The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Victoria's tension finally eased as she rose to her feet, moving even quicker than Isolde. "You're back at last. I've been needing to talk to you." "Vivienne, cand play with me!" Isolde then bounded over, embracing Vivienne's legs with a childlike whine.

Percival, who had entered with them, was completely overlooked until Cecilia, who had been busy organizing dinner, acknowledged him, "What are all of you loitering around for? Percival, your wife has been on her feet all day. How can you just let her stand there chatting with Victoria without offering her a seat?" "Vivienne, cover and sit down." Percival thought to himself: That greeting could hardly be called welcoming.

"Mom, we've got matters to discuss. We'll be upstairs for a bit." Vivienne, accustomed to such scenarios, exchanged pleasantries with Cecilia before bending down to explain to Isolde, "I'll play with you later, Isolde. I've got sthings to take care of first." Vivienne, Percival, and Victoria then headed to Percival's study in the Ellington Mansion.

Unlike the old-fashioned study brimming with ancient books, Percival's study was almost eerily spacious, yet boasted the best soundproofing in the entire villa.

What was discussed there remained a mystery.

All that was known was that upon returning from the Ellington household, Victoria burst into Harrison's lab. "Vivienne has agreed to a three-day postponement of the trial. If you've got any plans, now's the tto act. Don't say I didn't warn you." Just three days? Harrison, peering through his microscope, frowned slightly. "I was hoping you could've gotten us a week." His voice, tinged with sarcasm and disappointment, sparked Victoria's temper like a match to dynamite.

Her voice rose sharply, "Be thankful for the three days I got you! A week? Why didn't you negotiate with Vivienne yourself?! It took a tantrum and guilt-tripping her to get this extension. You're ungrateful! Next time, do it yourself. I bet if you could get even a day, I'd take your name!" Harrison seemingly ignored her rant, calmly stating, "There won't be a next time. This time, I'll ensure Percival and Vivienne are beneath us." Victoria's lips twitched in annoyance. "The sun hasn't even set and you're already daydreaming? Thinking you can trample over Percival, as if Gavin was someone you could easily please. You think this is child's play, where everything goes your way?!" At that, Harrison paused, his gaze shifting towards Victoria with a hint of suspicion. "You seem... quite admiring of Percival. What? After two days at the Ellington estate, you're already siding with them? Recognizing Percival's superiority over Gavin?" Victoria remained unfazed. "What does it matter to you? I simply believe the Ellingtons outshine the Abernathys, and Percival outperforms Gavin. Got a problem with that?" "No objections." Harrison, perhaps convinced by Victoria's stance, turned back to his work. "Whatever you do is fine by me. After all, you're my wife." He said this with a slight uptick at the end of his sentence, an inexplicable cheerfulness in his voice.

Victoria rubbed her arms, unconsciously moving closer to Seaton. "Sparethe disgust. Tell me, where is my mother, really?" As the solution from the dropper mixed with the colorful liquid, bubbles began to rise.

Harrison sighed, setting down the beaker after another failed experiment. "Why the rush? Once this is all over, I'll tell you. Now's not the right time." Victoria accused, "You're lying!" "I am not," Harrison instantly denied. "I never said I'd tell you right after delaying the trial." A fire seemed to rage within Victoria, her frustration palpable even though she knew he didn't have the information she sought. Harrison's smug, confident demeanor only fueled her anger. You're playing with fire! Her cold laughter echoed. "Harrison, you'd better not cross me, or you'll regret it!" With a threatening parting shot, Victoria stormed off.

It wasn't until her figure had disappeared that Harrison ceased his work, his gaze lingering in the direction she left, his thoughts inscrutable.

Yet, he found a certain fondness for Victoria's impassioned, albeit powerless, expression.

His lips curved in a mysterious smile, a moment lost on the all-male laboratory crew who had missed the entire exchange.

As the team returned from dinner, witnessing Harrison's smile, they shuddered, half-expecting to find something sinister lurking behind them.

"Mr. Schram," stuttered the man Gavin had sent to assist Harrison. "What were you looking at?" Brought back to the present, Harrison didn't hide Victoria's visit, openly flaunting his devotion.

"Nothing much. My wife was here.

She just left before you cback from dinner. Didn't you run into her?" Harrison's wife, the daughter of the Abernathy family? It wasn't that nobody knew his backstory; the mixture of surprise and curiosity on everyone's faces was palpable. "I had no idea, Mr. Schram, that you and the young lady were so close." "I thought marriages of convenience were all..." Ignoring the probing nature of the remark, Harrison beamed with genuine happiness. "Tbreeds affection. Victoria is quite the charming young lady." With that, the persona Harrison had been cultivating stood solid. He et casually shook the test tube in his hand. "This experiment's a bust again t've summed up a few reasons why. Take a look, and let's vel.n е get ready for another round in a bit." At the end of the day.

Without the Abernathys around, Harrison was the one calling the shots among this crowd.

Hearing him speak, those who might have wanted to ask more saw his reluctance and zipped their lips, echoing Harrison's sentiments and diving into their work with renewed vigor.

Meanwhile.

Having rested for a bit at the Ellingtons', Vivienne and Percival were now sitting in the courtroom with Kaitlyn, ready for the trial. After a day and a night of simmering.

Public opinion had largely swung in their favor online, and Kipling was restless with anxiety, especially after learning Gavin wouldn't be coming to his aid.

It seemed like only days since they'd last seen each other, yet to Kaitlyn, he seemed like a completely different person. But she couldn't care less.

For someone like Kipling, she wished all the misfortunes of the world upon him, hoping it would offset the years of torment her in- laws had suffered! "All rise!"