The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The butler supported Yorick, urging him to calm down, emphasizing that his well-being was paramount.

"Isn't there any way to prove Sasha's innocence?" Yorick asked, his voice heavy with concern.

Sasha, head bowed, forced aposed facade. "The voice in the recording isn't Al-generated. Instead, they prerecorded my voice and manipulated it to fabricate evidence. No matter how you investigate, it'll still point back to me." Yorick narrowed his eyes. "Sasha, you mentioned they prerecorded your voice. How did they manage to capture it?" After getting the full story from Sasha and Arthur, Yorick cursed under his breath. "The Wright family is a snake pit, and Alyssa is the worst of them! Not even as a gift to the Linklaters would she be weed, yet she dares to dream of marrying Arthur!" "Regardless, this scandal tarnishes the Linklater name. In my opinion, we should contact Hunter and have Alyssa personally debunk the fake recording," suggested Hailey Linklater, her face a mask of thunder.

Her gaze was sharp as she looked at Sasha. "Your carelessness has put our family's reputation at risk!" Arthur stepped in front of Sasha, his reply icy. "If you've got nothing helpful to say, then don't say anything at all. It's not like Sasha wanted this. She was framed, and as her family, we should be supporting her, not criticizing." Hailey scoffed, her expression darkening.

Vivienne leaned back, sipping her milk, her voice clear and melodic. "Aunt, there's no need to be so upset. This situation doesn't warrant Grandpa's personal involvement in seeking Hunter's help." Yorick's eyes brightened at Vivienne's words.

He wasn't opposed to asking Hunter for a favor.

But with Sasha trapped in this predicament, likely due to Alyssa Wright's scheming, how could he bring himself to ask? Vivienne continued, "I've carefully reviewed the surveillance footage. Alyssa passed the initial security check at the Linklater estate without issue, but the footage inside was tampered with and deleted. They thought they were being clever." "It means there's a mole within the Linklaters, someone who helped Alyssa by slipping her the recording device." Yorick glared, outraged. "So, we have a traitor in the Linklater family! Someone dares to betray me, targeting Sasha to aid Alyssa!" "If I find out who it is, I'll make them pay dearly!" Hailey's expression was unreadable as she watched Vivienne, staying silent throughout.

At this moment, the less said, the better, to avoid suspicion.

The family's silence was palpable, with Yorick glaring at each member, the tension undercutting the usual dining room chatter. Only Vivienne, with her fork gracefully segmenting her meal, seemed untouched by the turmoil, her demeanor aloof. With a smile and a pleasant voice, she reassured, "Grandpa, don't be upset. By the twe finish our midday nap, I'll have retrieved the deleted footage. This isn't an ordinary case of surveillance tampering; they were quite sophisticated and must have spent a pretty penny. But I've found a way in." "Once I have the results, I'll inform everyone. After all, I won't let anyone who harms my mother get away with it." Her voice grew sharp with the last words, sending shivers down the spines of the servants.

"Vivienne," Yorick declared, his voice resonating with authority, "I too won't let anyone who harms our family off the hook. Anyone who dares cross us is declaring war on the Linklaters!" After breakfast, everyone retreated to their rooms for rest.

Sasha and Vivienne exchanged a smile before separating.

Arm in arm, Arthur and Sasha headed to their bedroom. Inside, Sasha hummed a tune, unfazed by the online slander and attacks.

Arthur, looking every bit the dashing husband, deaned close to Sasha.

"Wife, I did quite well, didn't I? Perfectly played my part without even a heads-up from you and our daughter." Sasha cooed in response, "Your ability to adapt on the fly is unmatched in my eyes! Why would I need to brief you? Wouldn't that be underestimating you?" Arthur seemed appeased by her words, brushing off any hurt feelings.

Sasha mused aloud, "I wonder if we'll catch a big fish or a small fry this time?" Arthur smiled, his chin resting on Sasha's shoulder. "Big or small, we'll clear your name. Marrytomorrow." After lunch, Yorick and Hailey, showing their age, retired to their rooms for their customary midday rest, aided by the butler. Vivienne saw Yorick to his room before heading to her own for a brief respite.

Arthur and Sasha did the same.

Meanwhile, outside their rooms, stealthy footsteps approached.

A pair of eyes peeked through the door crack, surveying each person's peaceful slumber.

Then, from under the door, a small device emitted a faint smoke, deepening the occupants' sleep.

The perpetrator, after ensuring no evidence of their visit remained, walked away with a normal pace, leaving no trace.

Vivienne rolled over to lie on her side, her long lashes fluttering slightly before she suddenly opened her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

She gently opened her bedroom door to find Arthur and Sasha waiting for her outside.

Sasha tapped Vivienne's forehead lightly, "If you didn't wake up soon, I was about to believe you were out for the count!" Vivienne raised an eyebrow, a playful tone in her voice, "Well, you've got to make it believable!" The tfollowed the trail of their target, eventually reaching the surveillance area of the Linklater estate.

Vivienne wasn't surprised, just a bit disappointed. It seemed the big fish were always out of reach, and they were stuck chasing the small fry.

The man, masked, had knocked out the guard and sneaked into the surveillance room, frantically searching for the footage from that day.

Muttering to himself with a hint of desperation in his eyes, he grumbled, "Paid a fortune to have someone erase this, and yet, here am, made a fool of in front of Vivienne! Promisedit'd be el unrecoverable!" "Idiot, looks like I've got to take care of it myself." His fingers flew over the mouse, finding the day's footage and fast-forwarding to the relevant time.

What he saw on the screen made him panic and rush to leave.

But as he turned, he found Vivienne staring at him intently, amusement twinkling in her eyes, "Dracon, whatever are you doing here?"