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??”

Ellington, you’re going to have your hands full. Better

Vivienne’s waist and said,

Percival’s

he even

Seven kids?

would have enough

merrier. It’s a handful for

one noticed that Vesper had silently disappeared from the

realized what had happened, not only was Vesper gone, but Finnian

made to go after them, but Percival stopped her.

them, nodding. “Mr. Linklater’s skills are

present were vigilant and trained. How could two grown men disappear without notice?

Vesper again,

Society and the Frostfire Intelligence Agency

soon fell asleep, and Vivienne and Percival left the

his ear. The next second, a disposable fork

the note. It read: [Watch those around

no one, not

Yuri would not have known about the silent intruder if he had not seen

warning, not a threat. But who could it

note without causing a stir. He did not want

keep a close eye on Vivienne without her noticing,

…

from the Perez Mansion, at a

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

his soup, saying, “This isn’t

say anything?” Finnian complained, burning his tongue on

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

did not need to say much. With just one phrase, Finnian knew precisely

in her chair, her

did not add

the two pairs of shoes Vesper brought or his silent

Wolf, we never mentioned where Grandpa’s bedroom was when Vesper and Finnian