The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Zelda nearly dropped her whisk when Leopold came crashing down onto the cobblestone path with a thud.

“Blimey, Leopold, that’s flagstone, you absolute brute!” She exclaimed, still half-focused on perfecting her cake recipe.

Jasper could not help but chuckle at the scene. “Alright, alright, enough with the dramatics. Get up,” he said with a grin.

Leopold rose, shaking his head with a laugh and holding a gift box. “Well, Sir, these are some of your favorite things. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just grabbed a bit of everything.”

Jasper’s smile widened. “You’re quite the character, kid. No wonder that Martinez girl fancies you so much. Speaking of which, aren’t you going to come out?”

Hearing this, Leopold froze, his feet suddenly as heavy as lead.

His heart stopped for a moment as if encased in ice.

Vivienne and Percival exchanged glances that did not need words; it was clear Leopold was in the dark.

Percival just shrugged. If he knew, would he have even shown up?

Thomas muttered under his breath, “Percival’s as ruthless as ever.”

Zelda, putting aside her baking tools, dragged Griffin out from the shadows. “No use hiding now, love. It’s not like you’re being dragged to the altar.”

Griffin Martinez stood at the threshold, her eyes cast down, her feet rooted to the spot.

Both of them were wracked with unspeakable thoughts and mutual guilt.

Vivienne nudged Leopold forward with a swift kick. “Snap out of it, will ya?”

Leopold stumbled into Griffin’s space, and she looked up, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, at a loss for words.

Zelda snickered and finally remembered to turn off the oven while she, along with Natalia and Yasmine, quietly exited the kitchen.

Percival and Vivienne ushered Jasper to the back garden, leaving the two frozen figures alone in their awkward silence.

breeze caused Griffin to

and draped it over

said you were alright,

arms around

taken aback, was not sure how

while, Griffin pulled back slightly, sniffling. “Couldn’t you try to comfort me

never seen Griffin cry. In his impression, Griffin had always been the woman who was either forcing him

he blinked in

in the shin, annoyed. All the tears she had shed for him when he was

yelped, rubbing his

anger melted away as she saw Leopold’s comical attempt to stand on one leg, and she could not

see her smile through

moment, he vowed never

tall, he took her hand in his. “Smile more, it

she held

was glad

curve of his neck. “I’m just so

raised his hands, hesitating before wrapping

pulled them around her

Vivienne rolled her

he seems pretty hopeless. Our dad’s way better at this. He always hugs Mom

he never lets us sleep

mouths before they

and Vivienne shared a laugh at the

we? I could use some fresh air,” Jasper said as he stood up from his wheelchair, Vivienne immediately at

help

her own hands, Diana

way? Before Vivienne was here, she

Diana was even more certain that Vivienne would be her biggest obstacle in the

children. “Come on, Percival, let’s

wanted to talk to Vivienne privately, and he would