The Million-Dollar Heart

Gillian's scream pierced the silence of the night, startling her from her dreams into a gasping reality as she fell to her knees on the floor, breath heaving in her chest. "Mr. Ellington, Mr. Ellington..." She gasped.

Patrick rushed to his daughter's side, steadying her with a firm grip. "Gillian, are you alright?" He asked, concern written all over his face.

Confusion clouded Gillian's eyes as she noticed the cluster of people around her, her last memory of being tucked into bed by Percival, wrapped in a cozy comforter. She was quick to react, though, sobbing as she collapsed into her father's arms. "Dad, I... with Mr. Ellington, we've already... We've..."

Her words hung in the air, leaving an unspoken understanding among the gathered crowd.

The sight of a naked beauty would test any man's resolve, and poor Yannick had been dealt a rough hand, his legacy usurped by another.

A flicker of rage crossed Patrick's eyes as he turned to Percival, his voice rising in anger. "Percival, what do you have to say for yourself? You animal!"

Mara quickly came to the defense. "Mr. Patrick, there were drugs in the room. It was not intentional; it was the drugs that took control. Just think about how Gillian was acting!"

Gillian clung to her father's hand. "Dad, I remember bits and pieces. Mr. Ellington saved me from Yannick. We tried to leave, but... I smelled something strange. Even though my mind was clear, our bodies would not listen...

It's not Mr. Ellington's fault. It's all Yannick's doing. Really, it's not his fault."

Tears streamed down Gillian's face as she clutched the blanket. "Dad, I'm so ashamed."

Mara, with tears in her eyes, looked at Percival. "Bro, it was Gillian's first time. You can't just abandon her."

Patrick was at a loss, torn between anger and the need to comfort his daughter. He looked at Percival with a mixture of anger and pleading. "Mr. Ellington, given the circumstances, if you don't take responsibility, Gillian will have no future."

"Yeah, Percival, we can't just leave things like this."

Their performance could have outshone even the likes of Meryl Streep and Anthony Hopkins.

Vivienne smirked. "Ms. Ashford, ever heard of Rainbow Entertainment? If you're interested in signing, I'll have someone contact you."

could cry on cue,

machine, not

just how broke

completely, and absolutely

loves money." Vivienne: "Utterly, completely, and absolutely

away her tears. "Ms. Hawthorn, what are

give you

passed through Gillian's eyes. "Vivienne! I know you're upset about me and Mr. Ellington, but I would never lie about my reputation. I remember what happened, and there's no need to frame Mr. Ellington or

nodded, then turned to Mara. "Are you absolutely sure

knew she could not change her story now and nodded

true, Percival was the only one there. Now that Gillian's

have something interesting here. Care to take a

sleek tablet that was not available on the market, foldable

no idea where the

screen a few times, and soon, a

way with Mr. Ellington, we can blame it on Yannick. All you need to do is bring my dad and the others over, okay?"

of Gillian and Mara's conversation, even filtering out the background noise so

that their private exchange would be recorded so

who had been ready to confront Percival with righteous indignation, now felt the weight of shame. His daughter had drugged a

Ashford family's reputation would be

They had been present from the start of Yannick's troubles but had kept out of sight,

counterattack, perhaps even to

Gillian or not. Thus, they could totally say that Gillian and

looked like their chance for revenge would have

priority was to save

her way through the crowd,

framing my boy like that!" Teresa fumed, her voice a tempest of maternal fury. "I knew there was no way he'd just pass out for no reason.