The Million-Dollar Heart

Just then.

The door to their room swung open, pushed by Gavin from the outside. The sudden noise startled the middle-aged man inside, whose gaze darted toward the sound. Harrison, with blood at the corner of his mouth and reddened eyes, caused his expression to drastically change.

Madeline let out a scream, snapping Gavin back to reality. He hurriedly instructed someone to help Harrison up. "Victoria, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to murder your own husband?!" Victoria stared blankly at her hands, her pupils dilated in shock. It didn't make sense to her. From what she had observed of Harrison recently, his seemingly weak demeanor had to be an act. She might have been a bit too reactive, a little too rough, but surely it wasn't enough to make someone cough up blood.

She opened her mouth, her gaze sweeping over Harrison's pitiful, semi-conscious state, her eyes tightening. "Who knew he was so fragile? It was just a joke."

Her nonchalant chuckle and carefree demeanor only infuriated Gavin further. He raised his hand to strike, but Sophie, who had followed him into the room, lit up with schadenfreude, barely able to hide her glee.

Only Madeline, her pupils contracting, stepped forward to intercept.

Smack!

The expected pain didn't explode on Victoria's face. To her surprise, a slim figure had blocked Gavin's blow.

Victoria raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over Harrison, who was being helped up, and Sophie at the door, finally resting on Gavin's shocked face. Then, she glanced at the person who had shielded her, reluctantly coming to a conclusion. Madeline!

Interesting.

She wondered how Madeline planned to betray her this time.

"Mom!"

two minutes after the slap, only broken by

his daughter aside to embrace Madeline, who was now teary-eyed and holding her face. "I was

okay, that's what matters. Gavin, you're being too impulsive." "Even if Victoria is wrong, she's grown up; you can't hit her. If Richard finds out,

clear: see, even if you disagree with me, Gavin will still push you

dismissing the servants to tend to Harrison's wounds, then turned and shut the door, leaving the four of them in their complicated

the trial, then asked,

The room went silent.

on the bed, showed no intention of getting up. She met Gavin's gaze with indifference, looked around in surprise, then pointed to herself, "Are you asking me?" Gavin took a deep breath.

possibly have? Kipling is definitely done for. Dad,

at Victoria, "How could you say that? He's my uncle. Mom

she were foolish. "What does your mom helping me have to do with your uncle? Did I

at Gavin's sleeve to complain, "Our family and the Abernasy family are united. We can't just separate because we want to. You obviously don't want to

Gavin's expression darkened, and he

money. No matter how

appearing to give serious advice, "Dad, this is so simple to resolve.

money, just use a different bank account and find another

a second thought. "Nonsense! The connections

I'll arrange for

entertain any more of Victoria's objections, decisively ending the conversation, "Seize the opportunity to plead with Richard, hoping he'll pressure Vivienne to let Kipling go." "At the

nearly laughed in