The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the hospital, Carl was still in surgery, his condition more severe than Ashley’s, who was the first to regain consciousness.

The entire Brooks family had rushed to the hospital, relieved to see Ashley’s eyes flutter open.

Melissa was beside herself with tears. “You scared the life out of me, Ashley! If something happened to you, how on earth could I face your father?”

Ashley, still too weak to speak, glanced around the room, her eyes searching for Vivienne, who was not there.

Darren seemed to grasp what she was looking for and leaned in to whisper, “Ashley, Vivienne’s still in surgery with Carl. She’ll be here as soon as it’s over.”

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze then shifted back to her mother, her eyes brimming with tears.

Kala chimed in, “Don’t cry now, Ashley. Vivienne said you’ve got a scrape on your face, and tears won’t help it heal. You don’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours, so be good, won’t you?”

Ronald also tried to comfort Melissa, “Aunt, no need to cry. Didn’t Vivienne say that Ashley and Carl are out of danger? They’ll be up and about in a few days. You crying like this will only have them worrying about you when they wake up.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” Melissa managed, dabbing at her eyes. She took her daughter’s hand. “If it weren’t for Vivienne, you and Carl would’ve been goners. Charlotte told me how Vivienne and Percival braved a cliff jump to save you two. Terrifying, I tell you.”

Ashley pressed her lips together, wanting to say something but feeling too drained. She soon drifted back to sleep.

When she woke again, most of the machines had been removed, but her legs were still numb, and she was still in recovery. Vivienne had made sure she stayed put to avoid injuring herself further.

Carl, too, had been brought out of the operating room, awaiting consciousness. Ashley found her voice again.

“Mom, where’s Vivienne?” She asked.

She remembered that just before she had passed out, it was Vivienne who had grasped her hand and promised, “I’m here; you’re not going to die.”

now? You’ll be bedridden for a month, and then it’s

deeply at Vivienne, before finally mustering the strength to speak, “After everything I’ve done

replied, “To laugh at you, you’d need to

wrong before. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted your intentions. You’ve never been cruel. Mom’s

want you to know I won’t blame you anymore. I was jealous because the family treated you so well. Now I see

Ashley took a deep breath,

nodded. “Okay,

was not a bad person,

Melissa, I have to go,”

you, Vivienne, for all your help with

squeezing Melissa’s hand

and they walked out of the hospital together, only to run into Fiona in her wheelchair, accompanied by a

here,” Fiona said

“It’s no

feigned realization, “Oh, right. How could I

her, “Sienna, this is the Percival I told you about. Make sure to greet them properly

to Percival and Vivienne, “I’m

hand toward Vivienne

hand, and Vivienne

odd about Sienna’s skin during

quickly withdrew her hand, “I have to take Ms. Fiona for a check-up. Until

Vivienne replied, her lips curving into a

while

her fingertip, particularly at the print of her

some clowns jumping around. They’re

Vivienne grinned, “You’re right!”