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.

said in his soft voice, "Then I'll apologize to Auntie for big sis. Auntie

and Alyssa, who was lying in bed,

"Winston, you'd apologize to the Linklaters

don't blame big sis. It's my fault for

use this opportunity to get into

forgotten how furious

Winston could even get into the Linklater family was one thing; if Grandpa George found out she'd

longer, a servant began to urge him to

asked, they

left; he really

for forgiveness, why not seek Arthur's favor? If

has lost patience with me... he won't even

without Arthur showing his face was proof of Sasha's

her, that would remove a

he may be, is still a man. No

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

Alyssa silently agreed.

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

daughter. If something happened to her, Sasha would be too distracted to bother

Alyssa's sudden intensity, quickly covering 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 immediately agree. Brianna's suggestion seemed to support her but was actually using her to target

gone, not anyone

not Vivienne, who was

go now," Alyssa

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

the room, Alyssa received a secretive

the number, her heart sank, and she

other end, a voice altered to a low pitch spoke,

usually contacts me directly. Why

let out a scoff, his mockery particularly grating over the phone, "With

on you. And

you really think he's going to trust

skipped a beat, and she hurried