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.

Winston said in his soft voice, "Then I'll apologize to Auntie for big sis. Auntie is so nice;

Alyssa, who was

him, puzzled. "Winston, you'd

firmly. "I told Grandpa, I don't blame big sis. It's my fault for being too

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

"Big sis, are you out of your mind? Believing a child's words? Have you forgotten how furious Grandpa was

George found out she'd taken

a servant began to

Grandpa George asked, they would be held

really

then suggested, "Instead of begging Sasha for forgiveness, why not seek Arthur's favor?

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

without Arthur showing his face was proof of Sasha's deep

her, that would remove a significant thorn from Alyssa's

getting it all wrong. Arthur, powerful as he may be, is still a man. No

each other. The matriarch's position at the Linklater estate was always meant to be yours. Sasha stole it from you. What's

Alyssa silently agreed.

sudden appearance not only

her idea, "Sasha cares so much about her daughter. If something happened to her, Sasha would be too distracted to bother with Arthur. That's

to resort to this. It's all up to you now." Alyssa didn't immediately agree. Brianna's suggestion seemed to

Sasha gone, not anyone

not Vivienne, who was

tired, Brianna. You can go now,"

to leave, she cast a covert glance at Alyssa on the bed. For some reason, she felt there was something about her big sister she couldn't quite grasp

room, Alyssa

her heart sank, and she

low pitch spoke, "The

"The boss usually contacts me directly.

mockery particularly grating over the phone, "With the lab

on you. And

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

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