The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The Abernathy family's voices clashed like cymbals in a brass band gone rogue. Each member took turns stepping forward, yet not a single one was willing to really throw down.

Vivienne's patience wore thin with the cacophony. With a slight raise of her hand, Matthew seized the opportunity during the family's chaotic shift in positions to charge forward.

He grabbed one of them by the collar and hauled him over, his voice booming, "Keep it up, and I'll send this guy to meet his maker!" "You... you can't!" Nimue had thought they were cops here to crack the case. She didn't expect them to play so dirty, and Matthew's sudden burst of action left her speechless and stunned.

The remaining two, a pair of young bucks, froze in their tracks. Emrys, barely daring to breathe, stretched out a shaking finger toward Vivienne. "What in the world do you want?" Vivienne's eyes sparkled with scorn. "We're here to overturn the Littleton case." "That's impossible!" Nimue shot back, her voice like a whip crack, "The Littletons, those harbingers of disaster, they got what they deserved! To even think of overturning the case, you're dreaming!" Percival interjected, "We're not asking for your permission." "Wha-what?" Emrys gulped, his eyes meeting Vivienne's hawk-like fierce gaze, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He had a sinking feeling. Could they have found out his son wasn't dead? Vivienne's impatience flickered across her face as she casually cleaned her ear. "You have two choices: cwith us back to Rivenwood and recant your testimony, or we take you by force. Whether you get hurt in the process isn't my concern. Think about it." "How could the Littleton's remedies be anything but poison?" Nimue, despite the shiver Vivienne's icy gaze sent down her spine, stood her ground defiantly. "My son is dead because of them, and now you expectto lie for a murderer? How much did the Littletons pay you to sell your soul and do such vile deeds?" Vivienne let out a cold laugh. "Seems like you're not willing to cquietly." Percival flicked his wrist, tapping his watch twice.

Hidden allies sprang from the shadows, and a pack of young guns clad in tactical gear stormed into the Abernathy estate. Emrys had been timid moments ago, his eyes uncertain, but now his gaze hardened, and he stood tall, his voice filled with disdain, "You think you can intimidate the Abernathys with this motley crew? You're living in a dream!" "Damn, he's really an Abernathy!" Matthew's eyes widened in disbelief as Emrys' presence swelled with defiance. "What kind of family sends their own to rot away in this backwater?" Vivienne didn't say a word. At the moment Emrys made his move, she and Percival charged in.

"What? Are you from the ancient warrior lineage? Who sent you?" Emrys gasped after just one exchange with Vivienne, overwhelmed by the torrent of inner strength she possessed.

At twenty, he wasn't even half as skilled as this woman! Vivienne snorted. "You're not worthy of that knowledge." Her movements beceven more ruthless, every strike aimed at Emrys' vital points.

Percival, although not trained in ancient martial arts, was no slouch in a fight.

Emrys, now older and softened by years of rural living, stood no chance against their coordinated assault.

Percival, pressing the attack, shouted, "Now, Vivienne!" "Damn it!" As Emrys grappled with Percival, Vivienne closed in and struck his chest with her palm. Emrys' roar was cut short as he flew back like a leaf in the wind, crashing heavily to the ground.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team had subdued Nimue and the other two middle-agers.

Vivienne pulled a small vial from her pocket and handed it to Matthew. "Make them take this. Call Leopold; we're heading back to Rivenwood tonight." "You're wasting your breath! Even if you kill me, I won't reverse my testimony!" Nimue's shrill voice pierced the air, annoying Matthew to the point where he kicked her in the gut.

Vivienne dragged the unconscious Emrys from the ground. "This little pill is called the Gut-Melter. Without the antidote every day, your insides will start to rot, eaten away bit by bit unti nothing's left but a puddle of blood." Seeing Nimue's face go pale, Vivienne chuckled. "So save your energy, and don't bother struggling. Matthew, stay here and keep watch." With that said, Vivienne turned to leave Nimue behind. "Mr. Wolf, let's see what secrets this place holds." The Abernathy estate.

After Victoria and Harrison struck a deal, Sophie joined them.

Together, they entered the main hall, where they saw Gavin with two black ebony boxes laid before him.

Outside, the rain poured down as if the heavens had burst, and the boxes looked as though they had been unearthed from the mud, their yellow and black stains dripping onto the pristine floor.

Everything about them - their shape, their aura - seemed eerily familiar.

Victoria's brow furrowed with unease. "Dad, what's inside these?" Gavin, surprised to see her, glanced over at Harrison before replying.

Sensing the confusion in the old et man's eyes, Harrison chuckled and gently guided Victoria to take the seat of honor at his right. "Victoria stumbled upon the court summons the Littletons sent to me. I had no choice but to spill the beans." "The Littletons sent you a court summons? For what?" Thanks to the facade of a decent man he had been maintaining in front of Gavin, the old man didn't make much of a fuss about it. However, he was quite intrigued by what Harrison said next. "Kaitlyn is just trying to clear her father-in-law's name. She should be serving subpoenas to Zinnia, not us." Harrison gave a wry smile and shook his head as if to suggest it was all beyond him. "Maybe she's trying to overturn the Littletons' conviction." Sophie couldn't help but snort in derision. "Has Kaitlyn lost her mind? It's been over a decade, and she's still trying to clear the Littletons' name? What a joke!" Gavin didn't take it seriously either. "It seems she's truly desperate, resorting to such tactics to deflect public attention from Julian." He shook his head, smug and self-satisfied.

Feeling ignored, Victoria pressed again, "Dad, you still haven't answered my question. What's in there?" Gavin glanced at her and said, "Inside, there are the ashes of Kaitlyn's parents. If that girl doesn't care about her in-laws' reputation, she at least has to take care of her own parents' remains." "What are you planning to do?" Victoria's heart skipped a beat, a chill running down her spine.

Was Gavin even human? The Littleton parents had taken their lives jumping from a building because of his vile schemes, and now he had the audacity to exhtheir ashes! Wasn't he afraid of divine retribution? mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilofiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1