The Million-Dollar Heart

In front of the Boyd Mansion.

As Wendy approached, she could not miss the sparkling ring on Vivienne's finger. Under her breath, she cursed, "That little bitch!"

But her face was all smiles as she said, "Percival, darling, why stand out here? You're at granny's now; there's no need to be so formal. Come on in!" Percival scanned Wendy with a glance. If it weren't for the mission he was concealing, he'd never again associate with the Boyds. It made his skin crawl.

"We haven't sanitized and showered yet; it wouldn't be proper to come in," Percival replied coolly.

Wendy despised him all the more for it.

Percival was even more insufferable than his grandfather. Give him an inch, and he would not take it. Those Ellingtons, all with a stick up their backside! But for the sake of that elusive trade route, she had to play along.

With a thwack, Wendy brought her solid oak cane down on the butler's shin, sending him tumbling to the ground in surprise.

"You ungrateful wretch, Percival's family, isn't he? I told you to have those riff-raff from who knows where to clean up, not Percival! You muddle-headed fool, you can kiss your bonus goodbye this month." Vivienne watched from the side, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

Riff-raff from nowhere?

Was that directed at her?

Surely, it was.

After scolding the butler, Wendy turned back to Percival with a forced smile and said, "Percival, the servants are clueless sometimes. Please, come inside. Don't just stand out here." But Percival acted as if he had not heard Wendy. Instead, he turned to Vivienne.

Vivienne smiled lightly. "I heard it's Boyd tradition to sanitize and shower before meeting the head of the house?"

froze, taking a few seconds before replying, "We

ring on her finger, and without changing shoes, she and Percival stepped onto

that carpet. She would have the staff clean it meticulously by hand. Now, with four dirty footprints stamped across it, she felt like her organs were about to burst with rage. Vivienne settled down, crossing her legs and resting

on her cane tightened. She wanted to smash it over Vivienne's head but did not dare make

nineteen-year-old girl had a presence that even Wendy, well into her fifties, found

silence, Wendy reluctantly headed to the prepared decontamination room to

showered, and the fragrance of her body wash had muted the unpleasant odor. Wendy approached, her heart

aunt and uncle

It was already 7:30 PM. Still out working? The Boyds were

these years, his

Wendy would be home, claiming his aunt and uncle were out working, and they would eat when they returned. But once they did, they would say they had already eaten,

leaned back. "Fine, we'll wait for

to him but his looks. Now, he seemed to radiate a chilling aura, like someone

not a trace of girlishness

devoid of even

the Boyds started

The injured butler stopped them, "Master Theodore, please proceed to the decontamination room for a

over forty years, Theodore had never heard of such a thing as a household head or the need to sanitize before entering his

"You mutt, who do you think

his wife Nancy, and