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??”

going to have your hands full.

wrapped an arm around Vivienne’s waist and said, “Alright, then we’ll have

Percival’s side in

he

Seven kids?

have enough for

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

banter continued, no one noticed that Vesper

happened, not only

but Percival stopped

“Mr. Linklater’s skills are beyond

trained. How could two grown men disappear without notice? The only explanation was

premonition that she would see Vesper again, but it would be

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

asleep, and Vivienne and

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

It read: [Watch those around

saw no one, not even the bodyguards, had noticed

have known about the silent intruder if he had

a warning, not a threat. But who could it be from? The same person who left a

a stir.

to keep a close

…

from the Perez Mansion, at a corner

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

sipped his soup, saying, “This isn’t

Finnian complained, burning his tongue

his soup. “The waters run deep

say much. With just one phrase, Finnian knew precisely

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

did not add

two pairs of shoes Vesper brought or his

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