The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

At the Perez Mansion.

Jasper, balancing a box of strawberry shortcake, made his way inside.

Natalia and Yasmine blinked their dewy eyes and scampered towards Jasper in unison.

Zelda was engrossed in a YouTube tutorial, trying to master the art of the perfect strawberry shortcake.

“Dad, didn’t you go play chess with Richard? What brings you back so soon?” Zelda asked, setting aside her lopsided whipped cream to greet him.

Jasper opened the shortcake box and divided it into two generous slices for the eagerly waiting Natalia and Yasmine.

He waved off her concern with a smile. “Richard got wind that Vivienne and her grandson leaped off a cliff. Rushed off to check on them.”

Zelda gasped, startled. She had been preoccupied with her cake-making venture all day and had not caught any news. “A cliff? What happened?”

“Nothing serious, just a rescue mission. Vivienne and Percival are quite the capable pair,” Jasper chuckled.

Jasper had known about Vivienne and Percival’s heroic act at the racetrack since the previous night and had already dispatched Yuri to gather details. Even the intel about the engineer had been discreetly passed on to Leopold by Yuri.

So, his worry had long since passed.

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. “You gave me quite the scare. I’ll have to remind Vivienne to steer clear of danger next time. How terrifying.”

Jasper glanced at the yard, where beaten eggs and cream were strewn about – even on Natalia and Yasmine. Sighing, he said, “Zelda, maybe you should steer clear of danger yourself.”

Zelda rubbed her nose with a grin. “No worries, I’m safe. The oven hasn’t exploded yet.”

Jasper did not protest further. His daughter-in-law was always chasing whims; last time, it was an obsession with braiding Natalia and Yasmine’s hair, which nearly ended with the girls being bald.

Now, it was strawberry shortcake, and who knew how long that phase would last?

strawberry shortcake, and began to clean up the eggshells from the girls. “Zelda, have Eva wash them. Look

had matters to discuss with Jasper, and took the girls to

the yard, Jasper shut off the oven Zelda had left on and asked, “What’s

from back then. I’ve looked into the engineer you mentioned, but there’s not much to go on apart from

been suspended, and Leopold’s been reassigned to the outskirts, away from core operations. Apparently, Fiona submitted a statement to the higher-ups involving some confidential matter, but

nodded. “Take care of it. We can’t let them get

his cane, pointing at the chaotic front yard. “Clean this up and

sighed silently. “Zelda bake? If she can separate eggs without making a mess,

dreading the egg-heavy meals ahead. In the Perez Mansion, nothing went

…

home from school

was nothing like Charlotte’s. It was cold efficiency, but it got results – unlike Charlotte,

you’re back,” Anna said, ruffling Thaddeus’s hair and handing him a PSP.

Anna!” Thaddeus finished his last stroke, grabbed the PSP, and

women entered Vivienne’s bedroom, and Anna closed the door firmly behind them. “Ms. Vivienne, I can’t reach headquarters, but Hotshot sent me a coded message

nodded. “Alright, I got

sent to the outskirts, Captain Charlotte’s been suspended, Hotshot is on standby without details, and the third squad has

at Vivienne. “Is something

sprawled lazily on the

Mark to pick him up before I leave each day. All

and it’ll be over,” Vivienne said, stretching on the

embarrassed. “Ms. Vivienne, how

propping her head with one hand.

her lip, her expression troubled. “It’s

Oh?

up –

eager look, Anna’s mouth twitched. “It’s nothing major, but Kenneth keeps hanging around Elite University, getting in the way. It’s

unfolding.Books

her throw pillow, and stared at Anna with

weary sigh, “He even paraded around with a bouquet of