The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The Linklater family had always been a close-knit bunch, but today, something was amiss. Sasha arrived at Daphne's place with two pots of lavender, a gesture meant to cheer up her ailing friend. The house was unusually silent, with only Daphne present, looking paler

than usual.

With a smile, Sasha teased, "Hey Daphne, guess what I've brought for you?"

Anna, another member of their circle, was out on an errand, leaving Daphne alone. Upon hearing Sasha's voice, Daphne managed a weak smile and set aside her book. "Captain, you know I appreciate the thought, but flowers aren't going to cheer me up right now." Sasha wasn't deterred. "Come on, you used to love gardening. If anything, now's the time to surround yourself with your favorite blooms. The scent alone might lift your spirits, don't you think?"

Daphne's eyes sparkled for a moment before she nodded. "Thanks for the thought, Captain."

Sasha, however, couldn't hide her disappointment. "But lavender? You've always had a love-hate relationship with it, given your history with a rival named Lavender. She went too far in trying to beat you, even targeting your loved ones. Needless to say, she met a grim end by your hands."

Daphne's expression darkened. "Why bring up such painful memories now, Sasha? It's been years. I'd rather leave the past where it belongs."

Sasha's tone turned icy. "You would, wouldn't you? Because you're not Daphne. Am I right, Abigail?"

Caught, Abigail didn't bother denying it. Her demeanor unchanged, she retorted, "So, you figured it out because of some plants? Amusing."

Sasha's patience was wearing thin. "Where's Daphne?"

late, Captain. She called out for you with her dying

moment, Anna burst in, eyes red with fury. "My mother didn't die back then, and it's you who harmed

unfazed, replied, "She wouldn't submit to me. It's her

palpable. "For that, you

shrugged. "She was just a pawn. If she couldn't serve my purpose,

"That's where you're wrong!"

entered, flanked by Percival. She had

Vivienne, smirked. "I did all this to draw you out. From manipulating Anna to infiltrating the Linklater family,

me. Your fate will be

The showdown was inevitable.

was united, ready to protect their own and avenge the wronged, proving that in their world, bonds of loyalty and

smirk, "Ordinary faces? They're hardly a match for

and a wave of shock

seemed far-fetched, yet the unfolding

your plan for

my grand scheme if don't stir the pot? I need obedient pawns, not a unified front that's tough to crack. Only by