The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 390

Vivienne entered the hospital ward, leaving Percival waiting outside, seated opposite Jasper and Yuri.

Jasper and Yuri exchanged brief pleasantries with Percival before disengaging, preferring to keep to themselves.

Percival appeared engrossed in his phone, but with a few discreet taps, he had pulled up thorough profiles on the two men sitting across from him.

Jasper Perez, head of the prestigious Perez family and chairman of Perez Enterprises.

Yuri Perez, the Perez family's fourth son and the CFO of Perez Group.

The Perez family held a status in Sea City comparable to the Ellingtons.

With its century-long history and wealth rivaling that of nations, the family was a force to be reckoned with.

However, the Perez family were known for their discretion, rarely making public appearances and abstaining from social events.

These facts were available to the public, but Percival had accessed more sensitive information using Vanguard Agency's resources: the Perez family was an ancient warrior lineage.

The details of such ancient warrior lineages, hidden in seclusion, were nearly impossible to trace without tapping into national databases.

Ancient warrior lineages typically remained out of the public eye, drawing income from their corporate ventures or offering highly sought-after security services at exorbitant prices.

The Perez family, alongside the Martinez family of Rivenwood, were one of the few to step out into the world.

The Perez family had emerged publicly earlier than the Martinez family and conducted their affairs openly, so their warrior lineage identity was a well-kept secret.

Another piece of information piqued Percival's interest. Thirty-five years ago, Sasha, the ten-year-old daughter of the Perez family, had mysteriously vanished and was still missing.

Sasha's photograph, though blurry, hinted at her beauty.

Across the way, Jasper leaned in, his voice low, "What did you find?"

Yuri replied, "Vivienne's mother, Evelyn, took her own life ten years ago, the reasons unknown. No footage or records exist. Vivienne spent most of her years after ten at the Emerald Mountain, seldom coming down."

He glanced at Vivienne, who was busily attending to something in the ward, and asked, "What's intriguing is Vivienne's identity."

"What about it?"

"She's known as designer Charles, perfumer Q, piano virtuoso Moonlight, and possibly holds other identities, but we can't trace them."

Yuri was confident in the Perez family's intelligence network. Yet, when it came to Vivienne, they could only scratch the surface; her deeper secrets remained elusive.

Jasper looked up at Percival, murmuring, "This girl's got chops. Is the kid up to par?"

Yuri paused before responding, "He's the heir to the Ellington family, betrothed to Vivienne."

Jasper clicked his tongue. "Who was short-sighted enough to arrange that?"

With the elders making such a heartfelt request, it would have been impolite for Vivienne to refuse, and truth be told, she found herself quite fond of this family.

"Alright," Vivienne accepted Jasper's invitation.

What was referred to as a simple meal turned out to be a reservation at the most luxurious restaurant in Rivenwood, with an entire floor exclusively for their use.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I took the liberty of booking this place. They've got everything – barbecue, fondue, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and some continental and Southern cuisine. Whatever you fancy, we'll order," Zelda said, linking her arm with Vivienne's and guiding her around the dining area.

Vivienne glanced at Zelda, pondering. She had done her homework on the Perez family's background, and Zelda, holding onto her arm, was certainly no stranger to high society.

Zelda, the true heiress of the illustrious Lynette family, had been childhood friends with Yuri. However, since she was injured when she was young, she had faced her share of struggles, having to go through treatment for a very long period before being able to give birth to two wonderful children.

"Vivienne, you really should try this," Zelda suggested, placing a piece of freshly grilled beef onto Vivienne's plate.

Vivienne paused for a moment. Were they already on a first-name basis?

Noticing Vivienne's surprised expression, Zelda quickly apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry, I got carried away and called you by your first name. You don't mind, do you?"

Vivienne shook her head, unfazed. "Not at all. 'Vivienne' is quite endearing; I like it."

Zelda exhaled in relief, her eyes misting slightly. "Seeing you... You remind me of my little sister. She would have grown up to be just as beautiful as you," she murmured.

Vivienne simply smiled and continued enjoying her meal while Zelda, reassured, chatted away, filling the air with light-hearted conversation.