The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne found it strange, her gaze sweeping over the tangle of weeds in Cormac's overgrown field.

From a distance, and with trees obstructing her view, she couldn't make out exactly what was being grown. She furrowed her brow. "Mr. Wolf, how many drug precursors can you identify?" She could spot which herbs were poisonous but wasn't as clear about the raw materials for narcotics.

Percival's eyes flashed coldly. "Not many, just a few common ones. Vivienne, are you suspecting that the Abernathys are using this place as a base for growing and processing drugs?" "That's not possible, Vivienne." Before she could respond, Matthew swiftly countered their speculation, "The villagers have had their suspicions about their crops; seven called the cops, but after several visits, nothing was found." When he first arrived at the Suncrest Village, he hadn't ruled out that possibility.

He had gone around the Abernathy property specifically looking for signs. Drug processing surely had to leave waste behind, and with no sewage system in a rural village, it would have to end up in the waterways.

But the village wells, streams, and even the river a few miles away were all pristine.

The Abernathys didn't live near any water flow; aside from Cormac going out, the rest had hardly left their yard in over a decade. Thinking about what he had observed, Matthew looked around and whispered, "Honestly, the smell around their place doesn't seem like drugs, but it's hard to describe. It's like the stench of something rotting, but not quite." He crossed his arms, occasionally glancing at Percival. "Mr. Ellington, with all the people you've met, any chance you can identify the smell?" The man shot him a look, his voice flat. "I'm not a dog!" Had Matthew taken the wrong pill today? He was all smiles when they met before, but now he was being unusually sarcastic. Matthew was taken aback, at a loss for words.

Percival glanced at him nonchalantly and suggested, "Let's go in and take a look." Taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, Matthew agreed, "As you say, Mr. Ellington. Vivienne, follow me. The Abernathy household is just ahead; I'll take you there." Following a winding village path, Vivienne was led by Matthew through several twists and turns to a vast, flat expanse of land. Unlike the clustered houses in the village, the further they went, the fewer homes there were, and the more tranquil the environment became, until they stood surrounded by the Abernathy property.

Apart from lush trees and weeds high enough to reach one's shins, there was no other dwelling in sight.

The Abernathy's two-story house stood isolated on the desolate land, an old fence surrounding it, and the architecture slightly reminiscent of a bygone era.

In a horror movie, it would be the perfect setting for a gruesevent.

Just as Matthew had described, upon entering the Abernathy perimeter, a foul odor assaulted their senses, and despite their foresight in wearing gas masks, the pervasive stench was inescapable.

Vivienne wrinkled her nose, a vague sense of recognition spreading within her.

She looked around and nudged Percival. "Mr. Wolf, I feel like I've smelled this before somewhere." "I have the sfeeling," Percival replied, his surprise deepening, "but I can't place it. What about you, Vivienne?" Vivienne shook her head. neither." Matthew offered, "Shall I knock on the door, Vivienne?" Pushing aside her unease, she nodded her consent.

The knocking echoed in the silent wilderness as Percival surveyed the scene, noting its suitability for an ambush. His men, following the plan, had positioned themselves in a radius around the Abernathy home.

His gaze briefly met with a few of them before shifting away.

After about ten minutes of knocking, footsteps could be heard from inside, and an impatient, gruff voice grew closer, "Who is it? I've told you a hundred times, we don't need your village supplies, and your town square has nothing to do with us!" As she grumbled, she opened the door.

Upon seeing Vivienne and her companions, the woman's irritation lingered on their faces for a moment before turning into suspicion. "You're not from the village." Nimue had lived here for over a decade, and although she rarely spoke to the locals, she could recognize most of them. However, Vivienne and Percival, and even Matthew's demeanor, were clearly not that of ordinary rural folk.

Vivienne and Percival looked especially refined, dazzling like royalty from a castle. It was obvious they were wealthy city dwellers. She hadn't seen such people in years and tensed up immediately. "Who are you looking for?" Ignoring her reaction, Matthew stepped forward with Vivienne's approval. "We've cfor one reason only. The Rivenwood Littletons, you haven't forgotten them, have you?" Nimue's pupils constricted, and she moved to close the door.

Matthew, quick to react, blocked it. She was no match for him, a woman in her fifties or sixties.

He pushed gently, and the old door swung open.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "The Littletons destroyed my son. Those bastards paid with their lives, jumping off a building. So, what, you're here to finish us off, to avenge them?" Nimue's eyes darted desperately as she sensed her defeat, and she swiftly changed her tune. "You can killif you want, but it won't change a thing! The Littletons, they've got it coming!" Vivienne's lashes fluttered, a glint of steel crossing her gaze, "Whether they had it coming or not isn't for you to say. We're here to get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago." She pulled Matthew aside and kicked the front door with a forceful thud.

The other door, previously shut tight, burst open with a thunderous noise and slammed against the wall.

"We're here to uncover the truth about an incident from over a decade ago, Vivienne declared, advancing toward Nimue. She followed her into the house, her eyes scanning over the four or five people who emerged-men and women, the oldest among them appeared to be Nimue's age, presumably her husband. And the others, close in age to Cormac, were likely his siblings. "Mom!" "Honey, what's going on?" Emrys Abernathy, his back hunched, shuffled forward with the support of his children, first casting a wary glance at Vivienne and her cohort. Then, his eyes settled on Nimue.

As her family appeared, Nimue suddenly crumpled to the floor, et slapping her thigh and bursting into tears. "Oh, my poor boy! Taken too soon because of those damned Littletons! And now they cto our door, bringing more misery to my life! Son, why didn't you takewith you? To sparethe sorrow of being tormented by these people in my old age! Honey, take the kids and run! Don't mind me―The Littletons are too powerful; we can't fight them!" Nimue cried out, signaling to Emrys with her tearful eyes. "Take the children and flee! I'll hold them off. Today, I will avenge our lost son!" Hearing her words, the three middle-aged individuals behind Emrys stepped forward with determination. "Mom, Dad, you guys get out of here! We'll take them on today, for our brother's sake!"