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??”

she’s a handful,” Vesper replied with a chuckle. “Mr. Ellington, you’re going to have your hands full. Better take care of yourself, especially

waist and

pinched Percival’s side in

was he even

Seven kids?

rate, they would have

all smiles. “Seven kids, eh? The more, the merrier.

noticed that Vesper had silently disappeared from

Vivienne realized what had happened, not only was Vesper

Percival stopped her.

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

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

she would see Vesper again,

a message to mobilize the Nine Mystics Society and the Frostfire Intelligence Agency to

Jasper soon fell asleep, and Vivienne and

a gust of wind by his ear. The next second, a disposable

took the note. It

around but saw no one, not even the bodyguards, had noticed the

not have known about the silent intruder if

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

note without causing a stir. He

the guards to increase their numbers around the house and to keep a close

…

mile away from the Perez Mansion,

and sighed over his plate. “Missed a good meal back there. Heard helpers at the

sipped his soup, saying, “This isn’t half

complained, burning his tongue on a hot

soup.

With just one phrase, Finnian

was lounging back in her chair, her mind racing through every

not add

it the two pairs of shoes Vesper

where Grandpa’s bedroom was when Vesper and Finnian arrived,