The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Before Vivienne could address the situation, little Winston, who was snuggling in her arms, jolted at the sound, gripping her neck tighter, refusing to let go.

"Something wrong?" Vivienne inquired, looking at him.

Colin, with a serious expression, acknowledged, "I owe Ms. Hawthorn a big thank you for saving Winston!" Vivienne didn't care to waste any more time. Holding Winston close, she revealed Colin's true identity.

"I know all about your dealings. You haven't done much for Abigail, and it was you who leaked the news about the lab. Considering this, I'm willing to let you off the hook, but a thorough investigation is still necessary.e with us." Colin stiffened, realizing Vivienne knew everything about his actions.

As they stepped out of the hall, Draven reported that everything was normal with Hunter, who seemed to have been shocked into silence, unresponsive to any questioning.

Vivienne squinted, not buying that someone who hadn't managed to eliminate Abigail could be so easily traumatized.

"Take him away for solitary confinement," she ordered.

Draven nodded and led the team away.

As Percival was about to take Winston from Vivienne's arms, the boy clung even tighter.

"Sis, can I go hwith you? I'm scared here." Percival was at a loss for words.

"Of course." Vivienne didn't think twice before agreeing.

With Hunter captured and the rest of the Wright family proving to be unhinged, leaving Winston with them until Colin returned was like throwing a lamb to the wolves. His safety couldn't be guaranteed.

As they were about to leave, Percival smoothly took Winston into his arms, claiming he didn't want to tire Vivienne out.

The pair ahead whispered something to each other, and as they got into the car, Winston suddenly spoke up, "Sis, can I go stay with Auntie?" Vivienne paused before asking, "You want to go stay with my mom?" Winston nodded, "You and Percival are newlyweds, I don't want to be a bother. I'd like to stay with Auntie." Vivienne was speechless, realizing Percival had been filling the boy's head with these ideas.

Percival leaned in and quietly asked, "Madam, I know you're worried about Winston, but are you sure you're up to taking care of a child?" Vivienne was taken aback.

Continuing, Percival added, "A five-year-old might not need constant attention, but he can't be treated like an adult either. We're not prepared for this. What if we're missing something he needs?" Vivienne glanced at Winston, who looked like he wanted to say it wasn't necessary but remembered his brother's exact words and chose to stay quiet.

Eventually, the car headed to the Linklater residence. Upon learning about the situation with the Wright family, Sasha was heartbroken for Winston and wouldn't dream of sending him back.

Arthur didn't pry much into the Wright family's affairs, advising Vivienne to take her tand prioritize her safety above all else. Later, the couple broached the subject of when Vivienne planned to have a proper wedding celebration.

Vivienne dismissed the idea, feeling she had already done enough for the wedding and didn't see the need for more fuss. Percival wisely chose to remain silent.

Arthur, looking at Percival, couldn't hide his dissatisfaction. He had planned to take Sasha on a belated honeymoon abroad after his daughter's wedding, hoping to make up for missed opportunities in their youth. But now, concerned for his daughter's safety, he had postponed their plans, fearing for Vivienne's well-being in their absence.

At noon, Vivienne and Percival stayed for lunch with the Linklater family. Sasha and Arthur showered Winston with affection, one serving him food and the other feeding him, creating a harmonious scene.

Yorick, observing this, discreetly offered Vivienne sfood, their actions in sync without needing to discuss the morning's events.

The secret of Hailey being Abigail was safe with Yorick for now. Revealing it to Arthur at this point could cause an uproar, not because of the family ties, but because the prsuspect had been under their noses without their knowledge.

Vivienne felt there was a crucial piece of the puzzle missing regarding Abigail's identity, a detail apparent in Declan's protective stance towards her.

Suddenly, Vivienne thought of one person who might have answers - her unreliable master.

Given Declan's lineage as an ancient warrior, her master surely knew something.

After ensuring Winston was settled, Vivienne and Percival visited the Perez family to check on Natalia and Yasmine and to coax sinformation out of her master.

At the Perez residence, Jasper had just returned from Yuri's.

Upon Vivienne's arrival, Jasper reassured her about the little ones' well-being, mentioning they were currently napping under the care of her great uncle, advising her not to worry.

Vivienne, scanning the familiar courtyard, directly asked, "Grandpa, is my master here?" Jasper nodded, "He anticipated your visit. He's waiting for you out back." Laughing, Grandpa Joe glanced at Percival, leaving him with a proposal, "Percival, fancy a gof chess with me? It's just this old man at htoday, quite the quiet day it is." "Sure, Grandpa." Percival gave Vivienne a reassuring nod, signaling her to go ahead; he'd wait outside.

In the backyard, Finn sat in front of a chessboard, his expression twisted in concentration.

Vivienne watched him for a moment from behind before suddenly speaking up, "Moving forward leads to a dead end, retreating means losing. Don't waste your time." Finn jumped, startled, "You little rascal, couldn't you have announced your presence, Master Finn? Trying to scare the life out of an old man, don't you know it's bad to startle someone who's focusing!" Vivienne remained unphased, sitting opposite him and pouring a cup of tea for both, giving her mentor a cool look, "If you could be scared to death, you wouldn't have faked your death to foolfor so many years." Finn, "..." Let's not bring that up again.

Taking the tea, he asked gruffly, "Alright, spit it out. What do you need?" Vivienne got straight to the point, "Abigail's gone missing." Finn shrugged it off, "So she's missing, as long as she hasn't been caught, she'll show up eventually." Vivienne, of course, knew this. What she needed were all the secrets 1.n behind Abigail, to know her enemy well to defeat them in one fell swoop, "My mom said you know the origin of that special symbol the one related to Abigail." Finn smirked, huffing, "Like mother, like daughter, huh? Do you all think I've got too much free ton my hands? What's in it forif I tell you?" Vivienne said earnestly, "At the baby's christening, I might let you off with contributing less." Finn, who had just taken a sip of tea, almost choked, the liquid barely missing the chessboard, "You have a kid?" Vivienne instinctively protected her cup, calmly stating, "Not yet, I'm talking about the future." Finn, "..." True to form, the student who resembled him most, pulling a fast one-getting something for nothing, even more adept than himself.

After this exchange, Finn sighed, resigned, "I do recall something about that symbol, though it's been a while. Not sure if it's the sclan you're referring to with this Abigail."