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 chuckle. “Mr. Ellington, you’re going to have your hands full. Better take care of yourself, especially

waist

Percival’s side in

was he even talking

Seven kids?

this rate, they would have enough for a

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

banter continued, no one noticed that Vesper

only was Vesper gone, but Finnian

Percival stopped her. “Vivienne, let it be.

joined them, nodding. “Mr.

were vigilant and trained. How could two grown men disappear without notice? The only explanation was that Vesper’s skills

that she would see Vesper again, but

to mobilize the Nine Mystics Society and the Frostfire Intelligence Agency

his illness, Jasper soon fell asleep, and Vivienne and Percival left the

his ear. The

It read: [Watch those around

looked around but saw no one, not even the bodyguards,

Yuri would not have known about the silent intruder if he

But who could it be from? The same person who left a note in Jasper’s room last

a stir.

instructing the guards to increase their numbers around the house and to keep

…

the Perez Mansion, at a corner

a good meal back there.

soup, saying, “This isn’t

say anything?” Finnian complained, burning his

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

much. With just one phrase, Finnian knew precisely what he

in her chair, her

did not add

it the two pairs of shoes Vesper brought or his silent

was when Vesper and Finnian arrived, did we?”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books