The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Arthur found himself in a rather awkward spot thanks to Vivienne's sharp tongue. The snickers from the bystanders didn't escape his notice, but a swift glance from him was enough to silence them.

He sighed internally as he looked back at Vivienne, "You remindof someone I used to know. I asked for a picture of your mother because I needed to confirm if she was the person I'm thinking of." Under normal circumstances, Vivienne's tone would have irked him. But the striking resemblance she bore to someone he dearly missed melted away any prejudice he might have harbored against her.

It was unlike him to explain himself, yet here he was, patiently doing just that with Vivienne. He didn't have the tto dig around for clues. Returning to Rivenwood and coming up empty-handed was frustrating enough. It was easier to just ask Vivienne directly. Both Vivienne and Percival were taken aback by his request. Vivienne scrutinized Arthur, but there was no hint of him in her features, which were a mirror image of her mother, Karen's best traits. No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see the resemblance Arthur spoke of.

Vivienne frowned slightly, then said, "My mom wasn't fond of taking pictures... we don't have any." Before she could finish, Arthur interjected eagerly, "Where is she? Can I meet her?" "In my lab," Vivienne replied, though she had no intention of answering at first. Yet, for sreason, she found herself divulging the information, convinced she had lost her mind.

"I'll go right now," Arthur said, turning to leave.

Vivienne suddenly called out, "You can't take Harrison and Gavin with you!" She didn't expect Arthur to agree, but to her surprise, he waved off the concern with a grand gesture, "Fine, fine, they're yours!" Arthur's entourage was left bewildered. So, what was this all about? A wasted journey? Arthur then left with his people, leaving Vivienne and the rest with puzzled expressions. Was that it? No tic showdown? Leopold approached Vivienne, his expression serious, "Vivienne, what do you think Arthur, the War God, is up to with all this?" He couldn't make heads or tails of Arthur's intentions. From his initial actions, it seemed like he was there to claim Harrison and Gavin. Given Arthur's reputation, he wouldn't easily back down, regardless of who was involved.

But throughout his conversation with Vivienne, Arthur's focus was solely on confirming if Vivienne knew Winnie and asking for a picture of her mother. Harrison and Gavin weren't even mentioned. And then he simply handed them over to Vivienne? It was baffling.

Vivienne's gaze was pensive, her long lashes casting shadows over her delicate cheeks, her expression unreadable.

Percival gently took her hand, his voice soft, "I'll verify it. If it's true, you don't have to acknowledge it." Vivienne met his gaze, her eyes deep and understanding, as if he could see right through her. She smiled, a radiant, captivating smile, "Even if it's true, I won't acknowledge it." She and Percival had been searching for her biological father with no leads. When Arthur mentioned her resemblance to his friend, she had an inkling. Her face bore a striking ninety percent resemblance to Karen's. Others had recognized her as Karen's daughter through her appearance, but no one had ever mentioned Winnie before. That nwas unknown even to Vivienne.

When Arthur brought up Winnie, she didn't think much of it. But as soon as he asked for a picture of her mother, she guessed there might be a connection.

With the news of her mother's supposed death spread wide, GTO had captured everyone involved. Now, with her mother still in a coma, no one would look for her, except to use her mother as leverage against her. No one would ask for her mother's picture simply because of her resemblance. In that moment, she suspected Arthur had srelation to her mother.

Whether he was her father, she couldn't say until a paternity test was done. But...

Even if the test confirmed their elation, she wouldn't acknowledge t. She had wanted to find her ›iological father, even if he was an ›rdinary man, partly for her mother's sake, and partly for her wedding with Mr. Wolf, which had to proceed as er mother wished-with her iological father present. But she ad hoped for a father she could ook forward to meeting. No one could understand the feeling of mptiness she felt seeing others vith their fathers. Content belongs o englishShe would rather have an ordinary father, unable to make up for twenty years of absence, than have Arthur be that man. Why? Because he was the War God.

Because her mother was his subordinate, and he never knew Karen was Winnie. Because if he had cared, her mother wouldn't have had to fight alone for so many years, and she wouldn't have been confined to Emerald Mountain for a decade. Because her mother had infiltrated the Brooks family for years, meeting him in secret multiple times, yet he never realized Scott Brooks's girlfriend was Karen. Because...

She couldn't forgive him.

Percival saw the sparkle in Vivienne's smile but felt a pang in his heart. Her smile was dazzling, yet he sensed a hint of resentment. He touched her head gently, his voice tender, "As you wish.” Vivienne nodded.

Leopold was completely in the dark, trying to make heads or tails of their cryptic conversation. He glanced at Thomas, who just shrugged, equally clueless. Percival and Vivienne's thought processes were on ཞ་ wavelength that mere mortals couldn't tune into. Leopold sighed, turning to Vivienne, "What about Harrison and Gavin, Vivienne?" Vivienne's gaze drifted back from the distant figures of Harrison and Gavin, her expression unreadable, "Let them go." "Let them go?" Leopold gasped, "But we've got all the evidence we need, we were just short of sentencing. Isn't letting them go now undoing all our hard work?" "The judge has left the building. Do you plan to drag him back for a do-over?" Vivienne replied. Leopold was at a loss for words, "I wouldn't dare, but surely we can't just let them walk free?" Vivienne didn't respond, just pocketed her hands and started walking away, "Con!" Leopold followed, bewildered.

As they reached the door, Vivienne stopped and looked back at Harrison and Gavin, who appeared visibly rattled inside the courtroom, her gaze icy.

Then, turning to Leopold, she announced, "Tto wrap this up. We're going after Samantha!" Leopold stammered, "What? How?" This was not the turn of events he had anticipated. Wasn't Samantha supposed to be hiding out of sight, practically untraceable? And now they were moving in to capture her? Vivienne didn't bother to explain, simply stepping into the car.