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??”

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

arm around Vivienne’s waist and said, “Alright,

Percival’s side in

he even

Seven kids?

rate, they would have enough for a

“Seven kids, eh? The more, the merrier. It’s a handful for a father,

no one noticed that Vesper had silently disappeared from the foot

only was Vesper

Percival stopped

“Mr. Linklater’s

attention on Jasper, all present were vigilant and trained. How could two grown men

she would see Vesper again, but it

the Frostfire Intelligence Agency to find Vesper, but

weak from his illness, Jasper soon fell asleep, and Vivienne

Yuri entered the house and felt a gust of wind by his ear. The next second, a disposable fork with a

note. It read: [Watch

saw no one, not even the

would not have known about the silent intruder if he

not a threat. But who could it be from? The same person who left a note in

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

the house and to keep a close eye on Vivienne without her noticing, Yuri left

…

mile away from the Perez Mansion, at a corner

fork and sighed over his plate. “Missed a good meal back there. Heard helpers at the Perez family can really cook up a

saying, “This isn’t half bad,

to say anything?” Finnian complained,

from his soup.

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

lounging back in her chair, her mind racing through

not

the two pairs of shoes

and Finnian arrived, did we?”Books Chapters Are