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

his jacket and draped it over Griffin’s shoulders, breaking

mumbled, “Dad said you were

arms

was not sure

sniffling. “Couldn’t you try to comfort me just

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

little, he blinked in surprise.

and kicked him in the shin, annoyed. All the

Leopold yelped,

attempt to stand on one leg,

see her smile through

he vowed never

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

heart skipped a beat as she held his gaze, her hand burning

had never doubted Leopold’s innocence, and she was glad her unwavering

in the curve of his neck. “I’m just so

his hands, hesitating before

hands and pulled them around her waist, holding

their hiding spot, Vivienne rolled her

sighed. “Yeah, he seems pretty hopeless. Our dad’s way better at this. He always

echoed, “Yeah. Especially at bedtime, he never lets us sleep in the

their mouths before they could reveal any more family

a laugh at

use some fresh air,” Jasper

out to help but was a

tight grip on her own hands, Diana watched

Vivienne was here, she had always been

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

children. “Come on, Percival, let’s join them. The others will be

Vivienne privately, and he would not intrude on that.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books