The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Aaron had barely taken a few steps when he caught sight of Vivienne on Percival’s arm, accompanied

by her family and Richard, heading in the opposite direction.

Frustration bubbled within him. “Weren’t we supposed to split them up from the get-go? What now?”

Equally taken aback by his grandfather’s intervention, Kenneth sighed. “The first step of the plan is a

bust. What else?”

The two young men exchanged a look of mutual disdain before parting ways.

From a distance, Vivienne was surprised to see Aaron and Kenneth together.

“Are those two playing nice again?” She asked.

Percival found Aaron’s presence irritating, but he could not show it too openly, given that Aaron was a

friend of Vivienne’s. Thus, he said calmly, “Who knows? Let them be.”

Vivienne did not press any further.

Richard followed the rehearsed plan to the letter, entering with Vivienne at his side, ensuring she was

the center of attention.

Vivienne, albeit reluctantly, complied. After all, the birthday boy calls the shots.

While they waited, Fiona approached them.

“Grandpa, Vivienne,” she said, holding a box that contained her latest jewelry design. “Grandpa, after

your speech, I hope Vivienne can wear this set to showcase it. What do you think?”

Richard’s displeasure was evident, though he remained silent.

He intended for Vivienne to be seen purely as part of his entourage, to underscore his status, not as a

billboard for the company.

Fiona hastily added, “I just think the jewels would look stunning on Vivienne. That’s all.”

Since Fiona’s motivations were for the company’s good, Richard could not bring himself to reprimand

her. “Vivienne will simply accompany me for the entrance. You can wear the set yourself—it’ll be more

convenient. I’ll give you a moment to speak later.”

Upon his refusal, Fiona had no choice but to let it go.

She had hoped to leverage Vivienne’s identity as Master Charles, combining it with her jewelry concept

to create a buzz for her product.

Vivienne glanced at the finished jewelry piece in Fiona’s hands. It was eye-catching at first, but she

knew it lacked staying power and could quickly become an ornamental burden.

“Let’s go, Vivienne,” Richard said, leading her into the ballroom to deliver his speech.

Jeffrey emerged from the shadows, his mocking gaze on Fiona. “How did that go? Got shot down,

huh? Looks like it’s up to me now.”

Fiona’s gaze turned icy as she warned, “Don’t you dare mess up my jewelry debut, or you’ll regret it!”

The birthday gala was supposed to be an excellent opportunity that could have been used to take

Percival down.

However, after the art exhibition, Fiona sensed Percival was onto something. She was confident that

any move she made during the gala would end in utter defeat.

So, this time, her focus was not on taking Percival down. Instead, she aimed to cement her position in

her grandfather’s heart and lower Percival’s guard.

Jeffrey snorted. “With your tacky jewelry, you think you can win Grandpa’s favor for our family branch?

You spend your days fiddling with those trinkets; it’s messed with your brain. If you keep at this pace,

Percival will take over the Ellington family sooner or later. Then, let’s see if you’ll still have the mood to

fiddle with those things?”

When Percival was deemed a ‘lost cause,’ Jeffrey had not taken him seriously. What could a good-for-

nothing do, after all?

So, he had focused on battling Paul, which had left both of them weakened.

Although Paul was now released, he had lost his standing in their grandfather’s eyes.

And Jeffrey, compromised by the art exhibition debacle, had to bite his tongue.

But recent events within the Ellington family had given him clarity.

Percival, a lost cause? It had all been an act.

It was all to pit him against Paul, to reap the benefits of their feud.

Jeffrey was not about to let that happen. If he did not act soon, the Ellington family would be Percival’s

for the taking.

This gala was an opportunity he could not miss. He had to drag Percival down. At the very least, he

had to ensure Percival and Vivienne did not have it easy.

Fiona shot him a chilling glance, her eyes momentarily flaring with malice before she turned away.

“This is your last warning. If you ruin my plans, you’ll get it from me.”

She then walked away, leaving Jeffrey to spit after her in disdain. “Pretentious much? The Ellington

family won’t ever be yours.”

But Fiona was out of earshot.

As guests filled the room, the master of ceremonies delivered the opening remarks, inviting Richard to

speak.

Richard took the stage with only Vivienne by his side, signaling the importance he placed on her, while

even Percival waited below.

After the speech, Vivienne’s standing in Rivenwood’s high society skyrocketed.

At least now, the influential families knew she was Percival’s fiancée, Richard’s cherished future

granddaughter-in-law.

Anyone thinking of crossing Vivienne would now have to weigh their stature against the might of the

Ellington family.

Dorian’s family watched from their seats, their hearts filled with contentment.

As long as the Ellington family treated Vivienne well, they could rest easy.

After his speech, Richard casually mentioned Fiona’s designs, giving her the cue to take the stage.

As she presented her jewelry, the ladies in the audience gasped in admiration.Books Chapters Are

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“Wow, what stunning jewelry! Is this the set the Ellington family previewed earlier?”

“I knew Fiona Ellington wouldn’t let us down. I’d like to reserve a set!”

“I’ve been in need of some new jewelry myself; count me in for one too.”

The cheers in the room were deafening, and Richard was clearly pleased. Putting Fiona in charge of

the jewelry department had been a wise decision.

Suddenly, Jeffrey’s voice cut through the buzz, “Cordelia, do you fancy this set of jewels?”

The crowd turned to look, and Cordelia was taken aback. Why was she being singled out?

But with all eyes on her, she had no choice but to respond, albeit reluctantly, “Of course.”

“Then why don’t you give us your critique?” Jeffrey said with a sneer, aiming to embarrass Vivienne

through her relative.

Everyone knew Cordelia was related to Vivienne; putting her on the spot directly hit Vivienne’s prestige.

Cordelia pressed her lips, glanced at the jewelry set, and said earnestly, “They’re quite lovely, very

dazzling in design.”

Truth be told, she was not a connoisseur of jewelry. Asking her to critique was a stretch, and she could

only muster up dry comments such as ‘lovely’ and ‘dazzling.’

Before she could finish, Jeffrey burst into laughter. “Cordelia, can’t you say something more

substantial? If you don’t understand, why not ask Vivienne to teach you? After all, you’re supposed to

be part of the Ellington family. You should at least possess some basic knowledge.”

He paused, then added mockingly, “Oh, my apologies, I forgot, you’re not Vivienne’s real mother, and

your family isn’t truly one of us, never mind.”