The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne sat up straight, her gaze cool and calculating. “Spill it, what's the deal with you and F-Poison? And besides Gillian, who else is in on it?” Mara hadn't expected Vivienne to know even about Gillian. It was clear she wouldn't be leaving until she cclean.

She dropped to her knees, her voice a mix of desperation and fear. “Percival, Vivienne, | didn’t mean to betray you all. I had my reasons!” Vivienne spared her a disinterested glance, motioning for her to continue.

“My brother, Huxley, he’s been taken by F-Poison to M State. | had no choice but to save Huxley's life; | had to do as they said. They already killed my mom. | didn’t dare disobey!” It was a predictable story for Vivienne.

Only two people could exert such leverage over Mara - her brother, Huxley, and her mother, Nancy. Even if she wanted to disregard the lives of her own family, she had to consider her own skin.

“What did they promise you in return?” Vivienne pressed.

Mara wiped away a tear, her voice trembling. “Boss said if | turned Aaron to her side, | could rebuild the Boyd legacy, claim back all of the Boyd family fortune, and they'd helpget my revenge... So I...” Vivienne almost laughed.

Even if Mara regained every last cent of the Boyd fortune, what then? Did she really believe she had the power to restore her family’s name? Vivienne was not looking down on Mara. Mara’s lack of capabilities was a known fact.

“When you say ‘Boss’, are you referring to F-Poison?” Vivienne prodded.

Mara shook her head. “I don’t know who you're talking about. All | know is Boss looks just like Gillian. They took us both. Gillian resisted at first, but Boss pinned her with a silver needle, leaving her incontinent and vomiting blood until she called her ‘Boss’.

My mom was killed then, too, skinned alive. | was terrified. They took Huxley. That's why | agreed to work for her.” It seemed Mara was indeed referring to F-Poison.

“When was the last tyou saw F-Poison?” Vivienne asked.

“This morning, at the café where | met Aaron. She's the one who gavethe photo.” Aaron clenched his fists, vexed at how close he had been to F-Poison.

Percival immediately booted up his laptop, hacking into the café’s surveillance. There was F-Poison. But as she left the café, she vanished into thin air.

Percival frowned, annoyed. “The sold tricks!” They had been after F-Poison for ages, always losing her at the last moment.

Vivienne glanced at Percival’s screen, unsurprised. If F-Poison were easy to catch, they wouldn't have been searching for so long.

She pulled Mara to a seat on the couch and asked, “So, you've only seen F-Poison once this whole tand communicated with Gillian alone before?” Mara nodded earnestly. “I swear, I'm telling the truth.” Vivienne snapped her fingers before Mara’s eyes. “Fine. Tell Gillian you messed up, ask her to handle it, and say you're going on the lam. Got it?” Mara looked bewildered. “What about me? Are you going to punish me? | didn’t mean to!” Vivienne clicked her tongue. “Hadn't thought about it. Let's fix your face first.” Mara’s face brightened. “You'll treat my injuries?” “Of course. | have experiments to conduct, and | can’t have you disrupting them. No tlike the present.” Percival silently handed Vivienne a vial.

She stood and sprinkled its contents onto Mara’s face without anesthetic. Mara writhed in agony, the pain worse than any she had known before.

The others ignored her screams, absorbed in their tasks.

Vivienne watched, satisfied.

It would be easy to let Mara die, but her experiments were too valuable to trade for one life.

After a while, Vivienne settled into Percival’s embrace and dozed off.

Once Mara’s pain subsided, Vivienne stirred. “How's the integration?” Percival adjusted her in his lap. “Perfect.” She yawned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good. Mr. Wolf, I'm starving.” Dawn was breaking, and Aaron, who hadn't had a chance to shine all night, seized the moment. “Vivienne, I'll grab us sbreakfast. What does everyone want?” “No need,” said Percival as he gently set Vivienne down on the couch, completely disregarding Mara, who had fainted on the floor. “I've already had breakfast brought over.”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Just as he finished speaking, Thomas knocked on the hospital room door, “Percival, breakfast is here.” Maddox, who was famished, eagerly grabbed two breakfast platters and sat down beside Willa, carefully opening them and offering her sfood.

Vivienne took a sip of her milk, finding it too sweet for her taste, and passed it to Percival without a second thought. She then picked up a breakfast sandwich, took a bite, and, realizing it wasn't her favorite filling, handed it over to Percival as well.

Aaron watched from the side, his heart aching. He could clearly see that Vivienne had developed an extrdependency on Percival. Things she used to dislike, Vivienne would have thrown away without a second thought.

It was only then that Vivienne remembered Aaron was still there. She looked up, “Aren't you eating?” “No, I'm good, Vivienne. Callif you need anything. I'm going to head back now,” said Aaron, his voice devoid of energy as he clenched his fist and then stood to leave.

Vivienne finished her sandwich and mused, “What's up with that kid?” Everyone except Willa chuckled in unison.

Aaron was fine, but Mr. Wolf was the man Vivienne really needed. There was no helping it. The only thing to blwas Aaron's current inability to stand up against Percival. The gap between them wasn’t just a matter of age.

Compared to his peers, Aaron was indeed mature, but his maturity was insignificant in the face of true power.