The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Upon hearing the door open, Iris turned her head while covering the half of her face that had been hit.

She forced out a smile that was uglier than a sob. “Vivienne, you’re here?”

“Mmm.” Vivienne responded coldly.

I’m really sorry this time.” Iris apologized. It was obvious that she felt guilty.

Vivienne didn’t respond.

“Finally deigned to visit this old lady, have you?” Beatrice sneered at Vivienne.

“I’m just here to pick up my brother.” Vivienne said with an expressionless face as she scanned the

room before asking coldly, “Where’s Thaddeus?”

“He’s locked in the bathroom next door.” Iris confessed. Shame was written all over her face;

she barely had the courage to meet Vivienne’s eyes.

She never imagined that Beatrice would be so ruthless. Not only had she used Iris to lure Thaddeus

here, but she, Michael, and Joseph had been threatening Thaddeus non-stop.

When the young boy refused to speak, they locked him in the bathroom, ignoring his cries and Iris’

pleas for mercy.

Iris felt deeply ashamed.

Vivienne turned to leave.

“Don’t go!” Beatrice slammed her hand on the bedside table, trying to stop Vivienne.

Vivienne ignored her and continued on her way.

Michael blocked the door to the room and quickly locked it. “Your grandma wants to talk to you, you

disrespectful brat! You really need a lesson!”

Thinking about how the Hawthorn Group was going bankrupt overnight made Michael furious, so he

raised his hand to slap Vivienne.

A murderous intent flashed in Vivienne’s eyes, but before she could act, Percival beat her to it. He

grabbed Michael’s wrist. “Who exactly are you trying to hit?”

Did he dare lay a hand on his fiancée?

Did he think Percival was dead?

“Ah!” With a sudden exertion of force, Michael immediately screamed out in pain. He was unable to

utter a plea for mercy and collapsed to the ground, drenched in cold sweat.

Percival tossed him aside, took out a handkerchief, and leisurely wiped his hands, saying with disgust,

“Dirty!”

“You… How could you hit someone in public?!” Beatrice was both shocked and angry as she watched

Michael collapse on the floor. His right hand was dangling in an odd position. It was

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clearly fractured.

She couldn’t believe Vivienne and Percival would be so audacious.

“You kidnapped my brother. We broke your son’s hand.” Vivienne looked at Beatrice. “Fair.”

“A sick old lady wanting to spend some time with her grandson is not kidnapping!” Beatrice argued

back as her chest heaved with anger. It looked like she was about to faint at any moment. “Even if you

call the police, they won’t label this a kidnapping!”

“Oh?” Vivienne smirked. “If not kidnapping, then how about child abuse?”

“We didn’t hit him!” Joseph, who had been scared by Percival’s actions, hid by Beatrice’s bed. He didn’t

have the guts to step forward and could only manage a verbal defense.

Percival glanced at him, his deep eyes revealing a hint of coldness. “Try hitting him.”

Michael was intimidated by his aura and took a step back. “Anyway, you have no proof!”

“I will testify that you abused Thaddeus!” Iris suddenly declared firmly.

She had come to her senses. A crime was a crime. No matter who committed it, they had to

face the consequences.

“You! Are you trying to kill me?!” Beatrice reached for something on the bedside table to throw at Iris,

but after finding nothing, she ended up throwing a pillow at her.

Iris skillfully dodged and stood firmly by Vivienne’s side.

“Fine!” Beatrice looked at Iris as tears suddenly fell from her eyes. “You and Dorian have disappointed

me! All my love for you was in vain! You’re such ungrateful people!”

Iris felt a surge of guilt and decided not to look at Beatrice.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Joseph carefully went to open it, but he was scared of Percival, so his movements were cautious, like a

thief’s.

As soon as the door opened, Arabella was standing outside with a group of reporters with cameras

behind her.

Arabella’s gaze immediately met Vivienne’s.

“Sister.” She stepped into the room as her eyes welled up with tears. “Grandma has been sick for so

long, and you finally came to see her.”

Vivienne looked at her coldly.

Long?

Besides, what did the old lady’s illness have to do with her?

Arabella then noticed Michael on the floor and exclaimed, “Michael, what happened to your

hand? Who broke it?

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Sister, this is Grandma’s ward. Why did you let Mr. Ellington beat Michael like this? Are you taking

revenge on me again?” Arabella looked shocked and started accusing Vivienne. “I’ve already

apologized and cleared up the matter about Ms. Faye. Why can’t you let us go?”

Her voice was full of sorrow, and she promptly knelt down in front of Vivienne. “If you’re upset and mad

at me, just take it out on me. Why do you have to hurt Grandma and Michael? I beg you. I really beg

you. If you have any grievances, just take them out on me. Do whatever you want!

No matter what, I’m just an adopted daughter, but you’re the real daughter of the Hawthorn family. You

share the same blood as Grandma and the others. Grandma is so old that she almost had a stroke

because of you. She can’t handle any more stress!”

“My life is just so damn hard!” Beatrice sobbed from her hospital bed. “Vivienne, I’m your granny for

crying out loud! I’m the one who looked after you when you were a kid. Now here I am, sick as a dog,

just wanting to see Thaddeus. And for that, you let Percival break your uncle Michael’s hand. How

heartless can you be?”

The reporters outside the hospital room were downright pissed off as they listened to the grandmother

and granddaughter’s lament.

“Vivienne, what you did is just way out of line! Beatrice and Michael are your family. They are your own

blood!”

“Yeah, Beatrice is just sick. She wanted to see her grandson, and for that, you had Mr. Michael’s hand

broken? That’s just plain cruel!”

“I think Richard Ellington must have lost his mind. How could he hand his position over to Percival?

How is a guy who’d hurt his own family for his selfish desires, without a shred of remorse, fit to lead the

Ellington family? I tell you, under his rule, the Ellingtons are gonna go down the drain!”