The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival stared at Arthur with an intensity that seemed to cut right through him as if trying to read his soul.

But Arthur was an enigma, a book whose pages refused to be turned.

Despite Percival’s knack for sizing people up, Arthur, the revered War God of Veridia, remained an untold story to him.

With just a side glance, Arthur seemed to catch onto Percival’s musings and let out a derisive chuckle. “You're wondering why | know about the elixir of life? Why | brought it up in front of you? Whether I'm a traitor?” Percival was speechless, thinking, “Can you read minds or what?” Wait a second.

Why did his tone sound so familiar? Arthur stood up, his gaze icy as he gave Percival a once-over. “Kid, you've got a lot to learn. Sthings aren't as simple as they appear on the surface!” With that, Arthur turned on his heel and strode away.

Pausing at the doorway, he seemed to remember something and looked back at Percival. “The Vanguard Agency? It's history as of today!” Without another word, Arthur left.

Percival watched Arthur's retreating figure, his eyes shadowed with thought.

After a moment, he looked up at the Vanguard Agency, then walked away.

Meanwhile, Vivienne had made her way to the Frostfire Intelligence Agency, insisting that Matthew focus on finding her father.

After Matthew briefed her on recent missions, Vivienne B With Percival tied up in work, she suddenly realized she had nowhere in particular to go.

Then it struck her - she hadn't taken the Thaddeus and Isolde out for fun in ages. With a free day ahead, she decided to treat the kids to a day out.

Her place was just a stone’s throw from the Hawthorns, so she headed over to pick up Thaddeus.

As Vivienne arrived, only Cordelia was home.

Upon seeing Vivienne, Cordelia’s face lit up with surprise, quickly followed by a warm smile. “Vivienne! What a pleasant surprise!” Ever since Dorian launched his boutique fragrance business, he had been swamped. Vivienne, too, had her plate full, and visits to the Hawthorns’ had been scarce.

Dorian had tried inviting Vivienne over for a family dinner a few times, but she was always tied up.

Cordelia had been planning to visit Karen in the hospital and was taken aback to see Vivienne turn up first.

With a bright smile, Cordelia welcomed Vivienne in. “Cin, dear. You really should give us a heads-up next tso | can whip up something nice. We've got nothing in the kitchen right now. Tell you what, I'll call your dad and have him chfor lunch. We can all go out for a meal!” Since the company took off, not only Dorian but also Cordelia had been busy helping out. With Thaddeus now in boarding school during the week, the house was quiet except on weekends.

After working late the previous night, Cordelia hadn't yet had the chance to shop for groceries. Thus, there was literally nothing in the kitchen.

Vivienne chuckled, “No need, Cordelia. I was thinking of taking Thaddeus out for a bit of fun today.” Ever since Vivienne reconciled with Karen, she had taken to calling Dorian and Cordelia by their first names - not out of distance, but for clarity’s sake. It avoided confusion during family gatherings when she was calling out for ‘mom’ or ‘dad.’ “We can have fun any day. Today, we eat together. It's been too long since you've been home,” Cordelia insisted firmly.

To Cordelia, Vivienne was as dear as a biological daughter, and she longed to treat her to a good meal, knowing how busy she was. After all, she knew that Vivienne rarely had tto eat a proper meal when she was busy.

More importantly, she had heard that Karen did not know how to cook. Thus, Cordelia was worried that even if Karen were not unconscious right now, she probably would not be able to take good care of Vivienne.

Vivienne couldn’t shake her off and suggested, “How about | take Thaddeus out now, and we have a home- cooked meal this afternoon? Cordelia, I've been craving your homemade spaghetti!” Cordelia was quick to reply, “Then I'll head to the supermarket right now and get what we need for your favorite pasta.” Concern etched on her face, Cordelia continued, “Look at you, you've lost weight! How's Percival been looking after you? He promised us he'd take good care of you!” Cordelia said indignantly, “Next t| see him, I'll have to ask what on earth he’s been so busy with that he can’t even make sure you eat properly.” Vivienne rubbed her temples, slightly overwhelmed by Cordelia’s care.

“Cordelia, I haven't lost weight, I've gained,” Vivienne said earnestly, “Three pounds!” Cordelia looked skeptical. “Impossible, you look thinner to me!”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Vivienne stepped onto the scale, and indeed, she was three pounds heavier, but Cordelia was still not satisfied.

“Only three pounds? That's not looking after you properly. You should be gaining at least ten!” Vivienne was at a loss for words.

Just then, Thaddeus emerged from his room, thirsty, and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Vivienne. His face lit up with joy as he exclaimed, “Sis! I've missed you so much!” He had been on the phone with Isolde, and due to the noise on the other end and the excellent soundproofing of the house, he hadn't heard Vivienne cin.

Thaddeus hugged Vivienne tightly, rubbing his cheek against hers. “Why haven't you cto seein so long? I've missed playing with you.” Thaddeus had grown more outgoing, likely from spending twith Isolde. The once introverted boy was now full of life and eager for Vivienne’s company.

Isolde was a sweetheart, a classmate of Thaddeus at the local school. They were practically inseparable, spending nearly every weekend together. Over time, the rough patches Thaddeus had experienced seemed to fade from his memory.

Vivienne gave his head a gentle tousle and whispered, “Go get changed. I'm taking you out for sfun!” “Really?” Thaddeus’s eyes widened with excitement. “You mean it, Sis? You're really gonna takeout?” “Absolutely, now scoot!” “Yippee! I'm gonna have a blast, finally hanging out with my sister!” Brimming with exhilaration, Thaddeus dashed into his room and quickly slipped into his casual gear.

Cordelia watched her son’s antics with a mix of amusement and resignation.

Even with a hectic work schedule, she always made tfor Thaddeus on the weekends.

Now that they were more comfortable financially, she made a point of taking him out every weekend. They had been to all the local attractions—theme parks, zoos, you name it, they had done it all around Rivenwood. But it seemed that no matter how much fun they had, it never quite lit him up the way Vivienne’s presence did.

Today, Thaddeus was decked out in a cool casual outfit, topped with a sleek black cap and a small backpack slung over his shoulder, looking every bit the dapper young man.

He approached Vivienne and took her hand confidently. “Sis, can we invite Isolde along? And maybe sof our classmates?”

He paused, then added, “There's this girl, Amelia Littleton. She's had it pretty rough. Her dad broke, his leg, and her mom works so hard. Just a while back, her mom broke a customer's stuff and had to pay a ton of money. She worked herself to the bone to make up for it, even fainting from overwork...”