The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

She was raising a ruckus, utterly oblivious to the fact that the crowd behind her had suddenly parted like the Red Sea, creating a

clear path.

Vivienne, with Leopold at her side, approached leisurely, her voice cool as a cucumber when it finally reached Raquel's ears, "l own

this place. Got a problem with that?"

The woman's body shook, and she hastily sidestepped. Her beady eyes sized up Vivienne, taking in her stunning beauty, and a

flicker of envy passed through her gaze.

"Who the heck are you?! You think you can sass me?" Raquel's husband was a small-tentrepreneur, his bread and butter being

a trendy nightclub.

The business had finally taken a turn for the better over the years, and they managed to snag a quaint villa in Maple Town. Aside

from her card games and shopping sprees, Raquel wasn't known for much.

She didn't recognize a single nfrom the prominent Rivenwood families and, puffing out her chest, was ready to give Vivienne a

piece of her mind, "With that foxy look of yours, what are you but shomewrecker? Shouldn't you be hiding at hinstead of

flaunting yourself around? Absolutely repulsive!"

"What did you say, you ugly bitch? " Leopold exploded at her words, fiercely protective of Vivienne, "Say one more thing about

Vivienne, | dare you!"

Raquel might have the guts to sass Vivienne, but she wouldn't dare with Leopold. She was well aware that Leopold was the young

master of the Sterling family.

"Look at you, all scared. And you have the nerve to cto my Vivienne's villa and cause trouble?" Leopold glanced at Raquel and

casually tossed the two little rascals he was holding at her feet, "These troublemakers, did you send them to the Littletons? So

young and always sneaking around, up to no good. Now | see, 'Like aunt, like nephews.' What kind of property management lets

such trash move in, spewing garbage all over the place?"

"This... this..." Elwood was at a loss for words.

Seeing her two nephews thrown to the ground, Raquel's face turned green with rage. She raised her hand and lunged at Vivienne,

"You wench! I'll kill you!"

"Bring it on!" Leopold had been itching for a fight!

With a swift move, he stepped in front of Vivienne.

He caught Raquel's flailing wrist, twisted her arm with practiced ease, and pinned it behind her back.

Raquel screamed in pain, but Leopold was no gentleman.

He kicked her in the lower back and let go of her arm, sending her sprawling toward the ground!

Her nephews, seeing their chance, scrambled away, afraid that the woman's hefty frwould ccrashing down on them and

cause even more damage.

Vivienne looked down, her gaze icy as it swept over Raquel's contorted features, "Bad luck indeed."

She pulled out her phone and advanced a few steps towards Raquel, then crouched in front of her, "These injuries on this young

girl, Amelia, and the whip marks on Tyler's back, you had people do that?"

The photos on the phone were crystal clear.

Amelia's normally fair and tender face was marred with bruises and handprints, her arms covered in chilling purple contusions.

Vivienne swiped through the photos, revealing the back of an adult male—Elwood happened to be standing right behind Raquel

and gasped at the sight.

Is that even human skin?

In the 21st century, who still bears scars from a whip?

The flesh around the wounds was raw and turned inside out, clearly a severe injury.

"Remember now?" Vivienne asked, her smile chilling, "Three hours ago, you sent men to the Littletons'. For an hour, you subjected

Tyler and Amelia to torture. I'm not wrong, am I."

Just thinking about the scene she, Kaitlyn, and Percival had stumbled upon upon reaching the Littletons' temporary villa sent

shivers down her spine.

Draven had informed her they were a step too late. By the ttheir team had arrived, Amelia and Tyler had been cornered in their

home, a tall woman lashing Tyler's back with a specially made whip.

His legs had just started to recover, barely able to stand, let alone fight back against Raquel's onslaught and her bodyguards’

restraint.

Amelia, clung to by Tyler, had been crying so hard the entire villa echoed with her sobs.

According to Draven, if Flynn had been any later, Tyler and Amelia might not have survived the ordeal.

"No, I... | didn't! Stop slandering me, | didn't do such a thing!"

Raquel was scrambling backward in panic, her eyes darting to the two bodyguards still holding up a banner behind her, "What are

you waiting for?! Grab her now! Lettell you, my husband is connected to an ancient warrior lineage! You lay a finger on me,

and they'll make sure you regret it!"

Ancient warrior lineage again?

Vivienne's brow furrowed slightly.

Thinking she had struck fear into Vivienne, Raquel's expression grew increasingly wild, "Scared, are you?! Too late, vixen. Today,

I'm going to peel your skin off! Daring to stand up for that cursed family, do you even know who you're meddling with?!

You, who live off clinging to men, will never in your life meet such high-ranking individuals... Ah!"

As the woman's scream mixed with Raquel's cry of pain, Vivienne grabbed her collar, "High-ranking individuals?"

Her delicate-looking hand gripped Raquel's throat tightly, "The big shots you're talking about, are they Kipling, or Zinnia? Or

maybe, Gavin?"

As she threw out names one by one, Raquel's pupils dilated at the mention of the last.

Vivienne knew the answer and let out a derisive chuckle. "Looks like it's Zinnia. Your husband Kiefer, isn't he Zinnia's cousin? What

do you think he'd do if he found out that, because of you, all your nightclubs are about to be raided and shut down tonight?"

Before coming here, Vivienne had dug up sdirt on Raquel’s family.

They owned three nightclubs in Rivenwood, an empire that had swelled over the years with Zinnia's financial backing.

But Kiefer wasn't the type to remember a good deed done for him.

The sole son in the family, he had always taken it for granted that all resources, including Zinnia's investments, should naturally

flow his way.

He despised his cousin Zinnia, usually forbidding his wife to even associate with her.

His treatment of Raquel was no better, often resorting to either verbal or physical abuse. If Kiefer ever found out that his wife had

secretly collaborated with Zinnia and was behind the downfall of his hard-earned nightclubs...

A flash of terror crossed Raquel's eyes.

No!

It couldn't happen!

If the nightclubs fell because of her, Kiefer would surely beat her to death!

Imagining that horrifying scenario, Raquel wished she could just faint away then and there!

Who was this woman?!

Feeling the trembling body beneath her grip, Vivienne’s smile widened a touch. "Seems like you know what fear is. Good. | happen

to need a witness to testify against Zinnia, and I'm sure you won't decline."

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