The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The scene was utter chaos. Gillian did not even see who yanked her away, and Patrick was besieged by a mob of angry parents demanding explanations.

Even the Boyds were not spared, with numerous hot-headed lads demanding to know why their sweethearts were suddenly engaged to someone else.

Amid the turmoil, Vivienne and Percival exchanged a knowing glance and could not help but chuckle.

Vivienne turned her head to Percival with a smile, “Mr. Wolf, is it just me, or do our engagement parties always seem to end in a ruckus?” Percival took Vivienne’s hand, and they walked down from the stage side by side, “It seems the heavens are telling us we should marry sooner rather than later.” Vivienne rested her head on Percival’s shoulder. “Is the betrothal gifts ready?” Percival lightly tapped her nose. “Don’t worry, you've got me, lock, stock, and barrel!” Patrick had to fight through the crowd to rescue Gillian from those who had lost their senses, and with the help of the bodyguards, they made it to the safety of the parking lot and away from the scene.

Safety, however, was a relative term. Gillian’s face bore the marks of slaps, her princess-like coiffure was a tangled mess resembling a bird's nest, and her gown took the prints of several shoes, clear evidence of being trampled on.

Gillian had never imagined such a scenario. Although she had many men around her, none were boyfriends, and any talk of love or affection was just lip service.

She had them all under her thumb and had even fabricated excuses to prevent them from attending the engagement party with their parents.

How on earth did they all end up here? [x] And that video - who dug it out? It was just a night at the bar playing games with sgood-looking guys. How did it cto this? “It had to be that Vivienne behind this. Dad, | swear I'll destroy her!” Gillian shouted at the top of her lungs.

Patrick looked at his daughter and, in a fit of rage, slapped her across the face. His eyes were sharp as a hawk'’s.

“Dad... You hit me?” Gillian looked at Patrick in disbelief.

Patrick had never hit her before, not even a poke, let alone a slap...

“That's right, | hit you!” Patrick’s face turned red with anger. “Tell me, who exactly is this Vivienne?” He saw a striking resemblance.

When he got a clear look at Vivienne, he thought he was seeing his boss for a moment. She had to be the missing daughter of his boss! Gillian was even more shocked to realize that her father was more concerned about Vivienne’s identity than her rough treatment.

“Dad, she’s just scountry bumpkin. Why do you care who she is? Just get rid of her. | don’t want to see her face again!” “Shut your mouth!” Patrick massaged his temples, “Do you have any idea who you've crossed? If Vivienne really is her daughter, our family, the Ashfords, are done for.” Gillian, of course, was clueless. She could not understand what her father was going on about, “Whose daughter could she be that’s so important? Why are you afraid of her? Even the Boyds wouldn't bat an eye!” “You wouldn't understand. Go hand forget about Percival. If you dare touch Vivienne again, you'll answer to me!” With that, Patrick stepped out of the car and instructed the driver to take Gillian home.

Meanwhile, Patrick switched cars to head directly to Vivienne’s villa.

It was not surprising that Patrick could find Vivienne’s address since she did not hide it.

After waiting four hours outside the villa, Patrick saw Vivienne and Percival return, hand in hand and carrying a plethora of snacks.

Vivienne’s lips curved into a smirk as a cold glint passed through her captivating eyes.

“I'll go inside,” Percival said as he draped his jacket over Vivienne’s shoulders, knowing it was not the right moment for him to intervene.

Once Percival left, Patrick knelt on the ground before her. “Madam.” Vivienne looked down at the figure kneeling before her, her gaze indifferent. “Mr. Ashford, seems like you've got the wrong name.” “No, it's correct! Boss once instructed that if anything happened to her, we were to follow your orders. My daughter is young and foolish; | beg your forgiveness. I, Patrick, am willing to take full responsibility for all her wrongdoings, Madam.” Vivienne’s hands were in her pockets as she loomed over the kneeling Patrick, “Is that so?” She had never met Patrick before. In fact, aside from her mentor and Dorian’s family, she had never encountered anyone related to her mother before she left the mountains. Those people certainly had not met her either.

Percival had searched for ten years to find her, and neither the Pendleton nor the Churchill families had recognized her.

Only Patrick had identified her at first glance.

The Ashford family was indeed full of surprises.

Patrick pressed his lips. “Had it not been for Boss, there would be no Ashford family today. Not just us, but the Pendletons and the Churchills within Rivenwood all owed allegiance to Boss. But after she passed, we never saw each other again.” Vivienne remained silent.

The Pendleton and Churchill families were her mother’s allies, a fact she only learned after arriving in Havenwood when Matthew uncovered that there had been four families who had lost touch after her mother’s death.

William had learned of her mother’s passing and set out to find her only daughter, determined to protect her. But by the the arrived, Vivienne had already been taken in by her mentor, and William's journey was in vain.

Later, after leaving her mentor’s care, she saved William's life, and in gratitude, he becher apprentice.

At the time, she did not know William's connection to her mother. Not until they went to Havenwood and had Matthew dig into the past did she learn of their shared history.

Vivienne’s reason for saving Faye was not solely at Clara’s request. She was also curious about what the Churchill family was really after. Faye’s father and William shared a common goal: to find and protect Vivienne.

The Ashford family was the one group she had yet to make contact with.

Vivienne looked up, eyeing Patrick intently, a flicker of something unreadable passing through her gaze.

“What brings you to me?” Vivienne asked, her tone neither warm nor cold.

Patrick moistened his lips nervously. “I've cto apologize, Madam, and to ask for your continued support of the Ashford family. We are willing to go through hell and high water for you. No task too daunting!” Vivienne’s lips curled slightly. “You're quite forward with your intentions.” “The Ashford family has been surviving on the technology left by Boss. My abilities are limited, and progress has stalled. Seeing you, Madam, is like seeing hope, and | dare not hide anything from you.” Vivienne raised an eyebrow. “What's this deal you're making with the Boyd family?” Patrick’s legs tingled with numbness, yet he dared not move. “Bionics.” Bionics was also part of a project that Karen, Patrick’s boss, had worked on. After a failed mission, Karen secretly established the YQ Laboratory. Only Percival, Daphne, and later Anna knew that YQ was Karen's operation.

The lab was pursuing numerous projects, and the 3D biological printer was part of the ongoing research in bionics. Karen hoped to use bionics to replace humans on the front lines, similar to mechs in sci-fi movies, which could be remotely controlled and implanted with the operator's thoughts.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

This would significantly reduce casualties and preserve combat strength. However, if such technology were realized, it would be an astonishing achievement for the scientific community and humanity as a whole.

Conversely, it carried significant risks, as smight exploit it for their ends.

Therefore, Karen kept the technology private and under her control. Unexpectedly, the Ashford family was also involved.

“How did this technology end up in your hands?” Vivienne asked, her brow furrowed.

“Boss entrustedwith the unfinished tech for safekeeping. | was to derive products from it to establish a foundation for the Ashford family and clinical trials. But after Boss died, there was no further word.” Vivienne eyed Patrick sharply. “And how did the Boyd family cto know of it?” “I don’t know.” Patrick could not help but glance at Vivienne before quickly averting his eyes. “One day, the Boyd family matriarch approached me, bringing up bionics. | did not want to cause any complications, so | agreed, leading to the so-called engagement party.

| just wanted to learn how the Boyd family got wind of it. | never intended to truly cooperate with them. I'm telling the truth.”