The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Everyone looked up as Vivienne walked in, her pace slow and measured. Clad in a plain tee and jeans,

the simplicity of her attire was offset by the icy expression that seemed permanently etched onto her

delicate features.

Kala watched her, emotions churning within her.

After a moment, she spoke up, “No need. I’ll handle it myself.”

She was at a loss for how to treat Vivienne now.

After all, it was not Vivienne who had affected her work, but there was an undeniable discomfort

whenever she saw Vivienne.

Did she blame Vivienne?

No.

After all, her grandmother had genuinely committed murder, and not just once, but tenfold.

For twenty years, the families of the victims had been deprived of the truth.

Her grandmother’s fate was deserved.

She just could not face Vivienne.

It seemed ever since Vivienne’s return, everyone she was close to had changed.

Vivienne approached her, her face serious. “Judith’s death was a consequence of her actions. If she

hadn’t resisted arrest, she wouldn’t have been shot in front of you. And the media exposure you faced

wasn’t my doing. I covered your penalty fees as a gesture of goodwill. You were the only one who

treated me with genuine kindness after I joined the Brooks family.”

When the Brooks first took her in, everyone had been considerate, but there was always an ulterior

motive.

Only Kala had been genuinely kind to her.

That was just how Vivienne was unable to ignore those who were sincerely kind to her.

Even though this incident was somewhat related to her, she was not responsible for the outcome.

She could assist Kala, but she would never blame herself for what had happened!

Kala stared at Vivienne, unsure of what to say.

Ever since Vivienne had come back, she had been a woman of few words, never using two where one

would suffice. But today, she had spoken at length.

Without another word, Vivienne walked over to Baron and stated flatly, “Baron, I’m here to pack up. I

won’t be staying at the Brooks household any longer.”

Baron scoffed, “What, you think you can just bail when the going gets tough? I’m not dead yet. Even in

hard times, I wouldn’t let my granddaughter fend for herself.”

He sighed, his tone softening, “This isn’t on you. Even if it weren’t you and Percival, I wouldn’t have

spared her. This case… Richard and I have been investigating it in the shadows for years. If we had

discovered the truth sooner, perhaps the Brooks family wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

“Stay put, and don’t worry about anything else,” Baron said with finality. “We’re discussing the future of

the Brooks family. You should listen in. You’re nearly twenty. It’s time you learned about the company.”

Vivienne smirked, “I don’t mind where I stay as long as you all are willing to have me.”

Baron glared at her. “Do you think I raised fools?”

With that, he glanced over at Timothy and the others.

Timothy and his peers wore embarrassed expressions. It was not that they blamed Vivienne; it was just

hard to accept what had happened right before their eyes.

But now, Timothy was coming to terms with it.

After all, the old lady had ten lives on her conscience, and she could not escape death in the end.

What Vivienne and Percival had done merely brought everything to light.

Baron’s gaze then fell on Scott, who remained silent with a stern face.

Vivienne did not say more and took the seat next to Kala.

Baron continued, “Kala, now that Vivienne has paid the penalty fee, it’s up to you whether you want to

stay in show business.”

They did not question how Vivienne had come into so much money. After all, Karen’s daughter could

not be doing too badly, especially with that black card filled with funds, and with the backing of the

Ellington family, a penalty fee was nothing to them.

Kala nodded. “Alright.”

Then, Baron went on to delegate tasks and finally got to the crux of the matter. “Since Judith was one

of our own and made a mistake, we can’t shirk responsibility. I’ll issue an apology and provide

compensation for the victims’ families. On top of that, we need to push forward new projects. We’re

venturing into robotics, and Griffin will join our team. Everyone needs to play their part so the Brooks

family can recover our losses as swiftly as possible.”

Vivienne was intrigued. She had assumed Scott would be the one to turn things around, not Baron.

Baron, who often seemed under the thumb of Richard and was frequently in the sanatorium, had

appeared less capable to her.

But now, Baron was orchestrating a comeback with new projects and had even managed to recruit

Griffin, which was quite unexpected.

Griffin, from the ancient warrior lineage? Were the Rivenwood families not reluctant to deal with those

from such backgrounds?

“That’s all. I’m tired and need to rest,” Baron said, heading upstairs.

Timothy and the others busied themselves with Baron’s orders.

Kala was whisked away by her agent’s call.

Soon, the grand hall was left with just Scott and Vivienne.

Scott lifted his gaze to Vivienne and said in a deep voice, “Come upstairs with me. We need to talk.”

Vivienne flashed a mischievous smile. “Perfect! I’ve been wanting to have a chat with you as well.”

After a brief glance at her, Scott turned and ascended the staircase.

In the room, Vivienne sauntered over to a chair and slumped down with a roguish air. “So, what’s on

your mind?”

Scott just looked at her, staying silent for a moment.

After a heavy pause, he finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate, “Have your foster parents been by

the Brooks Mansion lately?”

“Missing them, are you?” Vivienne chuckled.

“They are guests, after all. It’s been a while, so I thought I’d ask,” Scott tried to soften his tone.

Vivienne’s hand rested on the armrest, tapping rhythmically as her smile widened, “Now, are you

referring to Rowan and Ismene, who’ve been masquerading as my foster parents, or my actual foster

parents?”

“What?” Scott was taken aback, a sharp glint in his eyes.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join &

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“Mr. Brooks, are you still in the dark? The two at the Brooks Mansion, they’re fakes,” Vivienne

continued to smile, a chilling sort of grin.

Before Scott could respond, Vivienne slowly added, “No, that’s not right! I shouldn’t call you Mr. Brooks.

‘Mr. B’ is more fitting, isn’t it? Your people have been staying at the Brooks Mansion for days. Don’t you

know where they’ve gone?”

At her words, Scott was shocked. “You!”

How had she found out?

He had always been so careful in his disguise!

Vivienne shook her head, pondering for a moment before continuing, “Actually, ‘Mr. B’ isn’t quite right

either. Maybe ‘Mr. B’s double’ would be more accurate, wouldn’t it?”