The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne smirked, her voice carrying an air of nonchalance, "When you stir things up, the rats cout of hiding. Otherwise, how can a cat likefind them?" The whole issue with Sadie and Julian didn't need to be this complicated. She could have easily dug up the past with her hacking skills.

But she chose not to.

This entire affair was a bit foolish, not at all her usual style.

As Mr. Wolf often said, it was tto keep a low profile.

But the purpose of laying low was to draw out the person behind the scenes.

Samantha had been off the grid for a while. Vivienne thought it wouldn't take long for her to resurface, but she was proving more patient than expected, her whereabouts still a mystery.

Even the man behind Samantha was an enigma to her.

However, based on the clues she had, whoever was aiding Samantha was among a few prominent families. As for which one, she still needed more tto determine. The moment wasn't ripe yet.

Finnian, wide-eyed, wondered how he could've missed such a simple truth.

"But aren't you worried about tipping them off? That they'll hide everything away?" he asked.

Percival's eyes curved slightly, his deep, magnetic voice speaking for Vivienne, "Stirring the pot isn't always a bad thing." Finnian went silent, then said, "But that doesn't mean the snake will cout." Vivienne picked up the coffee Zelda had poured for her and took a sip, "We know too little about the ancient warrior lineage. It's tto tear a hole through the Abernathy family's defenses." It was tto force Samantha into the open.

One Samantha wasn't a concern, but her ability to concoct potions, and the ancient warrior lineage behind her, was another story. If she were to develop a potion harmful to society and hand it over to the ancient warrior lineage, it could lead to chaos.

Luke Perez nodded, "The local businesses, tax evasion, fire safety - they're all low-hanging fruit. Vivienne plans to use these tactics against the other ancient warrior lineages. It's all part of her strategy." "See, old man?" Jasper Perez laughed after hearing Vivienne's plan, "My granddaughter's got brains. You think everyone's like you? Just loafing around our house, mooching off us!" "And you were nowhere to be seen when the Grimshaw family cknocking!" Finnian glanced at him, "If I had stepped in, Oliver Grimshaw wouldn't have left so easily." "I was lightening your load, and now you're blaming me!" "Hey, you..." "Vivienne, aren't you going to bring out that ancient book?" Percival interjected, seeing Jasper and Finnian about to bicker. "Oh, right." Vivienne remembered her purpose and took out an old, yellowed book from her bag, "Grandpa, I found this at the Brooks family's place by chance. Kaitlyn said it's written in the ancient warrior lineage's script. Do you recognize any of it?" Unlike a deliberately aged bamboo slip, this book was genuinely old, its cover nearly falling apart. Yet, because it had been well- preserved, its contents were still legible, though the entire book exuded a sense of history unearthed.

The Perez family siblings, educated in contemporary knowledge, had never seen anything like it.

Yuri Perez, sitting closest to Vivienne, took the book and scrutinized it. The dense text made his head spin, and eventually, he passed it to Maddox Perez, "Can you understand this?" Maddox gave him a look, "Do I look like I know?" "Just hand it over to Dad. Vivienne didn't expect you guys to help translate anyway," Fredrick Perez snatched the book, nearly dismantling the antique.

Under Alice Churchill's disapproving gaze, he chuckled awkwardly and quickly handed it to Jasper.

The old man's expression changed upon glancing at the book.

"How did the Brooks family cby this?!" Finnian, ignored by the others, lost interest in arguing. He resettled next to Jasper, peering at the ancient script, "I recognize sof these symbols, but I can't read the whole thing. Jasper, can you?" Jasper shook his head, "This thing's at least a hundred years old. I wasn't even born then. How could I know?" Percival held Vivienne's hand, "It seems you recognize this book, Grandpa?" Jasper sighed, "I've seen it in our family's ancient texts. A hundred years ago, someone from the ancient warrior lineage compiled a grimoire combining the strengths of various families. It caused quite a stir, leading to fierce competition for it Eventually, it was lost. I never imagined it would turn up with the Brooks family." Vivienne understood.

No wonder Scott Brooks had kept the book in a safe. He must have been interested in the ancient warrior lineage for stime.

Or perhaps, it wasn't Scott who was interested in the ancient warrior lineage, but Samantha.

This woman had always sought immortality.

There was no way they weren't going to target the ancient warrior lineage in their quest for eternal youth.

Looking back, Samantha wasn't just unable to escape; it seemed more like she chose not to. She must have been certain that someone would cto her rescue.

And Vivienne, she had underestimated Samantha's strength.

But Vivienne couldn't shake off the feeling that Samantha's agenda wasn't just about seeking eternal life. She suspected a deeper conspiracy, one that involved not just the ancient warrior lineage but also several influential families.

Vivienne narrowed her eyes, musing over Samantha's moves. Not only el.1 was her ability to disguise herself impressive, but her acting skills were top-notch too. Vivienne prided herself on being able to see through people's acts, yet here she was, outsmarted and even helped her adversary escape unwittingly. "I've got it!" Finnian suddenly slapped his thigh, startling Jasper so much that he dropped the book he was holding with a loud thud. Glared at by everyone, Finnian's face turned red. He quickly bent down to pick up the book, "Watch that look, young lady. I'll have you know I've figured out a way to decode this book. Keep givingthat attitude, and I might just keep it to myself." Vivienne's eyes lit up. "You have a way?" "Of course!" Finnian straightened up, leaning on his cane and coughing twice for effect. "I have a vast collection of treasures. It just hit me; I have a dictionary of the ancient warrior lineage in my library. It explains in detail the translation techniques between the ancient warrior lineage and modern text." Percival perked up at this. "Is that book still in the library?" "Absolutely! I've hidden it in a secret spot. Whenever you're free, cwithback to the library, and we'll retrieve it," Finnian confirmed.

Vivienne didn't want to waste any time. "I'll have Matthew accompany you. Set off tomorrow." For sreason, the thought of this book made her uneasy.

What exactly was Samantha up to? Vivienne knew she had to figure it out, or else they were all in for a world of trouble.