The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Gillian gripped her hands tightly, frustration and disbelief etching her features.

There was no way Leopold could have mistaken her. In the entire Vanguard Agency, she was the only one with curly, untamed hair. How could anyone mix that up? “Second squad, what's the holdup? Move out now, or it’s a ten-kilometer march with full gear!” barked Thomas.

Leopold hopped onto the truck, smacking the canvas cover. “Let’s roll out, folks. If we lose to that smug jerk Hotshot today, | swear you'll wish you were never born!” Powerless, Gillian watched as the truck rumbled away from her. She turned to hop into Thomas's vehicle, only to see him already seated and starting the engine.

“Thomas, wait for me!” she yelled, but Thomas drove off as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Vehicles had strict protocols at Vanguard Agency; you couldn't just take one without prior approval. With her own car off-limits within the training grounds, Gillian had no choice but to chase after them on foot.

Upstairs, Micah sipped his coffee, watching the scene unfold with a sly grin curling his lips.

That kid Thomas was definitely taking a page out of Percival’s book.

On the phone, Micah relayed Thomas's antics to Percival.

Percival chuckled. “Let them be.” “But Percival, keep an eye out for Gillian. She’s backed by Yorick. She's no simpleton,” Micah warned.

“Don’t worry. She's not going to stir up any real trouble.” Hearing Percival’s confident tone, Micah scoffed. “What did your mentor say?” After a few seconds of silence, Percival replied, “How al x | after all these years, you still depend on my mentor? Don’t you have a mind of your own?” “Percival! You...” The call ended with a dial tone, and Micah slammed the phone down in irritation.

“That little rascal!” Percival nonchalantly scratched his nose and tossed the phone aside.

Vivienne glanced at him. “Aren’t you worried your boss might not let this slide?” “What's there to worry about? We've got Vance, don’t we?” he said casually.

Vivienne arched an eyebrow. “Alright, if you say so.” Meanwhile, Anna, who was training on the field, received a call.

“Yes, I'm on my way back.” Soren, fresh in new gear, saw Anna heading out and called after her, “Where are you off to? We still have a sparring match.” “No time,” Anna retorted without looking back, waving off Soren. “Next time, I'll make sure you're crying for your momma.” Leopold laughed heartily. “Go get ‘em, Anna! I'm rooting for ya!” Soren, finishing his wrist wraps, taunted Leopold, “You're the one who'll be bawling today!” As Anna left the training grounds, she ran into a breathless Gillian.

Looking as if she might collapse at any moment, Gillian waved her over. “Where are you going? Why aren't you training?” Anna, fearing Gillian might just melt into a puddle under the sun, said, “I'm on a mission. Since when do you oversee our daily routines?” Gillian straightened up, trying to assert sauthority. “Isn't it my job to look after every member's daily activities?” Anna smiled thinly. “Maybe worry more about those two big wolf dogs chasing you than micromanaging us.” Gillian froze. “What big wolf dog?” Just as she asked, the sound of barking grew louder from behind, heading straight for her.

Those were the two wolf dogs Percival had trained to chase after the agents, smart enough to adjust their ferocity based on their target.

They went easy on the new recruits, but with veterans like Leopold and Thomas, they showed no mercy.

Now, it was Gillian being chased across the training field as if she were fresh meat.

Thomas kept an eye on Gillian but showed no sign of intervening.

“She wants inside info on our training ground? In her dreams!” He thought.

Gillian ran for her life, narrowly avoiding becoming lunch for the two pursuing wolf dogs.

“Why isn’t anyone doing anything? Help!” she screamed while running, but no one paid her any heed.

Everyone else stood aside, cheering and clapping as though watching a blockbuster movie.

“Gillian, you're killing it! You'd win any endurance race!” “The power of a determined woman—go, Gillian!” “Run faster, Mr. Black and Black are picking up the pace!” Mr. Black and Black were the names of the two wolf dogs.

Finally, with no other option, Gillian dove into a mud pit to escape.

The wolves, being the clean freaks they were, barked in disappointment at Gillian from the mud pit’s edge, then left in disdain.

Gillian, in her twenty-syears, had never been so insulted by dogs.

She screamed in frustration, slapping the mud with her hands, wishing she could hurl the muck at those canines.

The whistle signaling the end of training blew, and the agents lined up promptly.

“Good work today, team. Let's wrap it up early and head hfor dinner!” Thomas announced.

Cheers erupted as the agents boarded their vehicles, ready to leave.

Gillian, still struggling in the mud, watched everyone depart, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Where are you going? Wait for me!” Raised in comfort, Gillian was unprepared for the ten-inch-deep training mud pit specifically designed for the Vanguard Agency's special squad. It was deep enough to trap a person’s calves, and without sskill, escaping was a real challenge.

Yet, no one responded to Gillian’s cries for help, and she could only watch helplessly as the squad's vehicles drove away.

It took Gillian a grueling half-hour to claw her way out of the mud pit.

Her meticulously curled locks from the morning, the high-end makeup carefully applied to her face, and the designer outfit she’d worn beneath her training gear were all now as ravaged as garbage steeped in festering swill.

Gillian was not accustomed to such humiliation, and she let out heart-wrenching sobs in the middle of the training ground.

The watchful gatekeeper, with his dogs Mr. Black and Black in tow, approached her. “Hey, you gonna leave or what? If you don’t, I'm locking up, and you'll have to keep Mr. Black and Black company for the night.” Both Mr. Black and Black growled at Gillian, expressing their discontent.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Terrified, Gillian shuddered violently, scrambling to her feet and limping away from the training ground.

“Mommy, is that lady a hobo? She's all dirty.” Gillian turned toward the innocent child at the roadside and snarled, “You little brat! Scram! I'm gonna go over there and kill you!” The child’s parents hurriedly scooped up their son and whisked him away.

Don’t engage with the crazies; it’s a rule of thumb.

Gillian clenched her fists in fury. The indignity she had suffered today, she vowed, would be repaid tenfold.

She would make Thomas—no, the entire Vanguard Agency—pay for crossing the Ashford family. Gillian was determined to turn Percival and Vivienne into mere dirt beneath her heel.

Meanwhile, Anna had already driven up to the Perez Mansion.

“Anna, darling, cin, cin!” Zelda greeted Anna with open arms and a warm smile, ushering her into the family home.