The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Ronald felt a twinge of embarrassment as he saw Vivienne’s forthright manner. The troubles of the

Brooks clan were not her fault after all; she had merely been the one to lift the veil on those unsightly

scars.

They had no right to blame her. In fact, they should be thanking her. Without Vivienne’s intervention,

who knew what would become of the Brooks family in the future?

Yet, it was hard to digest such a dramatic shift. The Brooks clan had been a thriving and harmonious

household, and to see it change so abruptly was unsettling, like a sudden shift in the weather.

Take Ashley, for instance—she still grumbled about Vivienne’s lack of tact.

Since Scott had been taken away, Baron had checked himself back into the nursing home, occasionally

bickering with Richard. He spent his days leisurely sipping tea and admiring the view—content, it

seemed.

Timothy, lacking a knack for business, had delegated a significant portion of the company operations to

Ronald. Now, he was practically a co-patriarch of the Brooks family.

As a potential future leader capable of shouldering the Brooks family’s legacy, Ronald could not afford

to be as petulant as Ashley.

Now that Vivienne had cleared the air, he let bygones be bygones.

“Dawson, after you,” Ronald gestured with a hand, inviting Dawson to enter first.

At the dinner table, Vivienne and Anna focused on their meal, staying silent. On the other hand,

Dawson was engrossed in a subtle back-and-forth negotiation with Ronald over drinks, which

concluded with a $600 million deal for that coveted piece of land.

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A few rounds of drinks later, and with Ronald feeling the buzz, he inquired, “Dawson, what’s your plan

for that plot of land? If you’re thinking of building a mall or a residential area, how’s the sales channel?

I’m quite interested myself.”

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Ronald was indeed shrewd. Selling his land for others to develop, then reinvesting in it, was a win-win.

He not only offloaded a piece of land he could not develop himself but also stood to make a profit from

the deal.

Dawson glanced at Vivienne. “Oh, that’s a gift for Vivienne.”

Ronald was taken aback, his eyes flicking to Vivienne in surprise. Spending $600 million on land only

to give it away rather than develop it? That was not how one should spend money, even if one had it to

burn.

Ronald chuckled. “Vivienne, got any plans for it? Need a hand?”

Vivienne paused before replying, “I’m considering building a film studio.”

Dawson nearly choked on his drink. A film studio?

Ronald nodded, opting out of this venture. Speaking of film studios, Vivienne recalled Kala.

“How’s Kala doing? Has the production for ‘Betrothed Understudy’ started yet?”

During the last TV show recording, Percival had promised Kala a significant role. But with so much

happening since, Vivienne had not had the chance to follow up.

“It has, but there have been some hiccups with the agency,” Ronald said, becoming chattier with the

alcohol kicking in.

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Plus, there was a touch of guilt and concern for Kala. Her agency would not mistreat her if he were

more capable.”

“What’s the issue?” Vivienne inquired.

After the TV show aired, Kala’s career had seen a resurgence. Even with Scott’s arrest, it should not

have affected her much. What could have gone wrong?

Ronald took a sip. “Her contract with the agency was nearing its end, and she renewed it. Initially, they

were prioritizing her, but then she got undercut.”

“Undercut?” Vivienne’s brow furrowed.

“Yeah, the agency signed a new actress with good connections up high. Plus, with all the Brooks family

drama, they feared a bad influence, so they plan to sideline Kala. She’s fighting it, but the penalty fee is

steep…”

Ronald stopped short, realizing he might be sounding resentful towards Vivienne.

He quickly added, “I’m sorry, Vivienne, I didn’t mean that. It’s the agency’s fault for using the Brooks

family issues as an excuse. Kala and I don’t blame you.”

Vivienne brushed it off. “No need to explain. I understand.”

After dinner, on the ride home, Vivienne called Stephen.

The phone connected quickly, “Boss, you remembered me! What can I do for you?”

The background noise suggested Stephen was amidst a fan event.

“You at the set?” Vivienne asked.

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“Yeah,” Stephen found a quieter spot. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’m on the set of ‘Betrothed

Understudy.’ I’m fine, but Kala’s struggling. Her scenes are getting cut drastically, and the second

female lead’s role is overshadowing hers.”

Vivienne’s frown deepened. “Your word doesn’t count for anything?”

Stephen explained, “I can only ensure that my close-up scenes remain untouched by the second lead,

but we follow the director for everything else. I’m a singer, not an actor by trade. And yeah, the second

lead, Lucia—you know her. She’s the new star at Kala’s agency.”

Vivienne paused, “Lucia?”

Who was that?

Did she know her?

Stephen’s voice betrayed a hint of exasperation, “Boss, when did your memory get so bad? Lucia’s the

one you and Kala met during the last show.”

“Oh, right.” Vivienne’s expression sharpened.

It was someone she barely remembered. However, how was Lucia, with all her scandals still facing the

public?

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Vivienne mused briefly. “Take care of her on set. Don’t let her get bullied.”

“Will do, boss. And boss, can I get a raise for…”

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Vivienne hung up the call.

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Salary raise? In your dreams!

Stephen yelled inwardly, “Boss, you’re so heartless. My life is such a drag!”

As soon as she hung up the phone with Stephen, Vivienne texted Matthew. [Buy out the agency

representing Kala.]

Matthew replied promptly, [Understood.]

On the set.

Kala was poring over the script. Her lines slashed and shortened to the point where she could barely

remember them.

Then there was Lucia, the darling of the scene, cooing next to the director, “Oh, Director, I just adore

playing it this way. Could we possibly add a line for me? I think I can nail it, and don’t I have a

chemistry plot line with the lead? Maybe just a little more screen time, pretty please?”

Lucia was the star client of Glorious Thought Agency, the second-biggest talent firm in Rivenwood. The

director needed their investment and support for the movie, so he could not afford to snub them.

Instead, he found himself fawning over them.

And with Lucia’s charm, which had the director wrapped around her finger, his agreement was a

foregone conclusion.

“Sure, sure, everything you want. I’ll revise the script right away.”

Lucia shot Kala a smug look.

“So what if you’re the lead? You’re still stepping aside for me. That’s the thing about people—you can’t

get too cocky.” She thought.

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