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

took off his jacket and draped it over Griffin’s shoulders,

said you were alright, so

her arms around Leopold, her

taken aback, was not sure

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

In his impression, Griffin had always been the woman who was either forcing him to marry her, chasing after him on

a little, he blinked in surprise.

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

yelped, rubbing his

to stand on one leg, and she

to see her smile

never to

he took her hand in his.

skipped a beat as she held his gaze,

innocence, and she was glad her unwavering trust

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

his hands, hesitating before

hands and pulled them

rolled her eyes. “Hopeless,” she

Our dad’s way better at this. He

at bedtime, he never lets us sleep

covered their mouths before they could reveal any more family

laugh at the young

go for a stroll, shall we? I could use some fresh air,” Jasper said as he stood up from his wheelchair, Vivienne immediately

help but

Diana watched Vivienne walk away with

Vivienne was here, she had always

certain that Vivienne would be her biggest obstacle

scooped up the children. “Come on, Percival, let’s join them.

wanted to talk to Vivienne privately, and he would not