The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Victoria's fragile demeanor was something Vivienne couldn't bear to witness. "Harrison was all set to take this to court with Vivienne, but when he heard about our relationship, he feared a family feud in the courtroom would spoil relations. He also worried I wouldn't be able to integrate into the Ellingtons, so he hoped his cousin would drop the lawsuit voluntarily. After all, no matter how this lawsuit goes, we're bound to win." She said this with a pointed look at Vivienne, "It would be a shfor all your efforts to end up fruitless." Vivienne thought to herself, 'Playing the coquette certainly requires talent.' Percival spoke without a hint of emotion, "Really? We're not afraid of a little discord. Court sounds just fine to me." "Mr. Ellington perhaps shouldn't indulge Ms. Hawthorn quite so much." Harrison sipped his tea, the picture of calm, "She's young, easily deceived. Hoodwinked by Kaitlyn's spiel, her misplaced sense of loyalty is understandable. But should Mr. Ellington really turn against his own kin for a woman with no blood ties? Besides, the matter at hand, no matter how you slice it, is between Kaitlyn and me. Mr. Ellington and Ms. Hawthorn, sticking your noses in, doesn't seem quite right.' Vivienne's retort was nonchalant, "I have money to spare, and I enjoy it. Do you have a problem with that?" Her delicate chin tilted ever so slightly, a mix of haughtiness and charm.

Richard watched, a smile growing in his eyes. That's our Vivienne, he thought, always standing up for the underdog, far better than that icy-faced grandson of mine! He glanced at the silent Percival and huffed, "Harrison, it's not that I don't want to help you. But the lawsuit's already filed; there's no talk of backing down now. Let the young one help if she wants. If the case is a lost cause as you claim, it'll be a lesson learned for her. Don't worry, witharound, there won't be any hard feelings between them and you." Harrison pursed his lips, eyes sweeping over the assembly without betraying his thoughts.

Richard seemed to be advocating for them. Anyone with half a brain could tell his heart was firmly in Vivienne's camp.

The Ellington family was united in their support for Vivienne. All those Harrison had approached, overtly or covertly, dared not criticize Percival. Was the courtroom really his only option left? Vivienne's barely concealed smirk was irksome, and Harrison's brow furrowed with frustration.

Just as he was about to retort, Vivienne beat him to the punch, "True, we can afford to lose. If you're innocent, why not prove it in court? No man would relish being labeled a scoundrel, right, Mr. Wolf?" She glanced at Percival, her tone questioning, but the insinuation against Harrison was crystal clear to everyone present. Victoria couldn't help but turn away, her cheeks aching from suppressed laughter.

Harrison's face was turning beet-red, yet Percival seemed to think it wasn't enough. He leaned in close to Vivienne, his words clear in the hushed study, "You're wrong, Vivienne. Sshameless men quite enjoy their scoundrel reputation. But Harrison is surely not one of them. Otherwise, how could he have married into the Abernathy family? Chosen personally by Gavin, no less." He emphasized the last part, causing a visible shift in the room, especially in Richard, whose expression soured, "You were chosen by Gavin?!" "Yes." Harrison had never wanted to distance himself from Gavin more than in that moment.

But with Vivienne and Percival there, lying wasn't an option.

He nodded reluctantly, silently cursing them as Richard's expression darkened further, "Enough!" Richard interrupted coldly before he could finish his excuse, "There's no need for all this pretense if you're honest. If any of it's true, I'll stake my reputation on making sure Victoria divorces you!" "Grandpa!" The situation had spiraled beyond what Harrison had anticipated. His heart plummeted, recalling the panic he felt when he first took over his family's business, cornered by shareholders and their schemes.

How could this happen?! Wasn't Richard the one who adored Holly the most? How could he remain so indifferent to Victoria's pleas?! Don't large families dread scandals? "Harrison, better reign in those little schemes of yours." Vivienne rose with Richard, offering her arm to the old man, Before leaving, she glanced back at Harrison, "Karma always catches up with those who walk a crooked path. You couldn't earn the trust of the Littleton parents back then; you can't expect Grandpa to believe you now." With that, she left with a light chuckle.

There was a glint in her eye that was hard to decipher-was it mockery or pity for Kaitlyn? "This time, there's no second Kaitlyn to fall for your tall tales." Even Victoria. If it weren't for being cornered with the whereabouts of Holly, she would never have entertained his charade.

Logically speaking, with Harrison's intellect, he shouldn't have been foolish enough to get to this point.

Had it not been for the chaos ensuing from being backed into a corner, and the necessity to play nice with Gavin, perhaps he could've cup with a better solution to avert this crisis.

But, evidently he had already missed the boat on handling this mess in time.

Victoria lingered in the corner of the study until Richard, Vivienne, and Percival exited the room.

Then, with deliberate slowness, she brushed off nonexistent dust from her clothes, wiped away her tears, and casually strolled over to Harrison's side.

Her clear eyes now sparkled withschadenfreude, the previously fragile and delicate facade gone in an instant, "I thought you were so capable, but it turns out you're nothing special. What a waste of my tears I've said it before, Richard's favorite has always been Percival. I may be my mother's daughter, but I'm not her. Did you really think that 'love me, love my dog' would apply in the world of old money and blue bloods?" Harrison remained silent. His teeth were clenched tightly together, betraying the calm he usually maintained.

Even the typically inattentive Victoria could sense his mood was off.

Composing herself, she still refrained from saying too much. She ne tugged impatiently at Harrison's sleeve, "Let's go! There's a dinner party tonight, and I refuse to be outshone by that woman Vivienne. You're coming withto pick out a dress. I told you not to get involved with family ties, and now we've got a whole bunch of people to deal with. This is all your fault!"