The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival's interrogation left Floyd speechless and visibly shaken.

Juliet never expected Floyd, on his very first visit, to be so bold, let alone tamper with her mom's belongings. This pretty much ensured they couldn't back him up now.

Isaiah merely observed Floyd, his gaze a complex mix of emotions, suspicion not least among them. After all, their visit to his house had coincided with a family argument, plus finding him alone by the roadside - on reflection, it all seemed too coincidental. Coincidences, after all, tend to raise more questions than answers, right?

"What are you doing here?" Percival's tone hardened seeing Floyd's hesitance.

Startled, Floyd stepped back, tears pooling in his eyes, "I... I was just following Juliet's instructions to fetch something. I noticed the study light was on and thought to turn it off for you. These things were scattered on the floor, I just took a glance, and then you all arrived." Overwhelmed, Floyd broke down, his tears streaming freely. Percival, who had been gentle moments ago, suddenly seemed a different person, triggering in Floyd memories of his own father.

Hearing his daughter's name, Percival looked towards her, "Is that true?"

"He's not lying, daddy, at least about the first part. Isaiah and I were building a Lego tower and asked him to fetch a missing piece. We thought you had already sent him home." Percival, despite Juliet's words, remained unimpressed.

"I'm so sorry, truly. I didn't mean to pry." Floyd sobbed, apologizing profusely.

Percival, standing at the doorway, felt at a loss. Inspecting the items, he noticed only one document seemed disturbed. "Let's get you home," he finally said.

The incident made Floyd wary of getting too close to Percival thereafter.

Noticing Floyd's deliberate distance, Percival drove him back to his house in silence.

As Floyd entered his home, Percival caught a glimpse of a painting in the living room, its symbols eerily familiar.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Ellington. We wouldn't have known what to do without you," the housekeeper said, expressing her gratitude as she saw Percival off.

Floyd's disappearance into a blind spot of the surveillance had left her anxious, especially with the young master and the lady of the house quarreling, paying no mind to the situation.

nothing, just... take better care of the kid's mental health. Let's avoid

parting glance at Floyd was

us?" Juliet's mind was far from her Lego

none of this would have happened. She bore

found herself trusting the boy

Lego piece down, glancing out the window to see Percival had returned from

don't know, but he doesn't seem all that innocent," Isaiah

the night, to find Percival waiting, enveloping her in

up so late?"

Can't sleep without

asked, "What's wrong? You seem off. Did something happen

without a word, showing her the documents

to dig into this?" Vivienne

head, pointing at the documents, then recounted the day's

closely examining a report," Percival massaged his

him?" Vivienne

the reports. "He was absorbed, not at all like someone who couldn't understand. Juliet and Isaiah need a dictionary, but he... he was thoroughly engrossed." Vivienne's

"When I dropped him off, I saw a painting in his living room with symbols very similar

silent as they

their visit, only catching a

was just family troubles, but now... it seems like they might be hiding

case, he's definitely suspicious," Vivienne met Percival's gaze. "But, there's

boy, as if they

the grand Walker Estate, Floyd was tossing and turning under the covers, unable to fall asleep.