The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Kala felt a ripple of anxiety; she certainly did not want the Brooks family to become tabloid fodder

again.

It was not about her rising career but the desire to preserve the harmonious unity of the Brooks family

from fragmenting into scandal.

Vivienne’s gaze dropped slightly before she spoke softly, “There’s a bit of an issue.”

Kala’s heart clenched with worry. “Vivienne, please tell me it’s not something to do with Dad…”

Her words stumbled out of her, knotted with nerves.

No, it could not be!

Her father was the epitome of kindness, incapable of harming a soul.

Though she tried to reassure herself, Kala’s palms were drenched with sweat from her mounting

tension.

“Let’s discuss it when he gets back,” Vivienne said as she sat down and pulled out her phone to call

Timothy, telling him to return home.

Meanwhile, with Cheryl’s support, Baron made his way out of his room.

Kala rushed to help Baron down the stairs, her mind racing with apprehension.

She had no clue what would unfold next.

But she was certain that whatever was about to happen would once again turn the Brooks family

upside down.

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“Vivienne, what’s on your mind?” Baron asked, his aged eyes betraying a hint of guilt.

Vivienne smiled faintly. “Let’s wait until everyone’s here.”

Baron did not press further, but his grip on his cane tightened, his hand slick with anxious perspiration.

Soon, Timothy and Ronald returned, and alongside them walked Ashley with her brother Darren and

Melissa in tow.

With the Brooks family gathered, silence fell, all eyes on Vivienne and Percival.

Darren kept glancing at Leopold, seeking clues as to what was happening.

Leopold simply shrugged; he was clueless about the announcement Vivienne was about to make. After

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all, he was just the chauffeur!

Baron exhaled deeply. “Vivienne, the family’s all here. Whatever you need to say, go ahead.”

Vivienne scanned the room, finally fixing her gaze on Percival, her clear eyes shimmering with feigned

confusion. “Mr. Wolf, am I bad at counting? It seems like not everyone’s present, right?”

Percival could not help but chuckle at her expression, playfully pinching her cheek. “Indeed, not

everyone.”

Ashley frowned. “Vivienne, what are you up to? We’re all quite busy, and frankly, we don’t have time to

watch you two flirt.”

Ashley and Vivienne’s relationship had never been overly warm, but certainly not as strained as it was

with Arabella.

Since Vivienne’s return, she had not caused any trouble for Ashley, allowing a peaceful coexistence.

But ever since Vivienne aired some family secrets about her grandmother, Ashley found her

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increasingly irritating.

Ashley hated how Vivienne always seemed to look down on them as if she considered herself better

than them.

Vivienne turned her gaze to Baron, her stare unwavering.

Suddenly, she lifted a finger, pointing towards the wardrobe behind Baron, “Why do I feel like there’s

someone there?”

Baron straightened up instantly, cold sweat breaking out despite his age.

He pushed down the fear in his voice, “That’s just a liquor cabinet. How could someone be in there?”

Ashley thought Vivienne was being ridiculous. “Can you stop with the theatrics? If there’s something to

say, why can’t you just say it?”

Darren quickly pulled his sister back, worried she might provoke Vivienne further.

“Vivienne, don’t get upset,” Darren said with a nervous chuckle, trying to defuse the tension, “Ashley’s

just suggesting the liquor cabinet can’t be hiding someone, that’s all.”

Vivienne ignored the comments and simply looked at Leopold.

Leopold understood immediately and approached the cabinet, dismantling it swiftly.

Baron attempted to intervene, but Percival spoke up, his tone detached, “Rivenwood suburb apartment

36, South Ridge Community villa 5, East County Villa 17, Sovereign Community 19-3… Timothy, do

any of these addresses ring a bell?”

The direct question took Timothy aback.

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He had no knowledge of these properties.

He glanced at Ronald, who also shook his head in ignorance.

After a moment, Timothy replied, “The Brooks family mostly resides in the Brooks Mansion. Even if we

own other properties, they’re usually nearby. The houses you mentioned are unfamiliar to us.”

Percival smiled. “Of course, you wouldn’t know. But Baron, he knows very well.”

Leopold had dismantled the liquor cabinet as they spoke, revealing a hidden passage. “Vivienne,

there’s a secret tunnel here!”

The Brooks family members were stunned. Behind the cabinet was a solid wall; how could there be a

tunnel?

They crowded around except for Baron, who remained as still as a statue.

Sitting on a dismantled plank, Leopold said, “Vivienne, what now?”

Vivienne’s lips curved into a sly smile as she fixed her gaze on Baron and said to Leopold, “You have

something quite interesting in your pocket.”

Leopold was puzzled.

Interesting? What could that be?

He did not recall having anything of the sort.

Yet, when he reached into his pocket, he found a brand-new tear gas grenade.

Typical Vivienne, always prepared.

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Leopold weighed the grenade in his hand and tossed it into the tunnel.

Baron could not stop him in time.

In the next second, a figure emerged from the tunnel, eyes streaming with tears.

The sight of the newcomer shocked everyone.

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“Scott!” Melissa gasped, “What are you doing in there?”

Scott had been missing for over two weeks, and during that time, Melissa had been scouring the

streets in search of him, coming up empty-handed.

To think he would be found at home!

Timothy was just as shocked, “Scott, how did you end up hiding here? What is this place?”

Ronald quickly handed Scott a tissue to wipe away his tears as smoke wafted out of the hidden room,

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“What the heck is going on?” Ronald asked Scott.

This was the man he had looked up to his whole life, and his mysterious disappearance had worried

him sick. And to think he had been at home all along!

Scott dried his eyes, though they remained red, and looked at Vivienne with a grave voice, “You found

me after all.”

Ronald was taken aback, never having heard such a cold tone from Scott’s mouth before.

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He incredulously stepped back.

Timothy pulled his son, Ronald, close and stood to the side in silence.

Carl and Kala looked at Vivienne, clueless about what had transpired.

Sitting in the head chair, Baron sighed deeply and slowly stood up. “Vivienne, Percival, I am

responsible for all this, not Scott.”

Vivienne quietly observed Baron, a flicker of sorrow passing through her eyes.

Melissa was somewhat dazed; she sat beside Vivienne and took her hand. “Vivienne, I don’t know

what’s happening, but we are family. There must be some misunderstanding. Why don’t we listen to

what your grandfather has to say?”

Although Melissa said this, she knew in her heart that this was not going to end well.

However, apart from Baron, no one had a clue what had happened.

Why was their family head hiding in a secret chamber in the house that no one knew about?

Why was Baron apologizing to Vivienne?

What on earth was going on?

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