The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In Victoria's backyard.

The room was a spacious forty square meters, with two king-sized beds laid out like in a hotel double room.

Victoria and Harrison each claimed a bed, with a couple of nightstands separating them, a casual gap that nonetheless felt like a chasm.

The room was brightly lit, and as Victoria scrolled through her phone, she suddenly sat up and turned to Harrison. "Why did you helptoday?" Harrison's fingers paused on the page he was flipping, and he looked up with a bemused expression. "You're my wife, aren't you? Who else am I supposed to help, Sophie? Let's face it, I'm your husband, at least on paper. Our interests are aligned, and besides, we're in this business deal together, right?" The man gave a small, secretive smile, the lamplight casting twinkling stars in his eyes.

You had to admit, Harrison had a certain charm about him.

No wonder Kaitlyn was completely taken in by him back when he was just a twenty-something.

Victoria would have been defenseless too.

Lost in thought, her gaze still wary as she eyed Harrison, she quipped, "Playing the doting husband now, are we?" "Well, now that you've seen behind the mask, what's the point in keeping it up?" Harrison's eyes returned to his book without lifting his head.

After a brief pause, he looked up again. "By the way, about Richard Ellington, I've made contact. Tomorrow, you'll meet him." "What?!" Victoria leapt from the bed, her eyes wide with shock. "Hold on, you-why? How did you even get close to the Ellingtons? Does Richard know who you are? Did he not toss you out on your ear?!" She was like a startled calico cat, all puffed up and prickly.

Harrison's eyes flickered with amusement. "I'm not sGavin. Why would Richard want to throwout? I took a strand of your hair and had a little DNA testing done." His voice was low and emotionless. "He's over the moon to know you're his granddaughter. Why would he turn away his grandson-in-law?" Victoria could hardly believe it. She had barely been back to the Abernathy estate these past few days. When on earth had Harrison taken her hair? As if her shock wasn't profound enough, Harrison continued, "He also said to tell you to forget the past, who your father is. As long as you're Holly's daughter, he's willing to welcyou. The doors of the Ellington Estate are always open for you.

So, Victoria. Don't letdown, okay? The lawsuit, my reputation, it's all in your hands now. You wouldn't want a husband who is smeared online as a homewrecker, a white lotus, now would you?" Victoria frowned and shot him a glance, suspecting that Harrison desired more than just a restoration of his name.

At the Ellington Estate.

Vivienne had just received a call from Percival while still on her way back to the mansion.

The sudden news that the patriarch wanted them hfor dinner caught her off-guard, but she agreed without hesitation.

After ensuring Kaitlyn was safely home, she checked on Tyler's injuries and made a quick stop at the lab before arriving at the Ellington Estate around six in the evening.

Percival was already waiting in the living room.

It wasn't just Percival; nearly everyone who could make it from the Ellington family was there.

"Vivienne!" The moment she stepped through the door, Isolde Ellington crunning over, beaming. She hugged Vivienne's legs, pushing past Percival by more than a step. "I've missed you so much. You never chto see me." The little girl pouted up at her, only to be playfully scolded by the approaching Percival. "Vivienne's been busy, Isolde. Not everyone has the luxury of lounging around all day like you." Defensively, Isolde puffed out her cheeks. "I do not! I study hard every day." "Eating and sleeping, that's what you do," Percival teased, making her sound like a little piggy.

Alright, enough," Richard said with a mile, watching them settle down before turning serious. "Stop your ›ickering. I've called you here for a eason. Holly's daughter cto seetoday, and I want Percival and Vivienne to accompanyto neet her tomorrow. There's going t e a dinner after the meeting, and every member of the Ellington family hould be there. That's all I have to say. You may leave now." Content elongs to englishWith that, the old man briskly Iscended the stairs, as if to avoid iny dissent from Vivienne and the >thers. By the tthey regained heir composure and thought to nquire further, Richard had vanishesight. ¿wVivienne suppressed a sigh, a mix of frustration and bemusement on her face, "Grandpa really has a way of..." Percival moved closer, taking a stool beside her, a shadow of concern flickering across his eyes.

Before Cecilia could speak up, Percival stood, taking his wife by the hand. "Well, if there's nothing else, Mom, Dad, Vivienne and I will head back." He swiftly followed his grandfather's example, not waiting for a response from Nathan and Cecilia before briskly walking away.

"Mr. Wolf, what's the big rush?" Vivienne snapped back to reality, already stuffed into the car.

The black sedan rolled out of the courtyard smoothly, and she glanced back at Isolde, who was stomping her foot in frustration, a bemused tone in her voice.

Percival gripped her hand tightly, "I'll tell you all about it when we get back." Back at the apartment.

Vivienne barely had tto kick off her shoes before Percival pulled her down onto the living room sofa, "The visitor at grandpa's today was Harrison." "Harrison?" Vivienne's brows lifted in mild surprise, "He's got free ton his hands? Instead of figuring out how to cover up the truth, he's actually got the nerve to csee grandpa?" Percival wrapped his arms around his wife, chin resting on her shoulder, "Vivienne, have you ever considered that him pushing for Victoria to reconnect with the family might be all about the lawsuit?" Vivienne replied skeptically, "Then I'd say his thinking is a bit off. If I were him, I'd be in a frantic rush to silence all the eyewitnesses, or at the very least, move them to a new location. Of course, that's unless he has no clue where Cormac Abernathy and the rest are hiding." Percival nodded slowly, clearly in agreement with Vivienne's line of thought, "He's probably trying to play the sympathy card, get us to back off from Kaitlyn's case." "The sympathy card?" Vivienne burst out laughing, "Since when does he have any emotional leverage with me?" Percival chuckled along, "We're not sure what his exact motives are yet, but you better stay sharp these next few days."