The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Micah had reached his boiling point. With a swift motion that spoke volumes of his vexation, he

grabbed the folder from the table and brought it crashing down on Leopold’s head. “Damn it, Leopold,

I’m just asking you to deliver a message to her!”

Rubbing his sore head, Leopold mumbled, “Alright, what’s the message?”

“Tell her that the head office is interested in striking a deal with her about the new explosives project…”

“Impossible!” Leopold cut him off. “That’s Vivienne’s cash cow. You might as well fire me. Vivienne’s in

it for the money. If I cross her by messing with her income, I’m as good as dead.”

Trying to maintain his composure, Micah spoke softly, “You’re just the messenger. Whether Griffin

agrees or not is up to her. The higher-ups can’t locate her, so they can’t reach out directly.”

“But still, no can do, boss. I’m begging you, don’t make me be the one to tell her. I’d walk through fire or

climb a mountain for you, but crossing Vivienne? No way. Please, have a heart!” Leopold pleaded, his

hands clasped together in earnest supplication.

Micah was at a loss for words at the pitiful sight. He waved his hand dismissively. “Get out of my sight.”

“Sure thing!” Leopold’s face lit up with relief. He backed out of the office with a wide grin, even

thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

But the smile vanished without a trace no sooner had he stepped outside.

Leopold cast a long look at the plaque on Micah’s office door that read ‘Deputy Director.’ His

expression grew even more somber.

Pulling out a phone he exclusively used to contact other disciples, he sent a message to Vivienne that

read, [Griffin, Belle.]

Meanwhile, Vivienne was savoring a roasted pork knuckle when her smartwatch buzzed with the

incoming message. A sly smile crossed her lips.

As expected, their interest was not just in Belle.

Back in the office, Micah took out a brand-new phone and made a call.

“Yeah, no news yet. Alright, got it.”

He ended the call, and pocketed it. A heavy sigh escaped him, his eyes clouded with an unreadable

darkness.

…

At the Ellington Mansion.

Flynn was shaken when he heard about Kenneth’s car accident and promptly confiscated his keys.

“It’s too dangerous. You’re not allowed to drive anymore. I’ll get you a chauffeur.”

Kenneth protested, “It was an accident. And it wasn’t me who wanted to crash; they hit me.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Aunt Imogen, look at Uncle Flynn,” Kenneth appealed to his aunt for support.

Engrossed in her tablet and sketching dress designs, Imogen shot Flynn an admonishing look. “Flynn,

Kenneth’s an adult. And the DMV said it was the motorcycle gang’s fault for breaking the rules first.

Besides, Kenneth needs to travel between the team and Elite University. It would be so inconvenient

without a car.”

“Exactly, Flynn!” Kenneth mimicked Imogen’s tone.

Imogen blushed. “Mock me again, and I won’t help you.”

Flynn reluctantly returned the keys to Kenneth, reminding him, “Just be careful when you drive. Go talk

to your grandfather; he was scared half to death by the news.”

“Okay.” Kenneth pocketed his keys, thinking about the inconvenience of having a chauffeur during his

trips to Elite University.

Watching Kenneth’s retreating figure, Flynn shook his head, “This kid, nothing like Percival when he

was younger.”

“Percival’s not exactly old now, you know?” Imogen pinched Flynn’s nose playfully, tapping his cheek.

“And neither are you.”

Flynn captured her hand, squeezing her palm teasingly. “Thinking of mischief again, are we?”

Imogen giggled coyly, leaning into Flynn’s embrace, her eyes full of affection.

Percival and Vivienne walked in on this intimate scene and quickly stepped back, a bit embarrassed.

Percival laughed. “Are we interrupting?”

“Don’t be silly.” Flynn’s face flushed as he rose to greet Percival, “Your Aunt Imogen has something to

discuss with Vivienne. Let’s go to the study and talk about some business matters.”

Vivienne naturally sat beside Imogen, focusing intently on the dress designs.

The Ellington Group owned a high-end fashion brand—DAO.

Flynn had recently returned to oversee this division, and Imogen was poised to lend her expertise.

The designs she was working on were intended for the next season’s launch, all men’s wear.

“Looks good. The designs are simple, but the choice of fabric will be crucial.” Vivienne observed,

nodding appreciatively.

Imogen agreed and, remembering that DAO’s Asia-Pacific spokesperson had just terminated their

contract, she asked, “Vivienne, I’m not too familiar with local celebrities since I just got back. Flynn is

looking for two male celebrities to represent the Asia-Pacific region. Do you follow any stars?”

Vivienne was no star-chaser; she was just the unassuming boss of a superstar – Stephen.

“What are the specifics you’re looking for?” Vivienne inquired.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join

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Imogen glanced at her drafts and replied, “They need to be well-known. The two should have

contrasting styles but also a certain chemistry. Ideally, they should have modeling experience to

showcase the suits’ features. Other than that, not much else.”

Vivienne nodded. Stephen would be perfect. But someone who had chemistry with Stephen and model

experience was a bit rarer.

Suddenly, Vivienne thought of a cheeky face that had escaped Emerald Monastery and later offered to

gift her an entire photo album—Darren!

Indeed, he and Stephen were two distinct styles.

One was a charming nobleman leaving a trail of broken hearts, the other a naive youth.

Clashing together, they might just spark something extraordinary.

“I have some candidates in mind. Can they come in for an interview at the company tomorrow?”

Vivienne asked.

Imogen nodded thoughtfully. “No need to rush. Shouldn’t we at least give their agents or teams a call?”

“No need,” Vivienne dismissed with a wave, confident in her authority to make the call.

That very night, Vivienne texted both Stephen and Darren to relay the news.

The next morning, Stephen, the reigning heartthrob and top influencer, showed up at the Ellington

Group for an audition, closely followed by Darren, the industry’s rising star.

Word had gotten around Ellington Group that two male celebrities would be coming in for auditions, but

no one anticipated it would be them!

The Ellington Group, despite its clout, could not usually secure an appointment with stars of their

caliber without at least a three-day notice.

Flynn glanced at Percival. “Your Vivienne, she’s something else.”

“Of course,” Percival nodded with a knowing smile.

Flynn could not shake off the feeling that his nephew’s eyes were mocking him with a “haven’t you ever

seen a star?” kind of vibe.

The Ellington Group did not take long to seal the deal with Stephen and Darren. They managed to get

their promotional shots done that same day.

When the official announcement was made, Darren’s popularity skyrocketed. Though he did not quite

eclipse Stephen, he was certainly hot on his heels.