The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne raised an eyebrow in surprise at Juliette's comment. She vaguely remembered Leopold being rather skilled in that area. A bad review, really? Already flipping through a storybook, Vivienne turned to a page and began to read aloud.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl..." "Her mother had passed away just after giving birth to her, and she lived with her father until he remarried." Vivienne had barely started the story when Juliette, unable to contain her excitement, cut her off and, becoming more animated, climbed out of bed. "The stepmother was cruel to her, dumping all the household chores on her while pretending to be sweet in front of her father, so he had no idea she was being mistreated." Vivienne frowned at Juliette, who was energetically narrating the story, aligning perfectly with the storybook and adding vivid imagery.

Isaiah, lying in bed, seemed resigned to his sister's antics, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Mommy, why does the princess lose her shoe while running away? It stayed on all night before that," Juliette puzzled over the part where the glass slipper falls off, unsatisfied with Leopold's previous attempt to explain.

Vivienne pondered for a moment. She too had found this plot point illogical as a child, but now, she aimed to please.

"Maybe the shoe got stuck while she was running? The thing she left behind becthe prince's only clue to find her, ensuring they ended up together," Vivienne offered, echoing Leopold's explanation.

This time, Juliette nodded in agreement. "You're right, Mommy! That must be it!" Isaiah, looking horrified as if he'd heard something unspeakable, turned to his sister. "But Mommy said the sthing as Godfather." Vivienne, understanding the situation, realized this must have been what Leopold went through when trying to appease the children.

"So what? Mommy is always right, she wouldn't lie to me!" Juliette shouted, far from ready to sleep.

Isaiah pulled the covers up and turned away, mumbling, "I'm going to sleep, Mommy. I don't need a story. You should rest too." Vivienne, seeing the dynamic between her children, knew calming Juliette wasn't easy. She kissed Isaiah on the forehead and tucked him in, saying, "Good night." Juliette quickly pouted, "What about me, Mommy?" "Goodnight kisses are for children who are ready to sleep. Aren't you still wide awake?" Vivienne's words sparked a sense of urgency in Juliette.

Lying down and clutching the covers, she said, "What if I go to sleep now? Can I have one?" Vivienne, amused, agreed.

With a warm kiss on her forehead, Juliette smiled contentedly. "Goodnight, Mommy." "Goodnight," Vivienne said, turning off the light and stepping out, only to be enveloped in a warm embrace. Percival's familiar scent surrounded her.

"The kids asleep?" Percival's voice was a whisper in her ear.

Vivienne, overwhelmed by the brief contact, instinctively tried to pull away but was gently held in place by Percival.

"Can't I hold you for a while?" Percival sounded almost hurt.

"In front of the kids' room? Aren't you afraid someone might see?" Vivienne's concern was confirmed by approaching footsteps. Maddox and Willa Perez appeared, their amusement clear at the couple's intimacy.

"Can't keep your hands off each other, huh? Maybe take it to your room," Maddox teased, his tone full of jest.

Willa apologized with a smile, "Don't mind him. He loves to joke." "This is no joke. They should remember to act appropriately..." Willa cut him off, claiming he was drunk, which bemused Maddox.

Dragging Maddox away, Willa couldn't resist advising Vivienne and Percival to be mindful of the keen-eyed children.

Vivienne knew they'd be caught; she just didn't expect it so soon.

Turning to Percival, she chided, "I told you. And now Maddox and Willa caught us." "So what? We have kids and still love each other like it's the honeymoon phase," Percival said, guiding her back to their room.

Once inside, Vivienne playfully et pinned Percival against the wall, standing on tiptoes to meet his gaze. Sensing her intent, Percival lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapping around his sturdy waist, her fingers teasingly tracing his well-toned abdomen. Content belongs to en.kikistories"It seems you've kept in shape," she remarked, noting his improved physique since their last encounter.

Percival let out a soft chuckle, taking Vivienne's earlobe into his mouth. "Feels different than before, doesn't it?" Vivienne, with a sly, captivating smile, had Percival utterly entranced in an instant.

The room's intimate atmosphere was heating up rapidly until the sudden jarring ring of a phone cut through the moment like a knife.

Resting on the nightstand, the smartphone vibrated incessantly its screen lighting up the dark room.

Vivienne, looking somewhat dazed, lifted her head, a sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead. Content belongs to en.kikistoriesPercival gently wiped away the sweat from her face, mistaking it for tears, when suddenly another phone started to ring.

The air of desire that had filled the room vanished as Vivienne answered the call with a scowl. "What's up?" "Boss, Connor's made a break for it.

The trackers show him heading towards Havenwood, and he's.

moving fast," Draven reported, eyes glued to the monitors, an uneasy feeling in his gut. Content belongs to en.kikistoriesVivienne sprung up, quickly getting dressed. "Send more men after him. We're catching Connor tonight!" Hearing the nConnor made Percival frown subconsciously. Watching Vivienne get ready, he quickly dressed as well. "Where to?" "Havenwood." "Let's go." They stepped out into the night, heading towards Havenwood. Vivienne's fingers danced over her phone's keypad.

"His airline's days are numbered. If everything goes as planned, he'll try to flee by plane soon, especially since his scheme's fallen apart." Vivienne stared out the window, her expression dark, as Mayor Thompson's phone continued to ring in the car, echoing through the silence.