The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Victoria flung Harrison's hand away and plopped down into a chair with all the grace of a queen, her legs crossed elegantly. She hardly looked like she was here to visit a sick friend-more like she was here to stir up trouble.

But with Harrison smoothing things over, Gavin unusually held his tongue. Instead, he shot Victoria a look of disappointment, "Look at you! You've been married to Harrison for how long, and you haven't learned a thing about navigating social waters. How am I supposed to trust you with the Abernathy legacy?" "Oh, if you're that worried, then don't," Victoria replied nonchalantly, catching Harrison's warning glance.

She quickly changed the subject before Gavin could blow a fuse, "I heard about the court's decision today. Kipling's lawyer has already requested a sentencing date. Dad, is the guy you found for him any good? I heard Kaitlyn's lawyer has been knocking it out of the park with international cases. Can Kipling really stand a chance?" Gavin scoffed, "Why do you care if he's any good? We don't need to win now; we play the long game. As long as we can drag Vivienne and her lot through the mud before the next court date, who's gonna believe them?" Madeline, leaning on Gavin's shoulder, looked Victoria over, a hint of suspicion in her eyes, "Victoria, since when do you care about my brother's business?" How could Victoria not catch the probing tone in Madeline's voice? She met Madeline's gaze with an icy stare, "I thought you wantedto show more interest in your family affairs? Now that I am, you're not happy about it. Madeline, you twist my words regardless, complaining to Dad aboutno matter what I do." Madeline stammered, "Victoria, I-I didn't mean it like that... I was just curious, that's all..." Harrison's eyes flickered coldly, "Victoria is just curious. After all, she and Kaitlyn have never seen eye to eye. If Kipling can put Kaitlyn in her place, it's a win for us. Besides, taking down Kaitlyn is like taking down Vivienne. It'll make things easier with the Grimshaws." Turning away from Madeline, he continued, "Dad, Victoria might be a bit straightforward, but she cares about the Abernathy family. She's put in a lot of work; no one wants to see that go to waste." Madeline and her clever retorts were no match for him.

Sophie, itching to argue, got a warning nudge from her mom.

Better to keep quiet.

Harrison, with his silver tongue, proved a much trickier opponent than Victoria's straightforwardness. Caution was the better part of valor.

Gavin looked pleased with Harrison's explanation, openly sharing his plan with Victoria, "There's no point in hiding it. Just look it up online; we're not living in the stone age. If Vivienne thinks she can use public opinion to her advantage, why can't we?" Victoria had a bad feeling about this. She glanced at Seaton, meeting his gaze that held a worry only she could understand. Without wasting another moment, Victoria pulled out her phone, feigning curiosity as she scrolled through the flood of notifications. Her phone grew warm as she waited for the flood of information to settle, then she opened the app.

The court case had just ended, and the verdict was already trending, accompanied by Zinnia's public support for Kipling and insinuations against Vivienne for bribing the judge.

Accusations of using power to manipulate witnesses and fabricate evidence filled the screen.

Zinnia's words, as if she had witnessed everything herself, had convinced many. She even made a formal complaint using her ID, a bold move that surprisingly gained traction.

The comments ranged from naive to outright conspiratorial, making Victoria's head throb.

Gavin, looking smug, cleared his throat, "I personally arranged for her training. Just you watch, in a couple ne of days, Vivienne and Kaitlyn's reputations will be in shreds. Once we paint them as manipulators and liars, even if they win, no one will believe them." Victoria, tapping her brightly painted nails against her phone, mused, "But couldn't the court just clarify and put an end to all this?" "You don't get it, Victoria." Harrison chuckled, clearly enjoying the discomfort of Vivienne's party, "The inteloves a good conspiracy ne theory. With just a bit of spin, we can turn fiction into fact. Next on the agenda is tracking down the person and the who testified for Vivien person crew. If we can get him to flip, we'll have this case in the bag." "Really?" Victoria scoffed.

Feeling cocky, aren't we? As if you could outmaneuver Vivienne with those amateur moves.

She subtly signaled to Seaton, a towering figure of a bodyguard who silently exited the room to make a discreet call to Vivienne in a secluded corner.

At that moment, Vivienne was lounging in her upscale apartment, scrolling through provocative comments online.

After receiving the call, she quickly assured Seaton and hung up.

Seeing her engrossed, Percival brought her a glass of water, "Vivienne, why bother with these trolls? You've been at it for an hour." Vivienne leaned into him, putting down her phone and playfully traced her finger under Percival's chin, "Mr. Wolf, are you really getting jealous over sonline comments? What a jealous jar!" Percival raised an eyebrow and pulled Vivienne closer, "Knowing I get jealous, shouldn't you be a bit more considerate?" He gently tapped her nose, a gesture of affection that made Leopold, the perpetual single, cringe, "Guys, can you keep it down? I've had my fill of third-wheeling." Thomas nudged him with his foot, "What's a Husky to do if not feast on leftovers and affection?" "We'd still be friends if you hadn't brought that up, buddy." Leopold shot back with a deadpan look. "Besides, we've moved up in the world. Can we drop the Husky nicknalready?" Vivienne shifted closer, her gaze meaningful, "I think Husky suits you. And Kaitlyn, you guys might want to lay low for a few days. I'll have meals delivered to you."