The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

A week later, at the celebration gala of Betrothed Understud’s billion-dollar achievement.

Vivienne, the invisible power behind Rainbow Entertainment, chose to attend the party from the shadows, in keeping with her elusive persona.

However, generous as ever, she gifted a whopping 30 million dollars as a bonus for the film's smashing success.

“Boss, we're talking a billion-dollar hit here! As the lead investor, Rainbow Entertainment is swimming in dough, and you only give out 30 million?” Darren quipped, balancing a parrot on his shoulder, always quick with a joke.

Vivienne had not seen this goofy bird in ages and actually missed it a bit. She reached out to pet it.

But the parrot, now plump and haughty from Darren’s care, dodged her hand.

Raising an eyebrow, Vivienne retorted, “That 30 million is coming out of your bonus, Darren. Looks like your feathered friend there is going on a diet!” The parrot squawked in protest. “Brat! Brat!” That was the parrot’s usual cry upon seeing Vivienne. Whenever it saw Finnian, it would call out, “Old Geezer!” The parrot had a unique nicknfor each disciple, earning it more than a few feather-plucking sessions at the hands of Leopold and the others.

Vivienne tapped the parrot’s head. “Pretending you don’t see me? You're asking for trouble.” “Boss, it's not my fault it's misbehaving; you can’t dock that from my bonus! I've promised my mom I'd cut her off from my expenses. If | lose that bonus, I'll starve!” Darren pleaded.

Vivienne, pretending not to hear, ignored him completely.

That would teach him to be cheeky.

“Stirring up trouble with the boss again?” Kala countereder ina matching outfit with Stephen, the on-screen couple from the film.

The party was being streamed live, and the fans, especially those shipping the lead pair, would not miss it for the world.

As Darren often said, Kala and Stephen never missed a chance to fuel their fans’ fantasies and boost sales.

“Helpout, Kala. | can’t afford to lose that bonus!” Darren passed the parrot to her. “If you speak up for me, Birdie’s yours.” Kala rolled her eyes. “Keep your dumb bird, and try picking a decent nfor once.” Darren was notorious for his lack of creativity with names: the parrot was “Birdie,” his sheepdog “Pooch,” and his American Shorthair “Kitty.” He went straight to the essence of things.

Darren looked pleadingly at Stephen, who simply cupped his ears, “Sorry, bro. When it comes to the boss, my hands are tied.” Kala did not bother with the drama and instead whisked Vivienne away to chat.

“The studio’s got a few scripts forto consider. | want to pick carefully. The ffrom this last project was hard-won, and once we wrap up, Stephen and my on-screen romance will end. So, I'm thinking my next role should be a solo act—what do you think?” Vivienne never meddled in her employees’ careers—as long as they made money, that was all that mattered to her.

Vivienne was unabashedly money-minded.

“Whatever works. Discuss it with your agent. As long as it brings in the cash, you have my blessing,” Vivienne said, blinking away any pretense of not being a slave to the almighty dollar.

Suddenly, a gasp rippled through the crowd.

“Oh my God, it’s Mr. Ellington! He just gifted 50 million—what a legend!” Vivienne glanced over, her expression souring at Mr. Wolf's extravagance.

Though half of that donation would eventually land in her pocket, it seemed like taking wool from the sheep’s back. She would need to school him on frugality later.

She was about to greet him when Darren's parrot burst into a frenzied chant, “Old Geezer! Old Geezer!” That nicknwas reserved for Finnian, whom the parrot would recognize by scent, no matter the disguise.

Vivienne spun around to see everyone marveling at the parrot while one figure quietly slipped away in the opposite direction.

Her fist clenched, and she called to Percival, “Catch him!” Percival, clueless but obedient, gave chase.

Meanwhile, the parrot kept up its chant, driving Darren to muffle its beak. “Shut it, you dumb bird! There is no old geezer here, just young men and ladies. Don’t make enemies for me.” The parrot only squawked louder, and soon, Percival dragged back a man, but he turned out to just be a crew member.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

However, the next moment, all the crew members wearing the suniform scattered in all directions.

Percival shrugged off his coat. “I'll bring the right guy back.” Vivienne stopped him. “No need. We have a bird.” “Huh?” Percival looked at Darren’s parrot, confused. “That bird?” Vivienne nodded with a smile. “Yes, this bird!” She approached Darren, whispered to the parrot, and then let it loose. The bird flew into the crowd, causing a stir as people dodged its path.

Darren cringed, aware of the live cameras. The headlines would surely read: [Darren brings pet bird to gala, which suddenly goes berserk!] “Boss, what did you tell that bird? It’s gone mad!” Darren had never seen it act this way.

Vivienne settled back, sipping her drink, “Don’t worry about it.” At that moment, the parrot darted toward someone in the crowd, moving with the speed of a cat that had just spotted a mouse. It landed squarely on the unsuspecting person’s head in a swift move.

With its sharp beak, the bird pecked aggressively at the man’s scalp while squawking, “Old Geezer! Old Geezer!” The man, who had been sipping his champagne with poise, now found himself in a frantic attempt to dodge the unexpected assault from Birdie.

Vivienne watched the man’s fancy footwork, recognizing it immediately as Finnian’s signature shuffle. She was the only one who had mastered it among all his disciples.

However, she had never had the chance to use it because that particular shuffle was something Finnian had developed for brawling and making quick getaways.

And Vivienne? She had never run away from anything.

“Mr. Wolf, bring that man here,” Vivienne commanded, cracking her knuckles, a glint of frost in her eyes.