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?"

"We

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

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

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

that even Wendy, well into

the prepared decontamination room to shower and change,

hour later, Wendy emerged from the decontamination room, freshly dressed. Vivienne looked her over; she really had showered, and the fragrance of her body

of water, saying, "Percival, your aunt and uncle are still out working.

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

all these years, his grandmother had no new

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, leaving

we'll wait for them. We'll

her lips. As a child, she thought Percival had nothing to him but his looks. Now, he seemed to radiate a chilling aura, like someone

not a trace of girlishness to

room was silent, devoid of

Boyds

The injured butler stopped them, "Master Theodore, please proceed to

lived in the Boyd Mansion for over forty years, Theodore had never heard of such a thing as a household head or the need to sanitize before entering his own

temper and slapped the butler. "You mutt, who do you think you're speaking

wife Nancy, and their