The Million-Dollar Heart

Alyssa's arms were etched with scabs and whip marks that Brianna could clearly see, yet she pretended not to notice.

Those were the handiwork of Grandpa George himself, a man who wouldn't stop until he'd drawn blood.

The mention of it left Alyssa in a daze.

Right, she thought, I'm the eldest daughter of the Wright family. Even for the sake of the family name, Arthur shouldn't have treated me this way.

It must be Sasha who's stirring things up.

"Big sis?"

Brianna watched Alyssa zone out, her eyes betraying a hint of disgust.

Winston, accompanied by a servant, came jogging over, his young face full of concern that seemed genuine. He was startled upon seeing Alyssa's injuries, "Big sis, what happened to you?" Alyssa frowned and withdrew her hand.

The last person she wanted to see right now was Winston.

If it hadn't been for him, Grandpa George wouldn't have been so harsh on her.

Brianna saw it all and, hiding her scorn, explained to Winston, "Little bro, someone bullied your big sis. Didn't you notice?"

"Bullied?"

Winston's young brow furrowed, puzzled as he looked at Brianna. "Big sis, who bullied big sis?"

Brianna's face turned cold at being called 'big sis.' "Who else could it be? In the Linklater family, who wields such power? If not Sasha and her daughter Vivienne, then who?" Winston quickly figured it out.

Shaking his head, he spoke clearly, "I trust Auntie; she wouldn't bully anyone. Maybe big sis didn't apologize to Auntie? Grandpa said if you do something wrong, you have to own up to it." Brianna raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

Alyssa's face darkened.

She knew what she had done and certainly didn't need a five-year-old lecturing her.

as Alyssa was about to send him away, Winston said in his soft voice, "Then I'll apologize to Auntie for big sis. Auntie is

Alyssa, who was lying in bed,

you'd apologize to the

don't blame big sis. It's my fault for being too weak, it

raced, thinking of how she could use this opportunity to get into

are you out of your mind? Believing a child's words? Have you forgotten how furious Grandpa was last time? He won't let you take Winston out again." Alyssa

Linklater family was one thing; if Grandpa George found out she'd

servant began to urge

George asked, they

he really wanted to

seek Arthur's favor? If he's on your side,

has lost patience with

fainting at the Linklater estate without Arthur showing his face was proof of Sasha's deep influence on

a way to eliminate her, that would remove

all wrong. Arthur, powerful as he may be, is still a man. No man dislikes a woman's

meant for each other. The matriarch's position at the Linklater estate was always meant

Alyssa silently agreed.

appearance not only shattered her dream of marrying Arthur but also turned her decade-long wait

to her, Sasha would be too distracted to

for herself, "Of course, if big sis could win Arthur over by herself, we wouldn't need to resort to this. It's all up to you now." Alyssa didn't

Sasha gone, not anyone

Vivienne, who

can go now," Alyssa said, turning

leave, she cast a covert glance at Alyssa on the bed. For

in the room, Alyssa received

the number, her heart sank, and she quickly

altered to a low pitch

contacts me directly.

his mockery particularly grating over the phone, "With the lab trashed, the boss

soured on

few days? Do you really think he's going to

a beat, and she hurried to explain, "I haven't betrayed