The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

F-Poison narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping to a serious growl. “What do you mean? Did this guy named Vesper save Vivienne, or because of him, you couldn't drop the poison?” F-Poison’s rare display of emotion took Diana aback. “Yeah, it was Vesper who saved Vivienne.” She relayed the details of Vivienne’s rescue by Vesper, which she had meant to share before, but F-Poison had seemed disinterested.

However, upon hearing the story, F-Poison’s gaze turned gravely serious. “Are you sure that this Vesper guy stepped in after Vivienne drank the juice?” “Yeah, what's the big deal?” Diana asked, perplexed.

F-Poison usually had little change in expression, whether it was committing arson or enjoying a fondue as if nothing mattered to her. But this time, Diana could see the weight in her thoughts.

After a moment, F-Poison let out a sardonic laugh, her eyes lifting to meet Diana's. “Go see Flynn again.” Diana’s surprise was clear. “But we agreed on only one visit. How can | keep coming up with excuses to see him?” “No matter the excuse, you must see him, Diana. If you want to stay in the Perez family, it's essential,” F-Poison said, standing up, a dangerous aura enveloping her.

Swallowing hard, Diana pressed, “Can't you tellwhy?” A sly smile played on F-Poison’s lips. “Sasha might be coming back.” Diana shot up. “What are you talking about? That's impossible! Didn't you say she was dead?” The solemnity had vanished from F-Poison’s face, replaced with mockery. “Dead doesn’t mean she can’t cback. Sasha's a clever one. You should be glad she a nothing.” “What do | do? One Vivienne is trouble enough, now with Sasha possibly returning? No, she cannot cback!” Pacing in front of F-Poison, Diana was in a panic. “Right, | must see Flynn. He's F-Poison’s apprentice, so he must know the details of Sasha’s disappearance and how to deal with her.” With that, Diana grabbed her purse and hurried out.

F-Poison watched her go, a quiet chuckle escaping her.

After returning home, Diana concocted numerous excuses, knowing that asking to see Flynn would raise suspicions within the Perez family, especially from Maddox, whose hostility had grown since Willa’s departure.

It seemed she had no choice but to turn to Dracon of the Linklater family. Even though they were uninvolved with CK, they had connections to GTO, and Yorick had once fought alongside Jasper in RST.

If Dracon could ask about Flynn in Yorick’s name, it would not seem suspicious.

With that thought, Diana dialed Dracon’s number.

“Diana, what brings you to call so late?” Dracon’s voice held a hint of surprise.

“Dracon, you're still awake? Waiting for my call, perhaps?” Diana's voice was soft and teasing.

Dracon already harbored feelings for Diana, and her words only added to his affection.

“Yes, I've been waiting for your call for twenty years,” he admitted.

Diana chuckled shyly. “There’s a favor | need to ask of you. Can you help?” “Your matters are mine,” Dracon replied without hesitation.

Relieved, Diana explained her request.

Dracon disagreed immediately. “Why do you need to see Flynn? And why go through me?” “| feel responsible for Sasha’s disappearance. If | had not fallen asleep, things might've been different. He says he knows where Sasha is, so | want to ask him.” After a pause, Diana added, “You know my older brothers don’t trustmuch, so I'd rather not disturb them.” Dracon’s heart went out to her. “You shouldn't blyourself. You were only a child. Don’t worry, I'll help you.” “Thank you, Dracon,” Diana said, her voice catching with emotion.

True to his word, Dracon visited the Perez family the next day with gifts, seeking Jasper’s permission to meet Flynn.

His reasons were solid, and Jasper consented to the visit.

“Dad, Dracon doesn’t bother with Linklater family affairs. Why the sudden interest?” Yuri asked, puzzled.

Dracon was the second son, with one older brother and two younger siblings who were pillars of their nation, especially the eldest, whom Yuri greatly admired. Dracon was the only one who seemed to achieve little in the Linklater family.

Jasper shook his head. “Who knows? But keep an eye on Diana. Don't let her get too close to Dracon. She didn’t want to marry him back then, but now they're still somehow entangled. Plus, | don’t like Dracon much, so Yorick and | both don’t agree to this marriage, yet the two of them are getting closer.” Maddox chuckled. “Dad, that’s where you're mistaken. It’s a classic case of playing hard to get. Who knows what your darling daughter is really thinking?” Jasper furrowed his brow, grabbed a handful of trail mix from the bowl, and lobbed it at Maddox. “Hard to get, huh? Well, don’t you know it all? So why hasn't Willa fallen for your tricks?”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

“Dad, why you gotta hit where it hurts!” Maddox dodged and yelled, “Stop throwing stuff, old man! You're wasting food like a college kid at a food fight!” Yuri shook his head in resigned amusement as he watched his father and brother go at it. He had other things on his mind.

His twin daughters’ birthday was just around the corner, and although they were keeping it low-key this year, there were still plenty of guests to entertain and preparations to be made.

The invitations had been sent out, and it was tto pick out the perfect gifts.

Of course, Vivienne and Percival were also on the hunt for presents.

“How about this pair of bracelets?” Vivienne showed her tablet to Percival, displaying a design she had crafted especially for Natalia and Yasmine.

Percival nodded. “They look good.” But Vivienne was not satisfied, “No, they can’t hold a candle to those adorable little ballet flats we saw. We need to brainstorm smore.” Percival chuckled at her competitive spirit.

Then, his attention returned to his smartphone, and he scrolled through the latest research he had been compiling.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

Dracon wanted a meeting with Flynn? Yorick had stepped back from the Vanguard Agency's affairs for a while now. What could Dracon possibly want with Flynn? Percival tapped the screen a few times, and a video popped up immediately.