The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

At the airline headquarters, Vivienne and Connor entered one after the other, the staff bustling about their tasks with practiced ease. Greetings were exchanged with subtle nods before everyone resumed their work. Connor led the way to his office, opening the door and half-stepping aside for Vivienne to enter, catching the hint of surprise on her face with a small, knowing smile. "I've got a surprise for you. Aren't you coming in?" Vivienne, masking her curiosity with indifference, stepped into the office.

Connor moved to his desk, retrieving a black box and placing it before her. "I know you've been after the original surveillance footage from that flight Mr. Wolf was on five years ago. Without digging into it yourself, how could you ever be at peace?" Vivienne looked at the black box, her expression unreadable yet intense.

Indeed.

Her agreement to partner with Connor was primarily driven by her desire to find the original footage of Mr. Wolf's last moments on that ill-fated flight.

She had obtained the video shortly after the incident, but it only contained the last few minutes of audio before the crash - the rapid descent, the chaotic noise, and then... the explosion.

The crash site was discovered three days later. To avoid drawing attention, Vivienne led a team there herself.

Hovering over the deep sea in a helicopter, she was greeted by the vast emptiness, with only white fragments of the plane floating on the surface. No islands in sight for a possible crash landing, and with the deep sea rendering their equipment useless, the chances of finding survivors were slim to none.

But Vivienne refused to give up hope.

Connor connected the black box to the computer, standing up to give Vivienne some space. "No one will disturb you without my say-so."

As the door closed, Vivienne took a moment to glance outside before sitting down at the computer. The audio, now fully decrypted, was complete and extensive. The only difference from five years ago was that she could now hear Mr. Wolf's voice, albeit briefly. Those few words sent a shiver down her spine.

For five years, she hadn't forgotten, not for a single day.

He knew how long it took her to recover from her mother's supposed death, yet he chose this path, sacrificing himself for her as if

the headphones made her wince, but she thought she heard a different voice, calling out a name. She squinted, about to

as Vivienne removed

Connor replied, "Someone hacked our system. The network is down

glanced at the screen, now displaying an error message. As an investor in the company, she felt compelled to act but Connor's reassuring hand stopped her. "I'll handle this.

computer, his fingers flying over the

him, "What's the

control, but it'll take some time to recover the data. If you're not in a hurry, there's a great

leave; she wasn't in the

got up, "Jasper called me yesterday, Vivienne. Are you sure we

paused, considering his

took her to

stark contrast to the bustling headquarters they had just left "Hey, boss Two of your special dishes, please!" Connor

chef, spotting them, teased Connor about bringing a girlfriend. Vivienne raised an eyebrow

apologized, offering their meal on the house. As they waited, Vivienne observed the simple yet comforting setting, a stark

to know this place well," Vivienne

to find a place that felt like home. This diner is one of those

to ignore

Boyd family lived in Sea City for many years before

playful spark in his