The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Meanwhile, at the Linklater residence.

Arthur arrived hjust as the live broadcast was winding down. Yorick, Chase, and Dante were still eagerly discussing the content in front of the computer. By the tArthur stepped into the study, the computer had already been shut down, and all he caught was a snippet of their conversation, "That Hawthorn girl really knows how to stir the pot, going against the grain like that." Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Who are you talking about?" Hearing him, everyone except Yorick stood up, "Arthur, you're back. We were just talking about a case Ms. Hawthorn handled." "Vivienne?" The nHawthorn immediately brought her to Arthur's mind. Mentioning her, his brows furrowed, "Since when can you guys get your hands on security department cases?" "Oh no, it wasn't one of their internal cases." Chase was quick to clarify, waving his hands, "It was about this old wrongful accusation case where a top teacher from Rivenwood High was slandered. Vivienne was fighting to clear his ntoday." "Arthur, you wouldn't believe the twist!" Five years ago, Chase and Dante were with Arthur in the military, completely out of the loop with what happened outside. It was only because Yorick wanted to watch that they ended up getting hooked, minutes rolling into more minutes until the live broadcast ended, leaving them still craving for more. You have to admit, these juicy, almost soap opera-like revelations are far more gripping than the usual military fare.

Yorick, stroking his beard, seemed quite satisfied with his dose of , "That girl Vivienne that Percival roped in, she's quite something. How she thought to bring in the guy's own daughter as a witness is beyond me." "And that Kipling, what a pushover. Barely put up a fight before the girl had him spooked. Useless." Chase agreed but had a different take on Vivienne, "It's not all about Vivienne being smart. Maybe the plan was Percival's all along. And did you know? The person she brought in at the end, Raquel, we've met her before. We thought she was involved in their operation, but because she hurt someone from the Littleton family, Vivienne had her arrested. That doesn't sit right with the rules!" Dante didn't see it that way. In their line of work, bending rules for the greater good was commonplace. He didn't find anything wrong with Vivienne's actions. Noticing Arthur's indifferent expression, he nudged Chase, "Raquel got what she deserved." "Whether it's Ms. Hawthorn or the police making the arrest, does it matter? Besides, Raquel was going to be handed over to the authorities eventually. Ms. Hawthorn was just making use of her for the tbeing." He paused, recalling Vivienne's demeanor during the broadcast, "And I get the feeling Vivienne had a bigger play in mind with all this ." Chase scoffed, "What deeper meaning could she possibly have? She's just abusing her power." "Easy there, young man," Yorick, who hadn't had much interaction with Vivienne but felt a strange kinship, couldn't stand to hear her badmouthed, "That girl Vivienne, she's sharp. If she was so easy to read, she wouldn't be where she is at such a young age." "Who knows how she got there?" Chase muttered under his breath, vel.ne not daring to outright challenge Yorick. Arthur had no intention of joining their debate but couldn't help feeling biased upon hearing Vivienne's name, aligning momentarily with Chase's perspective. However, he kept his opinions to himself, subtly glancing at his brothers and Yorick, who seemed quite fond of Vivienne, and changed the subject, "Have you guys made any progress on the tasks | assigned?" Chase straightened up instantly, "Arthur, we've infiltrated all five major ancient warrior families. It won't be long before we have something to report." Arthur nodded, gesturing for Dante and the others to follow him into the study. The door clicked shut behind them.

Dracon Linklater emerged from the shadows, pushing Yorick's wheelchair out, muttering about Arthur's ceaseless meetings, oblivious to the importance of the discussions.

Yorick, still recovering from a serious illness, was barely keeping awake after the broadcast but perked up at Dracon's words, "He's serving the country, and you? What gives you the right to eavesdrop? Imagine the chaos if you accidentally leaked something." Dracon's grip tightened on the wheelchair, silently cursing. He had hoped for a rift between Percival and Arthur, seeing it as an opportunity for himself. Now, not only had Yorick unexpectedly survived his illness, but he also seemed to trust everyone but Dracon. As Yorick chided him, Dracon plotted anew, his mind racing for another angle to exploit. Unaware of Dracon's dark thoughts, Yorick merely scoffed. He gave Dracon's hand a gentle push, signaling caution without saying it aloud. "Don't wear yourself out on dead ends," he said, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken advice.

With a determined motion, he maneuvered his wheelchair, calling out for Cassie as they made their way downstairs. Unseen by him, a fleeting shadow of malice crossed his second son's eyes. Drac watched Yorick's retreating back, his hand still suspended in the air from the attempted assistance.

"Well then," Dracon muttered under his breath, a mix of resentment and defiance coloring his tone. "If even my own father looks down on me, don't blme for not playing nice anymore!" "Old man, let's just see how lucky you really are this time!" The town of Rivenwood, which had enjoyed a brief respite from its usual dreariness, was once again enveloped in a downpour, heralded by a rumbling thunderclap.

Vivienne and Percival had just returned to their apartment when the heavens opened, turning the world outside their floor-to- ceiling windows into a blur of relentless rain. The distant lights shimmered through the deluge, their flickering allure beckoning to those in search of warmth.

The couple, fresh from a shower and feeling the chitt of the rain against et their skin, found their phone bombarded with messages. Vivienne sifted through the urgent ones before focusing on a message from Matthew, "The masters have arrived in Havenwood. Once we wrap up Harrison's case, we'll finally be able to decrypt the ancient texts we've been holding onto."