The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Declan suddenly looked up, "I don't believe you've managed to shatter the Millennia Aegis.' Vivienne arched an eyebrow, "The shards of the Millennia Aegis are right here in my hand. Would you like to see for yourself?" A flicker of hesitation crossed Declan's eyes, but he quickly pressed on, "Where is she?" Vivienne knew exactly who he was asking about.

With a cold laugh and her eyes sharp as ice, she said, "If she's not dead, she's probably licking her wounds in sremote forest corner. But without a proper heart to heal, she might resort to devouring the hearts of animals. Or worse, she might not be picky at all." Declan frowned, his tone icy, "That's impossible!" Vivienne sighed, "You've gone to great lengths to keep all these secrets from the Watson family. How could I not retaliate against someone who's after my life?" "You!" Shock flashed in Declan's eyes, his face betraying his emotions, "You've actually dug into the Watson family!" Vivienne had expected this reaction. "If I'm not mistaken, Derek probably stumbled upon your real motive behind building up the Wright family, leading to his untimely demise... The so-called disease of worry was just your cover-up after poisoning him." Realizing his emotions had betrayed him, Declan fell silent.

His mind, however, was in turmoil.

He hadn't expected Vivienne to investigate him so thoroughly.

Having gotten the reaction she wanted, Vivienne walked out without further delay.

Outside, Draven was waiting.

"Keep an eye on him. Don't miss any detail," Vivienne instructed before turning to enter the adjoining dark room where Percival was monitoring sequipment.

On the large electronic screen on the wall was Declan's image.

Hearing Vivienne's approach, Percival turned, "Just as you suspected. The equipment only reacted when the Watson family and Winston were mentioned." Vivienne's eyes narrowed slightly.

The bait was thrown. Whether it would lure Abigail out depended on how important the remnants of the Wright family were to her. Handing off the equipment to a technician, Percival wrapped Vivienne in his coat, "It's too cold here for you. Let's go back." Feeling Mr. Wolf's warmth envelop her, Vivienne nodded, and they left.

On the way back, the scent of something delicious wafted to Vivienne, making her stomach growl.

"Thomas, stop the car!" Startled, Thomas braked sharply, thankfully without causing an accident.

"What's wrong, ma'am?" Thomas and Percival both looked concerned.

"I'm hungry!" Vivienne announced, clutching her stomach.

Percival glanced at the food street outside, then smiled, "What would you like to eat?" "Something sour." "Sour?" Percival's smile grew, "Seems my prediction was off." Realizing the implication, Vivienne dismissed it, "Don't believe in those." After stopping the car, the tantalizing aroma was even stronger. Following it, Vivienne and Percival found themselves in front of a quaint little diner, its sign reading "Pickled Fish" in faded letters.

That was the scent.

Percival personally checked the kitchen for cleanliness before ordering.

Despite the diner's modest exterior, the inside was clean, and they ordered a variety of dishes.

When the food arrived, Vivienne was astounded, "Are you sure we can finish all this?" Percival calmly served her a piece of tender fish, "Don't worry, if we can't finish, Thomas will. He likes spicy and sour dishes." After eating, Percival packed up the leftovers for Thomas, joking about his supposed taste preferences.

Feeling unexpectedly full and cozy in the car, Vivienne soon fell asleep leaning on Mr. Wolf.

They reached the villa without waking her, and Percival carefully carried her to bed, her sleepy grip tightening on his hand, "Mr. Wolf, stay with me." Touched by her vulnerability, Percival agreed softly, "Okay." That night, Vivienne slept deeply and peacefully.

The next day, they went to the hospital for a checkup, owned by the Ellington family, with Percival by her side the whole time.

His imposing presence filled the room, leaving the staff tense with the pressure of not displeasing the powerful man behind them.

Vivienne rolled her eyes, finding the situation increasingly absurd. From the moment Mr. Wolf stepped into the room, the tension on his face had layered up, almost palpable. en.kikistories With a sigh, she turned to the doctor beside her, "Just do your thing, don't mind him." The female doctor managed a stiff smile, clearly wanting to ignore the tense atmosphere but equally afraid to do so.

Suddenly, Percival asked in a low voice, "Where's the baby?" Vivienne was speechless.

The doctor's hand shook a bit as she pointed to a tiny spot on the monitor, "This... this is the baby. The embryo is developing well." Percival peered closely, then asked with genuine curiosity, "Is this pulsing dot the baby's heart?" The doctor nodded.

"Can we listen to the heartbeat?" Quickly, she positioned the equipment accurately.

At first, the heartbeat was a frantic thumping sound, but soon it steadied into a strong, rhythmic beat.

Not only was Percival fascinated, but even Vivienne found herself moved by the powerful heartbeats.

The baby was healthy.

After the examination, Vivienne practically shoved the visitors out. If she let Mr. Wolf keep asking questions, she'd never get to leave.

When the results were ready, Mr. Wolf headed to the doctor's office.

Vivienne waited outside on a chair.

She was a doctor; she knew what those medical jargons meant without even looking at them.

Yet Mr. Wolf was exceptionally meticulous, always needing to go through the details with the doctor in the office.

She just let him be.

Suddenly, Leopold called.

He mentioned that the hotel was booked for the engagement party the day after tomorrow, and that he had already informed her mentor and senior brother.

They decided not to send invites to Vivienne and Percival, opting to call them instead to make sure they wouldn't et to attend. Vivienne was at a loss for words.

Reminded every other day, one might think she and Mr. Wolf were the ones getting engaged.

"Okay," Vivienne responded, ready to hang up when Leopold added, "Oh, and Vivienne, I've specially ordered a suit and a dress for you and your mentor. They've been delivered to your house. Make sure you wear them tomorrow." en.kikistories tel The blend of Western elements in this adaptation transforms the original context into a more universally relatable scenario, making it approachable for al broader audience while maintaining the essence of the narrative en.kikistories SV