The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Godfrey nearly took a tumble down the stairs, if it hadn't been for the quick reflexes of James, the family butler, who steadied him

just in time.

It was a close call, and they were all silently thankful that Vivienne was there; otherwise, the fate of their beloved great-grandson

might have been sealed from the get-go.

By the tVivienne and Percival got home, the kids were already asleep. Vivienne checked on them, pulling the blankets up to

tuck them in before retiring for the night.

Lately, the kids hadn't had much of a chance to go out and have fun. Looking at their peaceful faces, Vivienne felt a surge of

tenderness.

"Shall we head to bed?" Percival suggested, wrapping an arm around Vivienne's shoulder.

"How about we find stto do something fun with the kids? They haven't been out in ages. We could hire a tutor to cover for

us so we don't have to worry about their studies," Vivienne proposed.

"That sounds like a great idea. With the tutors taking care of things, we can have a worry-free trip," Percival agreed.

"What are you talking about?" Vivienne sighed, "I meant all of us together, not just the two of us."

Percival glanced at the kids, "They're old enough; why should they tag along with us?"

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, "Take another look at their faces and say that again."

Juliette and Isaiah, in unison: "Is there a chance we're not even ten yet?"

Percival seemed quite pleased with his own reasoning, earning a bemused shake of the head from Vivienne.

"Now that we're settled, what about the others? Especially Anna and Soren. They started off on the wrong foot and now Soren's

acting like a block of wood," Vivienne mused.

Percival knew exactly who Vivienne was fretting over. He chuckled, turning Vivienne towards him, "Don't worry. They spend a lot of

ttogether now. Plus, someone's been showing an interest in Anna lately. That'll give Soren a bit of a wake-up call."

Vivienne was surprised, "When did this happen? Howe | didn't know?"

"Just the other day when you went back with Floyd. | stumbled upon it."

He had gone to check on the lab and saw a stranger standing outside. Initially mistaking him for a suspicious character, he was

taken aback when Anna emerged to greet him warmly.

"What brings you here?" Anna's surprise at the man's visit was evident.

The man, Arnold Robinson, smiled warmly, handing her a bouquet of roses, "Just wanted to check on you. Noticed you haven't

been returning my calls or messages lately."

The familiarity of their interaction surprised Percival and even more so Soren, who overheard the entire conversation.

"I've beamped with the lab, barely had tto check my phone, sorry," Anna explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Don't be. | was just worried. I'll be around for a bit. Let's catch up when you're less busy?" Arnold suggested, always

understanding.

After a brief chat, Anna escorted him to the door.

"You should've seen Soren's face; it was priceless. It was the first t| saw such an expression on him, like someone was

encroaching on his territory," Percival recalled with a chuckle.

The scenaamused Vivienne, especially since it was the first she'd heard of Anna having a serious suitor, and their interaction

seemed quite intimate.

"Alright, enough about them. It's late, Vivienne. Tfor you to rest," Percival said, leading Vivienne to bed.

Vivienne's guard went up, but relaxed when she saw no hidden motives in Percival's eyes.

Little did she know, her wary reactions were all noticed by Percival, who simply smiled, "Thinking about something?"

"Why do you ask?" Vivienne replied.

"Let's just sleep. You're tired, and | won't bother you tonight. We can talk more tomorrow," Percival said, easing the tension.

Vivienne sensed the underlying promise and mentally prepared herself for what was toe.

The next morning, Anna stepped out to find Arnold's car parked outside. Recognizing the familiar license plate, she hurried her

steps.

Arnold Robinson stepped out, offering her a ride, "I'm heading that way too, figured I'd offer you a lift considering the distance."

Anna hesitated but couldn't refuse the kind offer, touched by Arnold's concern.

The two drove off, unaware of Soren watching from a nearby car, his gaze darkening as he followed them.

Arriving at the lab, Arnold insisted on picking Anna up after work, leaving Soren fuming at their apparent closeness.

Arnold watched Anna enter the lab, feeling an intense gaze on his back, unaware of the brewing storm named Soren.

Arnold turned around only to be met with Soren's scowl, as dark as a thundercloud. Confused, he asked, "Do | know you?"

"Do | look like | know you?" Soren replied with a sneer, his disdain practically dripping from each word.

Arnold was even more baffled. "If we don't know each other, then why do you look atlike I'm your worst enemy? Have we met

before?"

Soren just snorted coldly and walked past Arnold, not sparing him another glance.

As Arnold watched him head towards the lab, just like Anna had, he realized Soren must be part of the lab crew. He quickly

whipped out his phone and shot Anna a message.

"Hey, who's that tall guy with the tan in your lab? Looks atlike | owe him money or something. Do you know him? Have we

met?"

Anna, busy with her notes, didn't see the message right away. She had just finished jotting down her observations when Soren

walked in.

Seeing Soren made Anna's heart skip a beat. After Vivienne had teased her about her little crush, Anna was convinced she had

been discreet. Yet, reality begged to differ.

To keep her feelings from being too obvious, Anna decided it was best to keep her distance from Soren, especially now.

Soren immediately noticed Anna's evasive gaze, coupled with Arnold's odd behavior at the door. With that, any desire to remain in

the lab evaporated.

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