The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 109

At the dining table.

Percival was sitting next to Vivienne, catering to her throughout the meal. Whenever she needed a

napkin or a refill on her drink, he was there. If she so much as glanced at a dish, it would miraculously

appear in her bowl.

Vivienne, of course, didn’t take Leopold’s previous joke seriously. But Percival’s attentiveness was

making her suspicious. Was he overcompensating for something?

Across the table, Cecilia was fuming. She almost snapped her fork and knife in half. She had raised

Percival, and she had never seen him so attentive to anyone, let alone her. How come she never

noticed that Percival had this caring side?

She already disliked Vivienne, and this was just adding fuel to the fire.

But it was okay. Richard would be returning to Rivenwood soon, and Nathan Ellington had already

returned to handle business matters. She couldn’t mess with Vivienne with Richard around, but once

he was gone, who would stop her?

After all, Percival was her son. She didn’t believe that he would choose Vivienne over her.

“Vivienne.” Richard, seemingly pleased with Percival’s behavior, called out.

He had noticed that Percival had feelings for Vivienne, but the feelings weren’t reciprocated.

“Richard.” Vivienne immediately put down her fork and knife politely, ready to listen.

“I’m returning to Rivenwood in a few days.” Richard said with a grin. “Isolde is still very young, and I’m

worried about Percival and her being alone. I hope you’ll help look after them when

you can.”

Cecilia almost choked on her food. What was Richard saying?

How were Percival and Isolde alone and helpless? What did that make her?

Isolde chimed in while looking at Vivienne with her big eyes. “Vivienne, you must come and keep me

company. Once Grandfather leaves, and with my mother busy with poker every day, I’ll be lonely.”

Cecilia took a deep breath. When did she neglect Isolde for poker?

Well, she did play poker every day.

The Dorian family saw no problem with Richard’s request. They were grateful to the Ellington family for

all the help they had given the Hawthorn family. It was only right to return the favor. Everyone turned

their gaze to Vivienne, waiting for her response. Percival watched her from the corner of his eye.

If it were anyone else, Vivienne would’ve ignored them. But most of the people here were

individuals she cared about, so she gave a slight nod in agreement. “Richard, don’t worry, I

will.”

Under the table, however, she secretly kicked in Percival’s direction.

“Ouch!” Leopold yelped in pain as he clutched his leg.

Assuming Percival was the culprit, he glared at him. “Why’d you kick me?”

“Do I need a reason to kick you?” Percival replied nonchalantly.

“You’re the man.” Leopold gave Percival a thumbs up.

No one noticed, but Percival and Richard exchanged a knowing look.

“Good job,” their eyes seemingly said.

Richard chuckled to himself. He’d helped as much as he could. If Percival couldn’t win over

Vivienne, he shouldn’t bother returning to Rivenwood.

After dinner, Richard dragged Dorian off for a game of chess. Thaddeus and Isolde went to play in the

mansion’s courtyard, with Cecilia and Cordelia watching over them.

“The view from the back mountain is great. Want to take a walk?” Percival suggested to

Vivienne.

Before Vivienne could respond, Leopold piped up. “I’ll go too. I’ll go too. I love walks.”

Percival shot Leopold a cold look, which sent a shiver down his spine.

Since Leopold insisted on joining, Percival also invited Thomas. The four of them strolled towards the

back mountain.

The Cloud Eatery was situated halfway up the mountain. It was surrounded by lush flowers and plants.

Perhaps due to the mountain’s climate, the vegetation flourished.

A breeze blew, and petals began dancing in the wind. It was like they stepped into a fairyland.

Vivienne felt at peace as she looked at this scenery. It reminded her of her days at the Emerald

Monastery.

During the summer, after her practice, she’d open her eyes to see the flowers and trees outside her

window and feel the same tranquility.

“These flowers are beautiful.” Leopold couldn’t resist the urge to pick one.

Vivienne shot him a cold look. Just as he reached out, he suddenly tripped.

“Damn it!” He grumbled while dusting off the dirt and petals from his clothes. “What just happened?

Why did I trip?”

“You deserve it for picking flowers.” Thomas said deadpan.

“Do you like flowers?” Percival asked Vivienne, ignoring Leopold. “If you do, we can fill our

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Chapter 109

home with them.”

Before Vivienne could answer, Percival’s face suddenly changed.

Vivienne reacted faster and quickly turned around to stare coldly in the direction of the

bushes.

They both heard faint footsteps.

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This forest was littered with scattered petals, broken branches, and sand. An average Joe couldn’t walk

in here without making a sound. No way, no how. There was only one possibility for someone who

could move like this.

It had to be a hitman!

Leopold and Thomas quickly came to their senses, swiftly turned around, and stood back-to-back with

Vivienne and Percival with their eyes alertly fixed forward.

Next, ten assassins emerged from among the flowers and plants, forming a circle around the four of

them.

The leader of the assassins had a scar on his left cheek and skillfully held a dagger in his hand. He

coldly asked Vivienne, “Are you Vivienne?”

Vivienne slightly raised her head and calmly replied, “Yes.”

“Hand over the item!” The assassin’s voice was somewhat muffled, but his threats could be clearly

heard. “I advise you to behave, or tonight will be your end.”

The other assassins also pulled out their weapons. They were ready for battle and waiting for the

leader’s command to strike.

The four of them watched alertly. They were ready to act at any time.

Vivienne looked at the leader of the assassins as her eyes flashed with a cold light. “How much did

your employer pay you?”

“What?” The leader of the assassins didn’t react in time.

“How much is my life worth?” Vivienne asked again. Her relaxed tone made it seem as if she were

discussing the price of groceries in a supermarket, not her life.

The leader of the assassins looked at Vivienne, becoming somewhat impatient, as if he were ready to

strike at any moment.

Vivienne gave a small smile. “What? Afraid to say?”

The leader of the assassins frowned. He was seemingly aggravated by Vivienne’s calm. demeanor.

“One million, now cut the crap! I don’t want to get my hands dirty. Hand over the item, and I can finish

my job.”

Vivienne elegantly laughed and then seriously asked, “Would five million make you betray your

employer?”

Chapter 109

The leader of the assassins paused and then looked at her warily. “What are you trying to

do?”

“Seven million?” Vivienne calmly offered. “To betray your employer?”

“You’re trying to bribe us? Dream on! We would never betray…”

“Ten million!”

The leader of the assassins’ choked on his own words. He swallowed hard.

Ten million…

That was a lot of money.

They could work hard for a lifetime and not earn that much.

He almost wanted to agree immediately, but the strict rules of their organization made him. shudder. He

harshly warned her. “I’ve been patient enough. If you don’t hand it over…”

“Twenty million!” Vivienne looked at the leader of the assassins. “This is my final offer. Think it over. If

you agree, take the money and go. If you don’t…”

Vivienne suddenly laughed. Her smile was like a rose in the night. “You won’t get the item, and you

can’t kill me. So you’ll be punished by your organization when you go back.”

“Don’t try to stir things up.” The leader of the assassins changed his tone. “Do you even have that

much money?”

“No.” Vivienne didn’t lie. She indeed didn’t have that much money in her bank account.

The leader of the assassins’ face darkened, but then he heard Vivienne say, “But my fiancé

does.”

Upon saying this, Vivienne turned to Percival. “Mr. Ellington, lend me twenty million. I’ll pay you back in

three days.”

Percival was speechless.

Leopold was silent.

So was Thomas.

If you didn’t have the money, why pretended to be rich?

The corner of Percival’s mouth slightly lifted. “No problem.”

After confirming that he agreed, Vivienne turned to the leader of the assassins. “What do you think?

Your decision is…”

“Transfer the money!” The leader of the assassins interrupted Vivienne.

Vivienne laughed again. Her smile was incredibly beautiful. “Mr. Ellington, please transfer the money to

this gentleman.”

Percival looked at the leader of the assassins and spoke in a low voice. “Bank account

number”

The leader of the assassins hesitated for a moment. Giving out his bank account number might reveal

his personal information, but he was still moved by the temptation of twenty million

And their mission wasn’t to kill Vivienne, but to force her to hand over something. If Vivienne would

rather die than give it up, their mission would be a failure. They wouldn’t get anything and would get on

the bad side of the Ellington family.

But now they didn’t have to do anything, and they could get twenty million for nothing. Anyone would be

tempted.

So, the leader of the assassins exchanged glances with the other nine assassins, then gave out his

bitcoin account.

This was their most common transaction method. His information was hidden and hard to

trace

Percival took out his phone and made a few moves. The leader of the assassins looked at his phone,

and his face instantly changed. His originally fierce expression suddenly became friendly, even the scar

on his face seemed gentle.

He quickly put his dagger back into his boots, called the other nine assassins over, lined up like hotel

staff, nodded, and bowed to Vivienne while smiling from ear to ear.

‘Thank you for the twenty million, Ms. Hawthorn. We will leave now. Sorry for the interruption. If you

ever need anything like this, you can find me. I guarantee transparency and fair trade.”

After saying this, they disappeared as quietly as they had come.

Before leaving, the leader of the assassins even left a business card for Vivienne.

Leopold was dumbfounded. He pointed in the direction where the assassins had disappeared as he

shouted, “Are assassins nowadays unprincipled? How could they be so easily bought? Why are they

so willing to break a contract?”

He looked at Vivienne, who was putting away the business card, and then asked Percival, “Did you

really give them twenty million?”

“If it can solve your problem, I’m more than willing to.” Percival said with a smile. “Vivienne, you don’t

need to pay me back. Consider it pocket money.”

Vivienne thought for a while and then took out a small bottle from her bag. “This is for you. It’s worth

more than your twenty million, Mr. Ellington, I don’t like being indebted.”

Percival took the small bottle, opened it, and his face changed.

Leopold saw the change in Percival’s expression. He walked over to take a look and immediately

gasped. “These are life-saving pills!”

Oh my God!

Chapter 109

The life-saving pills that were being fought over in the black market were worth five hundred thousand

each. Vivienne actually had a whole bottle?!

This bottle was worth at least a hundred million!

Leopold looked at Vivienne in amazement. “Where did you get these?”

“I made it myself.” Vivienne answered with a serious look.

Percival, Leopold, and Thomas were at a loss for words.

What was the deal here?

Others would give their right arm for this, and it turned out that Vivienne could make them herself?

Had Percival just hit the jackpot?

Percival held the little bottle while lost in thought.

After a while, a slight smile appeared on his face. He casually put the bottle away. “Thanks, Vivienne.”

He didn’t stand on ceremony with Vivienne because he really needed these pills.

His team suffered a lot of casualties every year when they were on missions. With these pills, they

could up their game.

He owed Vivienne a lot. It was a debt he couldn’t repay.

So, he’d have to pay her back with his life and devotion.

He looked at Vivienne.

He knew she wanted to call off the engagement, but he vowed to himself that that would not happen in

this lifetime.

Chapter 110

Five days later in a basement of some coffee shop.

Six men wearing nothing but trousers, were chained to an iron scaffold. Their upper bodies were tense

and crisscrossed with wounds.

They glared at Draven, who was in front of them, and Vivienne, who was sitting behind him, sipping her

coffee

Arent you going to talk? Draven asked.

In his hand was a bottle of medicinal powder, which he slowly sprinkled onto the wounds of the six. His

words carried a clear threat, yet his tone was eerily calm.

This is a special powder we’ve concocted. A touch of it on your wounds, and it’ll feel like you’re being

bitten by countless bugs. It’s gonna hurt like hell. Better spill the beans; I promise to make it quick.”

The six men were sweating bullets from the pain. The powder on their wounds was washed away by

their sweat and mingled with their blood.

They opened their mouths as they gasped for breath but were unable to make a sound. The pain was

unbearable. It was like bugs were gnawing at them, causing stars to dance before their eyes. They

nearly fainted from the agony.

Whenever they were about to faint, Draven would jab a needle into their heads to keep them awake, so

they wouldn’t miss a moment of this unbearable torture.

Vivienne finished her coffee and glanced at the six men.

They were captured when they were ambushed at Imperial Blossom Nursery when they were trying to

kidnap Thaddeus and Cordelia.

She had made arrangements for Dorian, Thaddeus, and Cordelia to be protected in secret, lying in wait

for these people to walk into the trap.

The first two times, the captured men immediately committed suicide by poison.

The third time, she intervened personally.

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As long as she was there, even if they took poison on the spot, she could bring them back from the

brink of death.

However, these six men were tight-lipped. Despite Draven’s interrogation, they remained silent. So,

they had to ask Vivienne to step in.

When she first entered the basement, the six men looked at her with disdain.

They thought she was just a little girl who was incapable of anything.

But it didn’t take long for them to experience firsthand what it meant to wish for death.

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After only three trials of poison, one of them couldn’t take it anymore. Ignoring the disdainful and angry

looks of his companions, he signaled to Draven that he wanted to talk.

Unfortunately, their jaws had been dislocated and they were under the influence of drugs, so none of

them could make a sound.

He shook his head, and Draven finally understood his intent. He sneered. “So, you’re finally ready to

talk?”

The man, enduring the pain, nodded his head with maximum effort.

Draven looked at Vivienne.

Vivienne nodded. She was about to give Draven the antidote, but her phone rang. With a frown, she

glanced at her phone and then said regretfully to the man, “Sorry, something’s come up at school. I

don’t have time to hear you out. You’ll have to wait till I get back.”

She stood up and gave him a glance with a smile that was both seductive and cruel. “Hang in there till I

return, okay?”

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief at Vivienne. The girl they initially underestimated suddenly

seemed as terrifying as a demon.

Before leaving the basement, she gave Draven a look, indicating that she wanted him to use all of the

dozen or so bottles of medicine on the table before she returned.

Her boss was really something.

Cloudcrest High School.

The April exams had just ended, and the students of Class Eighteen had made a significant

improvement, leaving everyone stunned.

What surprised everyone the most were Logan and Charlotte. Out of more than four hundred seniors,

their rankings had rocketed from the bottom to the top hundred, surpassing more than three hundred

students in just a month.

Besides, although Oberon didn’t make it into the top hundred, his score could at least guarantee his

entrance into college.

After the results were announced, Vivienne was besieged by passionate parents at the parent-teacher

meeting. Even parents of students from other classes who weren’t doing well academically sought her

out, hoping to transfer their children to Class Eighteen.

However, compared to the enthusiasm of the parents, students from other classes, especially those

who once defended Arabella and attacked Vivienne, wanted to avoid her.

Part of it was due to shame. They were easily swayed by Arabella’s lies and attacked Vivienne, only to

find that Arabella, the so-called talented girl, was nothing but a surface-smoothing liar.

Chapter 110

Moreover, she was suspected of committing a crime.

They felt incredibly awkward whenever they thought of Arabella.

On the other hand, they were afraid. The whole of Havenwood knew about Vivienne kicking. Arabella

off her feet. Even grown men couldn’t endure her kick, so it was better for them to keep their distance.

Still, many students felt guilty but were too embarrassed to apologize to Vivienne directly, so they

quietly stuffed snacks and apology letters into Vivienne’s desk.

When Vivienne arrived at school, she saw Percival sitting at her desk, munching on the

snacks.

Seeing her frown, Percival quickly explained, “We have PE today.”

Then he pushed a pile of letters in front of Vivienne. “These are apology letters from the students.”

He noticed that Vivienne’s gaze fell on the snacks in his hand. He coughed lightly. “I was worried they

were poisoned, so I tested them for you.”

Vivienne wished he would get poisoned.

After briefly reading a few of the apology letters, she pushed them back to him. “You read them. If you

feel they’re sincerely apologetic, have the principal cancel their previous punishment.”

With that, she lowered her head and started organizing the May study plan for Class Eighteen.

Percival was delighted to see her treating him like a tool.

He believed she should rely on him.

His grandpa had hopped back to Rivenwood two days ago. After his departure, Percival noticed that

Vivienne was truly as cold as ice. She didn’t even bother to put on a show.

In the past, he could always find her. Nowadays, aside from school, he could barely catch a glimpse of

Vivienne.

Just then, Vivienne’s phone rang. The caller ID read “Mr. Black.”

She picked up. The voice on the other end was pleasant. “Ms. Hawthorn, the information I provided

was accurate, wasn’t it?”

“Yep, the money’s been transferred.” Vivienne replied without avoiding Percival.

“Great.” The man on the other end hung up cheerfully.

The caller was none other than the leader of the group of men in black who showed up at Cloud Eatery

last time, Mr. Black.

Ever since then, Mr. Black seemed to have had a light bulb moment. He realized that