The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival cthundering down the stairs, his brows knitted in frustration, and without a word, he aimed a swift kick at Emrys. His icy gaze glided over Victoria with chilling indifference, the frost thawing slightly as his eyes settled on Vivienne.

"The jig is up," he said coolly. "You're like a fish on a chopping board now. What good does it doto lie to you?" Vivienne stroked his back soothingly. "Don't stoop to his level. If he had any sense, he wouldn't have been played by Gavin for all these years." "Emrys, think about it. Gavin's the head of the Abernathy family now. That Littleton scandal's been cold for over a decade. If he wanted you back, would he have let you flounder this long? As one of the top five influential families, you don't think the Abernathys have the means to hide you in the big city, do you? Besides, he's now under Grimshaw's thumb." With a mocking smile, Vivienne added, "He's played you for a fool, and yet here you are, guarding his secrets like a loyal hound. I've seen many lapdogs, but one who would send his own mother to perdition? You're a first." "Shut up!" Emrys roared, nearly delirious, thrashing on the ground.

The commotion woke everyone upstairs. Leopold and Matthew, without even bothering to put on their jackets, bolted down the stairs and landed their feet squarely on Emrys' face.

"Damn it, shut it! You've disturbed my beauty sleep!" Leopold growled, the very picture of a man not to be trifled with when sleep- deprived.

Matthew, still half asleep, overheard Emrys' muffled groan and delivered another kick. "Enough already! Chasing you lot keptup all night. Just as I'm about to catch sZ's, you wake me. Shut it!" Watching the sleep-deprived pair, Vivienne's lips twitched. She waved them off. "Go back to bed. I'll take care of him." "Letdo it, ma'am," Thomas volunteered, brandishing a roll of duct tape.

Vivienne wouldn't refuse. She considered Emrys, who was now a bloodied mess on the floor, and decided not to let this valuable asset against Gavin die an ignoble death. She loosened the tape a bit and popped a pill into his mouth before sealing it shut again. "Now, you have two choices," she said methodically. "One, I can arrest you right now for unlawful detention and let you rot in jail. Or two, you can rat out Gavin. Get a lighter sentence, maybe even a plea bargain. And who knows, maybe they'll even let you walk free." "What reason do I have to trust you?" "You old fool!" Victoria's eyes flashed with anger as she lunged forward, only to be caught by Vivienne.

"You're asking why you should trust me?" Vivienne's smile deepened, her delicate fingers tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Because I'm the one who poisoned you, and only I have the antidote." Emrys' eyes rolled frantically; his fingernails dug into his palms as he considered his options. Finally, at Victoria's impatient look, he nodded, reluctantly agreeing to Vivienne's terms. He didn't care about Nimue or anyone else's fate, nor his own chance of a reduced sentence. He was driven by a simple desire for revenge against Gavin, to see that hypocrite suffer.

"Excellent," Vivienne said, nodding in satisfaction. "Now there's just one more thing-how to surreptitiously switch out Kaitlyn's parents' ashes." Jerry was puzzled. "Switch? I thought we were trading the fake recipe?" Anna, who had just cdownstairs, said offhandedly, "That scoundrel would dig up graves. How can we take his word?" Percival's eyes flashed coldly. "So, Vivienne, you're planning a bait and switch?" Vivienne's eyes sparkled with mischief as she looked at Percival. "I've never stolen anything in my life. I'm curious to see how it feels." Turning to Victoria, she continued, "I've set things in motion. The rest is up to you, Ms. Victoria. Don't letdown." Victoria's gaze lingered on Vivienne. "Heal my mother, and I'll do whatever it takes!" Meanwhile, at the Abernathy estate, Asher Grimshaw, having recovered from his, injuries, sat in the main hall adorned in a crisp white suit. His attire might have changed, but his arrogance was as evident as ever.

"I hear Vivienne wants you guys to take the recipe from her in two days?" he said, a mocking tone in his voice.

Gavin, seated at Asher's side as the head of the Abernathy family, hid his resentment behind a warm smile. "That's what the message said.

Don't worry, Asher. I won't let Oliver down this time. I'll get it back." "Really?" Asher scoffed, his shoulder twitching with disdain. "You've failed for over a decade to get anything from Kaitlyn. This time, I'm not so sure." Gavin forced a sheepish grin, hiding his irritation. "How could that be?" Asher seemed oblivious to the awkward tension etched on Gavin's face, saying in a nonchalant tone, "Ah, forget about it. Considering our families are on fairly good terms, I'll tag along with you." Gavin was taken aback. "Asher, that's really not necessary. Don't you trustto handle things?" The nerve of this guy! Did he realize his own worthlessness? Strutting around here like he was the big man on campus, looking down on him? "With your laughable track record that's the talk of all the ancient warrior lineages, you're still trying to put on airs?" he thought. Asher's voice lifted, laced with a threatening undertone, "What's the matter? Gavin Abernathy, are you saying you don't trust me, or are you worried I might steal your thunder?" "Of course not," chirped Madeline, who had been standing behind Gavin, sensing the situation was headed south. Her smile was 1adding a certain allure as she spot coquettish, her mature beauty "You jest. We are merely concerned about taking up your valuable time, especially for a matter so trivial that it hardly warrants your involvement." mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1