The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne nodded, although she wasn't afraid of Harrison. But now that she was working for the government, she had to tone down her usual aggressive tactics.

Just thinking about it made her feel queasy.

It was a moment of madness that had her agreeing to set up a team for the officials. Now every move she made had to be considered through the lens of her new position.

Life used to be simpler. Without this official title, she could have given Harrison and Gavin and their gang a far more creative send-off.

Percival could tell what she was thinking with just one glance. He tapped Vivienne's nose playfully and said, "Times have changed, Vivienne. There's a lot of unknown dangers out there, and we can't be as reckless as we used to be." Vivienne raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Was she being reckless? Was she? Well, not really.

Although, she did indeed have to play her cards close to the chest until she figured out who the big boss behind the scenes was and what their agenda entailed.

She smoothed her frown away, recalling something Victoria had mentioned a few days ago. Turning her head, she brought her lips close to Percival's ear, whispering softly.

The warmth of her breath tickled his ear, quickly turning his skin a shade of pink. His arms, which were wrapped around her waist, tightened ever so slightly. His hands, restless and wandering, climbed higher up her back.

Percival's eyes darkened with danger, his Adam's apple bobbing, a dry thirst overwhelming him, his focus entirely fixated on Vivienne's lips. He wanted to kiss her.

The thought burst through his mind with urgency.

They had been so busy dealing with Kaitlyn's situation that they had hardly had a moment of peace, let alone a good night's sleep.

Percival's long fingers traced Vivienne's eyes gently. She frowned slightly, unable to resist the ticklish sensation, and stopped his wandering hands in their tracks.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously, "Mr. Wolf, are you even listening to me?" Her voice always carried a hint of coquetry when she spoke to him, which was as intoxicating as the most potent aphrodisiac to any man. Percival's lips curved into a smirk as he held her chin, "I heard every word, and it's all up here." He tapped his temple, "But right now, I have other matters to attend to." His husky voice, laced with seduction, made her ears burn and her grip on his hand tightened.

As his hands roamed freely over her, Vivienne couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

At this moment, if her mind were on anything else, it would be a cragainst nature! Vivienne's eyes widened and, with a quick turn, she slipped off her shoes, and in a fluid motion, she had the handsy Percival pinned beneath her.

Her hands pressed against his chest, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with allure. She leaned in close, her fingers playfully teasing open his shirt buttons, "Mr. Wolf, how about you listen totoday? Lettake the lead, hmm?" Her delicate fingers began to wander lower.

Percival's eyes roiled with desire, and without hesitation, he agreed to Vivienne's proposal. His little minx always had more tricks up her sleeve for such moments.

His hands firmly grasped her waist, red marks forming on her skin.

The chandelier overhead flickered with their movements, casting scattered light across the room. Vivienne, glistening with sweat, finally succumbed to exhaustion and was carried back to the bedroom in Percival's arms.

It wasn't until dawn that they finally ceased their passionate embrace.

They slept until noon, awoken by the relentless ringing of the old man's phone, urging them to get up and get moving.

When they arrived at the designated meeting place, Harrison and the others had been waiting for who knows how long.

Victoria tried to hide her irritation with a strained smile, "Do you guys even have a sense of time? Why are you just getting here now?" Vivienne, arm in arm with Percival, took her seat beside Richard, her gaze coolly sweeping across the table.

Harrison met her look, and alarm bells started Kinging in his head. On one side was the humiliation of being kicked last time, and on the other was a wary respect for Percival. The two emotions Ovel intermingled, making it hard for his chilly eyes to show any warmth.

But still, he touched Victoria's hand in pretense of politeness, "Victoria, don't be so harsh. Ms. Hawthorn and Mr. Ellington are your close cousins; we're all family here. Whatever you need, we can wait." Richard glanced sideways, seemingly in agreement with Harrison, "That's right, we're all family. Victoria, didn't you say you had something to ask of Percival and Vivienne? Now that they're here, just lay it out." Vivienne raised an eyebrow, her gaze dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, so it's a favor you need. And here I thought from your tone earlier you wanted to pick a fight." Percival remained silent. But his hand rested on Vivienne's shoulder, and when she spoke, he subtly nodded in agreement.

Obviously, he shared her sentiment.

Victoria's expression froze, her eyes a tumult of resentment and frustration.

Harrison looked on indifferently, his forced smile never slipping from his face.

Vivienne clearly saw him glance at Victoria, who, after a fleeting scowl at Harrison, turned back to her with a look of humiliation. Her voice, incongruously soft compared to her expression, barely concealed her discomfort, "We did cto ask a faver. I heard that my dear cousin was planning to sue Harrison over Kaitlyn's issue. I was hoping you could persuade Kaitlyn to drop the lawsuit." "Lawsuit? What lawsuit?" Richard feigned ignorance.

Percival gave the old man an exasperated look, well aware that he was no stranger to the internet.

The old man's acting was quite impressive. If it weren't for the fact that he had laid out the whole situation for Richard the day before, even Percival might have been taken in by his pretense.

Harrison's eyes flashed with determination, "Grandpa, here's the thing... This matter was originally a private issue between Mrs. Littleton andhad no hand in the shady deals her father was involved in. Just because I was lucky enough to avoid jail, Mrs. Littleton has held a grudge against me. Honestly, I never saw that coming." His expression was earnest. "What I didn't expect was for my cousin-in-law to actually believe Mrs. Littleton's words, and now, she's trying to overturn the case for her." "Cousin-in-law?" Vivienne glanced at him with an air of nonchalance. "If Victoria is indeed a cousin to the esteemed Mr. Wolf of our family, we'll acknowledge that. But you—I don't. Please, dothe courtesy of callingMs. Hawthorn." Her gaze softened, her voice cold. "With a cousin-in-law like you, it wouldn't be a laughing matter if one day, due to smisfortune, the Ellington family found itself in ruins." Harrison's expression darkened. "I've said before, I had nothing to do with what happened back then!" "So, what exactly are you pleading for?" Percival retorted coldly.

Harrison's gaze dimmed as he straightened up, looking at Richard with sincere intensity.

Victoria caught his look, rolled her eyes secretly, and stood up to sit beside Richard. Imitating the way Sophie would have done it, she started to dab at her eyes, feigning tears. "It's all my fault."