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

over Griffin’s shoulders, breaking

you were alright, so he let

could say more, she wrapped her arms around Leopold, her sobs muffled

was not

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

been the woman who was either forcing him to marry her, chasing after him on a motorbike, or

little, he blinked in surprise. “You

deep breath and kicked him in the shin, annoyed. All the tears she had shed

yelped,

away as she saw Leopold’s comical attempt to stand

looked up to see her

vowed never to

tall, he took her hand in his. “Smile

a beat as she held his gaze, her hand burning

Leopold’s innocence, and she was

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

his hands, hesitating before wrapping them

pulled them

hiding spot, Vivienne rolled her

pretty hopeless. Our dad’s way better at this.

Especially at bedtime, he never lets

their mouths before they could

shared a laugh

some fresh air,” Jasper said as he stood

also reached out to help but

Diana watched Vivienne walk away

here, she had always been the one

was even more certain that Vivienne would

Percival, let’s

in agreement. Jasper must have wanted to talk to Vivienne privately, and he would not intrude on that.Books Chapters Are Daily