The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Two days later.

Dorian’s company had finalized their new perfume line, and Vivienne found herself with some free time to visit the hospital.

Anna had already returned to school, but Natalia and Yasmine were still hospitalized, though they had been moved from intensive care to a regular VIP ward.

Jasper sat beside the crib with two plush toys in hand, smiling at the sight of his granddaughters’ joyful faces, an involuntary chuckle escaping his lips.

Vivienne knocked on the door. “Excuse me, sir.”

Jasper’s face lit up with excitement. “Ah, young lady, you’ve finally made it. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me.”

“How could I forget such a charming gentleman?” Vivienne teased.

It was the first time Jasper had been described as charming, and he basked in the novelty, “My, my, your words warm an old man’s heart.”

Vivienne smiled.

Just then, Yuri and Zelda came in, and Jasper immediately boasted. “Vivienne just called me charming. Take that, you bunch of brats who always call me stern. She doesn’t think so.”

He then turned to Vivienne. “I can call you Vivienne, right? It feels more personal.”

“Of course,” Vivienne replied with a laugh.

Yuri sighed, “Vivienne, my dad’s only ever this happy when he’s chatting with you. When he talks to me, he’s far from charming.”

“Cheeky boy, go fetch Vivienne’s gift, will you? That’s all you’re good for,” Jasper scolded, glaring at Yuri.

This boy was no good!

“Dad, I’ve brought everything. Don’t look at him. He’s useless,” Zelda said, also shooting Yuri a teasing glare.

like the

retrieved a mahogany box from the cabinet, its craftsmanship clearly that of

much, but please accept this small token of my father’s gratitude. Do not reject

in gold, which had sold for 80 million dollars at an auction the year before, the Heart of Hope! The rarity of the craftsmanship was what truly

Not much?

collection, there

accept it,” She declined. She had helped save Natalia and Yasmine as a byproduct of trying to rescue the captured babies; it was all in a day’s work. There was

box in Vivienne’s hands, saying, “You can’t refuse an old man’s

it. We can’t imagine what our girls would have gone through without you. Words can’t

it. Otherwise, my dad will insist on personally delivering it to your house,” Yuri joked, holding his twin

with his cane, but not too hard. “Who said you could hold my granddaughters? Put them

Dad, you’re being too harsh. Vivienne, you have to back me up here,” Yuri

say you owe a favor to the

settling in her heart. Unconsciously, she had come to think

was getting dark. Percival was waiting downstairs and approached her as soon

her coat tighter around herself, asking, “Why didn’t you

hand and

glanced at it and smiled. “It’s an apology

paternity test back in

gesture was seen as an offense, hence the gift

Perez family’s desire to find their daughter, perhaps noting some resemblance

she was not the Perez

mother was not a

adopted, she never spoke of her biological family. Perhaps they had not

Jasper stared at the paternity test

familiar, so much like his

no genetic link between them

How could this be?

from

for the test,