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.

away, Winston said in his soft voice, "Then I'll apologize to Auntie

who was lying in bed, were

him, puzzled. "Winston, you'd apologize to the Linklaters

don't blame big sis. It's my fault for being too weak, it has nothing

thinking of how she could use this opportunity to get into the Linklater

mind? Believing a child's words? Have you forgotten how

could even get into the Linklater family was one thing; if Grandpa George found out she'd taken Winston there, it would be another storm of blood and

servant

George asked, they would

left; he really wanted

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

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

without Arthur showing his face was proof of Sasha's

was a way to eliminate her, that would remove

laughed, "Big sis, you're getting it all wrong. Arthur, powerful as he may be, is still

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

Alyssa silently agreed.

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

her daughter. If something happened to her, Sasha would be too distracted to bother with Arthur. That's your chance, big sis." Alyssa's gaze darkened, "You

if big sis could win Arthur over by herself, we wouldn't need to resort to

gone, not

not Vivienne,

tired, Brianna. You can go now," Alyssa

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

in the room, Alyssa received

her heart sank, and she

the other end, a voice altered to a low pitch spoke, "The boss

boss usually contacts me

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

on you. And

vanishing act these past few days? Do you really think he's going to trust you

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