The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Everyone gathered around Jasper, but he reached for Vivienne with a steady hand.

“Vivienne, you okay there?”

Vivienne shifted her gaze from Vesper and replied softly, “Yeah, a bit shaken up.”

Jasper hummed in response, gently patting Vivienne’s hand. “I’m gonna be fine. Gotta take you back home to watch Natalia and Yasmine grow up and wait for Sasha to return. I won’t break my promise.”

Then, spotting Percival, he added with a smile, “And to see our Vivienne get married and have kids, right?”

Vivienne blushed slightly. “How about I check in on you every month, say on the ninth?”

Although Vivienne still had questions about what was really going on inside Jasper, she knew now was not the time to ask. He was weak and did not need the stress of an interrogation.

“Sounds good to me,” Jasper chuckled, his eyes catching Vesper standing a little ways off. The more he looked, the more he liked the young man. “Young sir, you do resemble my boys strikingly.”

Vesper looked up, a complicated expression in his eyes, but he managed a small smile. “Really? Then I suppose I’m quite the looker.”

Jasper laughed heartily. “You sure are, lad, a spitting image of my younger self.”

Yuri teased, “Dad, fishing for compliments now?”

“I’ve always been handsome.” Jasper stood up, still holding Vivienne’s hand. “Vivienne’s kids are gonna be stunners, no doubt.”

“Dad, how many kids do you want Vivienne to have?” Zelda asked.

Jasper thought momentarily, then said, “Hey, Percival, how many do you want?”

Caught off-guard by the sudden question, Percival cleared his throat and said, “That’s up to Vivienne.”

“You just stay out of the fray and take care of yourself. Can’t have any repeats of last time,” Jasper advised more seriously.

Percival nodded in agreement, feeling no discomfort.

Vivienne turned to Vesper. “How many kids do you have at the Linklater family??”

a handful,” Vesper replied with a chuckle. “Mr. Ellington, you’re going to have

Vivienne’s waist and said, “Alright,

Percival’s side in

he even talking

Seven kids?

have

was all smiles. “Seven kids, eh? The more, the merrier. It’s

continued, no one noticed that Vesper had silently disappeared from the foot of the

not only was Vesper gone, but

stopped her. “Vivienne, let

nodding. “Mr. Linklater’s skills

attention on Jasper, all present were vigilant and trained. How could two grown men disappear without

that she would see Vesper again,

to mobilize the Nine Mystics Society and the Frostfire Intelligence Agency to find Vesper, but she was unsure

illness, Jasper soon fell asleep, and Vivienne

wind by his ear. The next second, a disposable fork with a note attached was embedded

the note. It read:

around but saw no one, not even the bodyguards,

not have known about the silent intruder

seemed to be a warning, not a threat. But who could it be from? The same person who left a note in Jasper’s room

pocketed the note without causing a stir. He did not want Zelda

house and to keep a close eye

…

mile away from the Perez Mansion, at a corner

over his plate. “Missed a good meal back there. Heard helpers at the Perez family

saying, “This isn’t half bad, either.

Finnian complained,

picked out the shrimp from his soup. “The waters run deep in

just one phrase, Finnian knew precisely what he

chair, her mind racing through every detail of the

did not add

shoes Vesper brought or his

up straight. “Mr. Wolf, we never mentioned where Grandpa’s bedroom was when Vesper and Finnian arrived, did we?”Books Chapters Are Daily