The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

When Percival left, Nathan Ellington and Cecilia Boyd had just returned from a stroll around the neighborhood. Surprised to see him at this hour, they half-expected some urgent news.

Percival, mindful of the elder's reputation, didn't divulge much, merely stating he was just dropping by.

Cecilia, always the caring one, couldn't help but ask after Vivienne's health, her concern evident.

Nathan glanced at his watch, "It's getting late. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

Isolde stepped forward, latching onto his arm, "Bro, ever since you got hitched, it's been ages since we had a meal together. You can't just forget us now that you have a wife." Cecilia frowned slightly, "Isolde, she's family too. Let's not have any more of that talk."

Isolde's face fell, "I didn't mean it that way, I just wanted you to stay for dinner with us."

Right then, Vivienne called to check on Richard's condition.

Percival reassured her all was well and mentioned he'd join her after dinner at her parents'.

Vivienne was straightforward, "Mr. Wolf, I'll wait for you."

At lunch, Isolde made a point to sit next to Percival, serving him his favorite shrimp dish, "Here, you love these. Eat up."

Percival took it, urging her to eat as well and not fuss over him.

Isolde watched him eat, a fleeting shadow of something unspoken in her eyes, quickly gone.

Moments later, the once lively room fell into an eerie silence.

All lay motionless, slumped over the table.

Outside, a figure in red approached, her bright nails resting lightly on a shoulder, red lips parting, "Well done!"

...

The Linklater family.

with Yorick before retreating to her room for

found it hard

Wolf had insisted she take an hour's nap daily, which somewhat alleviated her discomfort and became a

gloomy sky, a sense of unease gripped

phone, it was

Wolf would never be this

unanswered, both to Percival and the Ellington household, leaving her

she immediately called Leopold, asking him to

to find Vivienne saying her goodbyes to Sasha and Arthur before getting into the car, her demeanor icy, "To the Ellington estate, and hurry!" Leopold, taken aback by her intensity, raced through the city, the tense atmosphere making his hands

hard, fearing the worst for Percival with Vivienne on the

phone rang with a video call

seeing his

couldn't bring herself to

his white coat turned red,

grip tightened, her eyes

"Abigail!"

laugh, "Vivienne, see how your beloved suffers at my hand, and you're

Abigail laughed mockingly, taunting her with

a blade, ready to strike at the

voice was

her phone suddenly shifted, revealing several people lying on the ground, their hands and feet bound, each bearing various injuries but all unmistakably members

among them, lying on the

after me.

this, Leopold, who was gripping the steering