The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Calista’s heart hammered against her chest as the formidable agents from Vanguard Agency closed in

around her. Memories of that claustrophobic interrogation room flooded her mind, and panic spread like

wildfire through her veins.

She took an involuntary step back, her voice trembling as much as her body. “I…I thought you cleared

me. I had nothing to do with that virus. Why are you taking me in again?”

She was terrified.

The thought of being back in that room was unbearable.

The team leader’s face was a stone mask of seriousness as he said, “You are suspected of attempted

murder against the captain of Vanguard Agency. You’re coming with us under the law.”

He presented the arrest warrant.

Calista’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “What are you talking about? When did I ever attempt to

murder the captain of Vanguard Agency? I was after…”

She had meant to target Vivienne. How could Vivienne be the captain of Vanguard Agency?

The leader remained unflappable. “Percival Ellington is our captain, and you positioned that rebar to kill

Captain Ellington with premeditation. You’re coming with us.”

“What!” Calista and the entire Brooks clan were stunned.

Percival was the captain of Vanguard Agency!

Whoever called him a loser was dead wrong. Could a loser helm the elite Vanguard Agency squad?

Standing at a distance, Scott’s eyes narrowed. Percival’s identity had caught him off guard; he had

been so focused on Vivienne that he had overlooked this guy.

“No, I didn’t…” Calista’s panic resurfaced as she faced the leader, but before she could plead her case,

she was whisked away by two armed agents.

Mila wanted to intervene, but the sight of the Vanguard Agency’s operatives withered her resolve.

Once the agency’s team had departed, the Brooks Mansion returned to its eerie calm.

Richard rose slowly from his chair, his gaze cutting through Baron’s dazed state. “You always said you

were better than me, always trying to one-up me. But what do you have over me, apart from your taste

in women? What kind of person have you married? How could you not see her true, wicked nature?”

Baron slumped into his chair, for once not countering Richard’s words.

Richard could not care less. “Though it wasn’t by my hand, Judith got what she deserved. I need to

light a candle for Dahlia and share the news with her.”

At that, Baron stood abruptly. “I’ll go with you!”

Richard grunted in response and left. Baron quickly followed.

The rest of the Brooks family was slowly coming to terms with the situation.

The bloodshed visibly shook Kala and her siblings.

Scott and Timothy were silent, not a word between them.

It was Ronald who first regained his composure. “We should start planning the funeral arrangements.”

Though the police had taken the body, it would need to be returned sooner or later.

No matter what Judith had done, they were her family, and it was their duty to see to her last rites.

Scott finally looked up, his voice grave as he instructed Ronald, “See to it.”

Then, turning to Vivienne, he said, “We need to talk. In private. Come to the room.”

His face betrayed none of the sorrow of losing a mother.

Vivienne glanced at him coldly. “We’ll talk, but not now.”

She approached Kala, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Do you blame me?”

Vivienne had never felt a kinship with the Brooks family. Her quest was solely to unearth the truth

behind her mother’s death. She was not one to show mercy in her dealings, and the Brooks family was

no exception. She had never intended to stay.

Yet, for Kala and the others who had stood by her, she harbored a different sentiment. Even if their help

was unneeded, she could not bring herself to be callous to those who showed her kindness. As people

said, only one with a cruel heart could achieve great success in life, and she was not one of them.

Kala, tears welling in her eyes, struggled to speak. Finally, she mustered a wry smile. “Morally, I don’t

blame you. Judith killed ten people; she deserved to pay for her crimes. But on a personal level, I can’t

understand. She was your grandmother, too. Even if she was guilty, you could’ve reported her to the

police. Instead, she was killed on the spot.”

Kala sobbed, her voice breaking. “I don’t know how to go on. Everyone in this house has changed,

hiding behind masks. I can’t stay here anymore. I’m leaving.”

With that, she turned and ran.

Vivienne’s gaze softened briefly before she looked at Ronald and the others. “Blame me if you must.

Wrongdoers must always pay the price for their actions. No one escapes justice.”

With these final words, she left with Percival.

Hours later, the Rivenwood Police Department announced the resolution of the decade-old case of the

ten people killed in a fire. The culprit was identified as Judith Brooks from the Brooks family. She had

resisted arrest, attacked law enforcement, and was fatally shot in the confrontation.

Though the police had not intended to go public, the incident at the Brooks estate had attracted

attention, and Judith’s body had been seen by many as it was removed from the premises. Soon, the

internet was ablaze with commentary and speculation.

Judith had everyone fooled. To the public, she was the sweet old lady with a heart of gold, the kind of

grandmotherly figure who would be the first to bake a batch of cookies for the local fire department or

knit scarves for the homeless come winter. So, when the news broke out that she was gunned down in

broad daylight, the internet was in an uproar, demanding answers and justice on her behalf.

The police had no choice but to release a statement.

The moment the statement hit the web, it was like dropping a bombshell at a Sunday barbecue.

[Judith, a murderer? Are you kidding me? She’s the kindest soul around. There’s no way she could hurt

a fly! She must have crossed paths with some high and mighty bigwig, and this is what she gets?

RivenwoodPD, you guys owe Judith the truth!]

[I’m standing up for Judith! Even Mrs. Brooks, the sweet old bird from the renowned Brooks family, isn’t

safe from being a scapegoat. What chance do the rest of us stand? RivenwoodPD, we demand a

straight answer, or we’ll seek justice for her!]Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated

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[Holy smokes! Are some of you blind? Can’t you see this case is as old as the hills? This woman killed

people and hid behind a facade of charity for twenty years, and you all bought her act of kindness? I

knew right from the get-go something was off about her.]

[Yeah! The statement is from the RivenwoodPD. Who the heck has enough clout to make them their

personal umbrella? If Mrs. Brooks was innocent, why hasn’t anyone from the Brooks family come

forward? Don’t any of you have a brain?]

The online community was split down the middle.

Some believed in the old lady’s innocence, while others put their faith in the Rivenwood Police

Department.

The controversy grew so heated that the RivenwoodPD finally decided to lay all their cards on the table

and release the evidence.