The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Diana’s pout could have tugged the heartstrings of the stone statues in the garden. “I’m fine,” she insisted, but even her echo did not believe her.

Dracon followed Diana’s gaze and naturally landed on Vivienne.

“She’s been stealing your thunder again, hasn’t she? Don’t worry, I’ll get your back. No one messes with you on my watch,” Dracon said with a steely edge to his voice.

Before long, all the guests had arrived.

Yuri exchanged pleasantries with Natalia and Yasmine before moving on to the gift-giving part of the evening.

Isolde Ellington, on behalf of the Ellington family, presented two antique lockets. To the trained eye, these were not ordinary trinkets. They were antiques, auctioned for a hefty sum over a decade ago, once belonging to twin princesses from an age long past.

The crowd murmured their appreciation; the Ellingtons never did anything by halves.

Vivienne waited her turn, and once most had presented their gifts, she stepped forward. “Happy birthday, Natalia, Yasmine.”

Upon opening the gift box, the sight of two exquisite jade bracelets lit up the girls’ eyes.

Indeed, no matter the age, jewelry had a certain irresistible allure for women.

“Thank you, Vivienne,” the girls chimed in unison, their eyes sparkling with joy.

Vivienne ruffled their hair affectionately. Paired with the shoes Karen had given earlier, these bracelets would keep Natalia and Yasmine in good health for years to come.

The crowd was duly impressed. Such bracelets were not items one simply stumbled upon in a store.

Then, a snicker cut through the chatter. “I was curious what Ms. Hawthorn would bring. Just a pair of bracelets? How uninspired. I heard Jasper once gave you the Heart of Hope set, and as Master Jessica, plucking a bracelet from your inventory is no hassle. I thought you only played games with women, but it seems you don’t spare the children either.”

All eyes turned to Dracon, the only one who could deliver such a biting remark.

The faces of the Perez family fell, and the Ellingtons were not pleased either.

daughter-in-law was something

onto Percival, stepped forward. “I wonder what you have brought that might enlighten me,

his gift: an ancient wooden box. When opened,

It was a gemstone scarcely seen in a hundred years, invaluable both as jewelry

mere purchase; wealth

mysterious collector

none other than

own, gifting such a treasure without a second thought,

by the opal, but her disdain for Dracon kept her from expressing her awe. “Show off,” she muttered under her breath, “My

Vivienne. “Mr. Linklater,

bowing gentlemanly and delivering the Rainbow Opal to Natalia and Yasmine. “Do the young princesses like

could not warm

a special gift chosen just for you two by Uncle Dracon. Say

in Diana’s favor. “Diana mentioned you liked sparkly things,

I take a closer look at your

thought Percival was a hero worthy of

handed the box

opal and, to Dracon’s horror, began tossing it as one might juggle

doing, Percival?”

Opal can’t be shattered; it can only be cut with special tools.

Mr. Ellington’s

Percival hurled the opal to the ground without a word. To the shock of everyone, the supposedly unbreakable

guests were

supposed to be

tension, starting with Maddox

face cycled through shades of red and white, his composure as shattered like the opal that

poise in the face of this

was the drama at

two little kids, and then it turns out to be

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