The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Ashley’s outburst had left Vivienne speechless.

Took her place?

Rolling up her sleeves with a dramatic flourish, Charlotte slapped Ashley’s hand away and planted her

hands on her hips, glaring down at her. “Who are you pointing fingers at, huh? Think you’re some kind

of big shot? I’m the one who’s earned the right to speak on behalf of the whole school because I aced

every single subject, not you!”

“You think you could’ve taken my spot without Vivienne’s help? Dream on!” Ashley spat back, her pride

bruised.

To Ashley’s surprise, Charlotte did not retort. “You’re right. Without Vivienne’s support, I wouldn’t have

even gotten into the defense academy.”

Then, Charlotte gave Ashley a piercing look, then asked Vivienne, “Vivienne, who is she to you?”

Vivienne gave Ashley a once-over. “She’s my cousin on my aunt’s side.”

“I see.” Charlotte caught sight of the bewildered Brooks family lingering in the background. She clapped

her hands theatrically. “Well, I won’t intrude on your little family dinner then. Be sure to hit me up when

you’re free, okay? I’ll let Faye know, deal?”

“Sure.” Vivienne nodded.

Griffin, who had been quietly observing, gently tugged Charlotte away, giving Vivienne a knowing wink

as if she had much to say.

Arm in arm, they left, with Charlotte tossing over Griffin’s shoulder, “You can’t let a man walk all over

you!”



Vivienne’s lips curled into a smirk. So, Charlotte was the mastermind behind Griffin’s antics towards

Leopold.

Tsk, tsk.

Her little protégé was in for a rough ride.

Ashley kept staring at Vivienne as if she was the villain of the century.

Vivienne just shot her a glance and turned to Melissa. “Aunt Melissa, about the dinner…”

“We’ll continue,” Melissa said, visibly annoyed with her daughter. “Ashley, you can leave if you’re not

eating. It’s like all those years of raising you were for nothing. You’re so unreasonable!”

With that, Melissa ushered Vivienne back to the private dining room.

Percival, the ever-silent observer, was more than willing to keep the peace for Vivienne’s sake.

Kala cast a reproachful look at Ashley before following the others inside.

Left alone, Darren tried to soothe his sister, fixing her messy hair. “Ashley, dear, Vivienne hasn’t

wronged you, you know. They’ve only just met, and your grudge is baseless. You blame her for our

grandparents’ and uncle’s misfortune, but think about it—weren’t they responsible for their own fates?”

He ruffled her hair affectionately. “I know you’re jealous, but once I start making good money, I’ll buy

you all the finest things in the world, and you’ll have someone who adores you, sweetheart.”

Ashley wiped her tears and stormed off.

Darren didn’t chase after her; instead, he returned to the dining room to finish the meal with the rest.

After dinner, Carl invited Vivienne to watch the next day’s race.

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Vivienne accepted with a nod.

It had been a while since she had been to a race, and with Charlotte free for a few days, it was the

perfect opportunity to invite her along.

…

On race day, Griffin showed up too, and Charlotte was dressed to impress in a chic racing outfit, her

hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, exuding a sporty elegance as if she was one of the racers.

“You really dressed the part.” Vivienne chuckled.

“Of course, I even brought snacks to set the mood!” Charlotte replied with a grin.

They settled in the VIP seats arranged by Carl, with a prime view of the start and finish line and a large

screen to watch the race unfold.

Carl waved at Vivienne from a distance, with a still-irritated Ashley by his side.

Charlotte clicked her tongue. “Some people just can’t let go. She’s everywhere.”

Vivienne was not bothered. Ashley’s attitude towards her didn’t affect how she treated the Edwards

family.

Carl gave a few more waves before slipping into his race car, Ashley putting on the helmet that Percival

had given Carl only the day before.

Ashley might not like Vivienne, but she was not above using her gifts.

The race was about to begin. Carl’s car was positioned on the outer track in third place. At the drop of

the flag, seven cars roared off the line amid a crescendo of engines and gasps from the crowd.

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Vivienne furrowed her brow, a hint of unease crossing her features.

Charlotte and Griffin were lost in the thrill of the race, cheering wildly.

Only Percival noticed Vivienne’s disquiet. He grasped her hand, asking softly, “What’s wrong,

Vivienne?”

She bit her lip. “One of those seven cars—the engine sounded off. I’m not sure if it was Carl’s.”

“Sounded off?” Percival’s expression darkened as he peered at the speeding cars.

“Yes.” Vivienne watched the screen intently, her expression grave.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated

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Carl was showing impressive skill, quickly catching up from behind. They were too late to stop the race

now; all Vivienne could do was watch closely.

Fortunately, there were pit stops along the route where drivers could pull over for quick inspections,

safeguarding their well-being.

Carl breezed through the first pit stop in the lead, the pit crew giving the all-clear before he accelerated

away.

But at the second pit stop, Carl zoomed past without stopping. Something was definitely amiss.

Pulling into the pit stop was second nature for Carl, a seasoned racer who had been around the track

more times than he could count. He knew the drill, especially on these winding mountain circuits. You

had to pull over at the pit stop, and given that he was in the lead, there was no way he would just zip

past it.



Something felt off to Vivienne. With a firm push, she made sure Charlotte hit the deck. “I need you to

keep an eye on car number three. The moment it hits a pit stop, you let me know, got it?”

Though clueless about what was unfolding, Charlotte caught the gravity in Vivienne’s tone and briskly

nodded, not wasting time with questions.

Leaving the stands with Percival, Vivienne made a beeline for the race organizers. Some of them

recognized her and had also noticed Carl’s unusual behavior. Without hesitation, they handed over the

keys to the rescue vehicle.

Back on the track, Carl slammed on the brakes, but there was no response.

Ashley was freaking out. “What’s happening? It was fine just a moment ago!”

“How the hell should I know!” Carl was supposed to stop at the pit, but the car just would not slow

down!

Ashley’s gaze shot forward, taking in the looming mountain wall, and with eyes clenched shut, she

screamed, “Oh God, somebody, help us!”

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