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.

chill breeze caused Griffin

took off his jacket and draped it over Griffin’s shoulders, breaking the silence. “When did you

you were alright, so he let

more, she wrapped her arms around Leopold,

not sure how

back slightly, sniffling. “Couldn’t you try

was either forcing him to marry her, chasing after him on a motorbike, or swinging his custom-made whip at those

a little, he blinked in surprise. “You

annoyed. All the tears she had shed for him when he was captured, and he was

Leopold yelped, rubbing his

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

looked up to see her smile through the

that moment, he vowed never to make her

her hand in

held his gaze, her hand

never doubted Leopold’s innocence, and she was glad her unwavering trust in him

again, burying her face in the curve of his neck. “I’m just so relieved you’re

hands, hesitating before wrapping them

them around her waist, holding him

spot, Vivienne rolled her

seems pretty hopeless. Our dad’s way better at

at bedtime, he never lets us sleep in the

before they could

Vivienne shared a laugh at

let’s go for a stroll, shall we? I could use some fresh air,” Jasper said as

reached out to help but was a step too

own hands, Diana watched Vivienne walk away with

the way? Before Vivienne was here, she

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

on, Percival, let’s join them. The others

agreement. Jasper must have wanted to talk to Vivienne privately, and he would not intrude