The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Carl hadn’t stirred from his coma yet. The car crash hadn’t damaged his nerves, but it had plunged him

into a deep unconsciousness. Having undergone surgery from Vivienne, he was still out cold, waiting

for the anesthesia to wear off.

No one could get a word out of Carl about the incident until he awoke.

Percival received a call from Richard, urging them to hurry back home.

The reckless stunt that Vivienne and Percival pulled at the racetrack, leaping off a cliff, had gone viral

through various videos online. Despite Percival’s orders to take them down, Richard got wind of the

incident.

They soon arrived at Ellington Mansion, and Cecilia was the first to greet them, clutching Vivienne’s

hand anxiously. “Vivienne, are you alright?” Cecilia circled around Vivienne, ensuring she was

unharmed before she could finally relax.

Before Vivienne could utter a word, Cecilia smacked Percival on the shoulder. “You reckless boy, how

could you do something so dangerous? Go explain yourself to your grandfather! Vivienne, let’s go

inside.”

With that, Cecilia led Vivienne into the house, leaving a puzzled Percival behind.

What exactly was he supposed to explain?

Inside, Richard inspected Vivienne just like Cecilia had and, once assured, turned his gaze to Percival.

Brandishing his cane, he gave Percival a few good thumps. “You foolhardy child! If you want to jump off

a cliff, do it alone! Why drag our Vivienne into your mess?”

So, that was what needed explaining.



And it hit Percival hard. He could risk his life, but not the precious granddaughter-in-law of the Ellington

family.

“Vivienne won’t be in danger as long as I’m around,” Percival managed to say, his pride not allowing

him to say less. After all, how could he be worthy of Vivienne if he could not even protect her?

“Hmph, it’s because Vivienne was there that you’re safe. Don’t flatter yourself!” Richard scoffed before

turning his attention back to Vivienne with warm concern.

Resigned, Percival rubbed his forehead but said no more.

Vivienne sat nearby, raising an eyebrow at him.

Percival settled in the corner of the couch and watched the scene contentedly.

It was not long before Flynn and Imogen arrived, looking like they had just come from the office.

Upon seeing Percival lounging with a fruit platter, Flynn frowned. “I’m swamped at work, and here you

are, the chairman, living the life. Maybe I’ll take a day off tomorrow, take Imogen out for some fun.”

“Granted,” Percival replied casually.

“You little…” Flynn strode over and ruffled Percival’s hair playfully.

It was clear that apart from Vivienne, Flynn was one of the few people who could mess around with

Percival like that.

Vivienne observed quietly, her cool gaze capturing the two men while a spotlight cast half her face in

shadow, leaving her thoughts inscrutable.

Imogen sat down beside Vivienne, her smile sweet and filled with a gentle warmth. “It’s such a blessing

to have a family.”



Vivienne turned her gaze to Imogen, whom Matthew had thoroughly researched, and the information

forwarded to her. Everyone who came into their circle was subject to scrutiny.

Imogen was an orphan whose parents had died in an accident. Seen as a burden by her relatives, she

grew up in an orphanage with a somber and solitary character, which meant she was never adopted.

She earned a scholarship to study abroad, which softened her disposition. And after starting a

relationship with Flynn, she became even more cheerful, blossoming into the person before them.

But Vivienne shifted her focus away from Imogen, idly spinning a ring representing her identity as the

young master of the Nine Mystics Society on her finger, her lips curling into an almost imperceptible

smile.

Seeing the family gathered, Richard decided to call Fiona and Kenneth home for a family dinner.

Fiona arrived with Calista, now Sienna, who carried Fiona’s latest medical report.

“Fiona, what did the doctor say?” Flynn asked with concern.

Fiona smiled. “It’s nothing serious, Uncle Flynn. Just need to keep up with the medicine and check-

ups.”

“That’s a relief. Take care of yourself, don’t worry your grandfather,” Flynn said, patting Fiona’s head

with genuine tenderness, a stark contrast to his playful scuffle with Percival.Books Chapters Are Daily

Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates…

Fiona nodded, her gaze drifting toward Vivienne, who sat beside Richard. Their eyes met briefly, a

silent exchange passing between them before they both looked away.



Calista seemed a bit tense during the family dinner, constantly attending to Fiona. In a clumsy moment,

she spilled soup all over her dress.

“Sienna, you should go to my old room, the second door on the left. There are some clothes there you

can change into,” Fiona suggested.

“Sorry, everyone, I’ll be right back,” Calista apologized before excusing herself to change.

The minor mishap didn’t dampen the dinner’s spirit, and when Calista returned, a glimpse of a tattoo

peeked out from beneath the strap of her dress.

Vivienne squinted, catching just the briefest glimpse of the design, but it was enough for her to infer the

full tattoo.

A tiger’s head.

The appearance of someone with a tiger head tattoo in Fiona’s circle was indeed intriguing.

Calista tugged her shirt up slightly, then slipped into the jacket she had casually draped over her chair

as if she was deliberately hiding something. “This shirt feels a bit loose on me.”

“You’re just too slim. Eat up,” Fiona urged, passing Calista a plate of perfectly sliced steak.

Calista offered a polite smile and silently began to eat.

Vivienne and Percival exchanged a knowing look, neither saying a word.

But their eyes were dancing with mockery.

