan, your trust in Abigail is just as shallow."

expecting Vivienne to uncover so much so quickly.

"You have one option: spill the details

she strike a deal with me? I'm merely a pawn in her

gaze hardened. "What

silent, clearly unwilling to reveal

knowing. Aren't you afraid she'll silence you once she finds out?" Declan, his voice low, admitted, "If you've

she's determined to

she referred to was

"Why Winston?" she asked, looking directly at

revealing a moment of selfish calculation. "If I carried the antidote, Abigail's suspicion would surely uncover it. I couldn't take that risk. The antidote had to be placed in the least suspecting person." Vivienne's expression shifted. "Aren't you afraid Abigail will find out and decide

though how much was genuine and how much was calculated only he

I chose for the Wright family must be capable of bearing such risks. If not, he's not destined for

Wright family, and only the

Vivienne's brows furrowed.

told Winston, but she wouldn't stand by if

Wright family was no more. Even if Winston carried its bloodline, these burdens didn't have to be his

to the chase, "Hand over the antidote,

think Abigail would rely on mere toxins as her ultimate weapon? You underestimate her." Vivienne's

everyone. Those toxins are nothing in her

move, it

pressed, "Besides the

gave

Vivienne was right.

something crucial that

pushing his buttons, "After all you've done for Abigail, what are you hoping to

a nearby room and uttered something that

"If it's not immortality, then it's the position of the head of the ancient