The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

"Country bumpkin?" Vivienne arched an eyebrow, an expression that hadn't crossed her face in quite stime.

She surveyed Ramona with a critical eye, noting the girl couldn't be more than twenty. With her doll-like features, it was no wonder she had becan overnight sensation.

It wasn't just the push from her handlers behind the scenes; that pretty face was surely a factor.

Withdrawing her gaze, Vivienne's clear eyes shifted to Dorian. "Dorian, what's going on? Didn't we agree that Kala was to be the face of the new perfline?" She paused, noting Dorian's evasive look.

She asked, "You're in trouble, why didn't you talk to me?" "I will explain everything later, Vivienne," Dorian replied, his face showing distress. "Ms. Grimshaw, this is my daughter. Please be respectful." After he spoke, he turned to face Ramona with a stern expression.

Something was off.

Vivienne tugged at Percival's sleeve, and without a word, he understood. He gestured to Thomas, indicating he should lean in closer.

Ramona, meanwhile, was visibly irked by Percival's blatant disregard for her, his attention solely on Vivienne. Her voice dripped with jealousy, "Percival, darling, look at them! I wouldn't have taken this ad gig if it wasn't for your sake. Now, they're all ganging up on me." Her whiny voice grated on Vivienne's nerves.

Vivienne's elegant eyebrows knitted together as she scoffed, “Ms. Grimshaw, are you supposed to be skind of mother hen? Clucking away like you're laying eggs at the Hawthorn family talent show." Ramona's anger flared, and she pointed at Vivienne. "You, you country bumpkin! What right do you have to talk to me?" Ramona's shrill voice drew the attention of the entire banquet hall to the unfolding scene between Vivienne, Dorian, and Percival.

The guests murmured among themselves, their expressions shifting.

"What's going on here? Who's calling Ms. Hawthorn a country bumpkin?" "Get with the times. Ms. Hawthorn is known as the perfmaestro Q, not to mention a renowned fashion designer. How can she be unaware?" "If someone as accomplished as Ms. Hawthorn is being called a country bumpkin, what does that make the rest of us?" The surrounding chatter didn't escape the group, and Anna chimed in with a smirk, "All this talk of country bumpkins. One would think Ms. Grimshaw was skind of high-born lady." "You, I—" If it weren't for the restrictions of the setting, Ramona would have slapped Vivienne then and there. Her face flushed with a mix of rage and mortification; she regretted not studying Vivienne's background more thoroughly. Who would have thought that this woman, once so easily bullied in Havenwood, held so many prestigious titles unknown to her? Ramona clenched her teeth in frustration as she said, "You just wait! I won't let you get away with this!" Meanwhile, in a dimly lit hospital room, Willa had just finished bathing Karen and was carrying the basin to the bathroom.

The darkness outside was so thick you could slice it, making it impossible to discern if anyone was lurking below. Suddenly, the lights in the bathroom flickered twice, then went out.

Willa, her eyes sharp, kicked open the bathroom door to find nothing but darkness. Without hesitation, she followed the rope that someone had used to climb in through the window.

Just then, the hospital room door cracked open, letting in a sliver of light. A man cautiously stepped in, making sure Karen was the only other person there before advancing with a syringe aimed at her exposed skin.

But before the needle could make contact, the room flooded with light, and Willa, with lightning-fast reflexes, threw a dagger that pinned the intruder's head to the wall.

Back at the party, the minor disturbance did little to dampen the festivities.

Kala stuck close to Vivienne, casting glances around the room. "Strange, where did Ramona go? She wouldn't just leave like that, would she?" Vivienne turned her head with a light-hearted tone, "Why? Were you hoping she'd stay?" Even joking, her demeanor was cool and detached.

Kala, mistaking Vivienne's lightheartedness for irritation, hurriedly explained, "No, no. I wish she'd leave faster. But you don't understand, Vivienne. Ramona is not as simple as you think." Remembering the fates of those who had crossed Ramona recently, Kala shivered. "The way she acted just now, she's clearly set her sights on Mr. Ellington. There must have been sincident; otherwise, she would never let things slide." "If I'm not mistaken, that woman-whatever her nwas-she knows sskills," Percival said coolly, recalling the marks he had spotted on Ramona's wrist.

Vivienne glanced at him. “Mr. Wolf, quite observant, aren't we?" Percival offered a helpless smile, his ice-cold eyes softening for a moment. "And you accuseof being jealous. Seems like you're the jealous one." He gently ruffled Vivienne's soft hair, his eyes glowing with an unspoken warmth.

Kala stood there, her heart fluttering uncontrollably already whenever she was near Vivienne. The beating in her chest seemed to grow louder by the second. She worried, what if Vivienne noticed?

Anna, caught off guard, had just been force-fed another spoonful of PDA, and she felt numb from the overdose. Live.

Her eyes darted everywhere - to the sky, to the ground - anywhere but towards the lovebirds enveloped in their own pink bubble. In the shadows! Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Ramona, like a viper eyeing its prey, watched the sickeningly sweet couple. Her hand, hanging by her side, clenched into a fist.

Vivienne, just you wait. Once I snag Percival for myself, you would get your comeuppance! "Ramona! Are you even listening to me?" The sudden roar from her earpiece snapped Ramona back to reality.

With an irritated touch to her earring, she replied, "Yeah, yeah, I heard you. I slipped up this time, but I've got it under control. I don't need you lecturing me!" Feeling eyes on her, Vivienne's red lips curved into a sly smile.

Oh, Ramona.

She would remember this! X