The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne pushed open the heavy iron gate, rubbing her arms.

Though the sun was shining bright outside, the place seemed to cast a chilling shadow over everything.

“Mom, Grandpa, are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” Vivienne asked.

Jasper shook his head. “No need, sweetheart. Your mother and I can handle this. You just wait here, okay?”

Vivienne nodded, watching Karen and Jasper disappear through the doorway.

She settled back into the car and began to nibble on a strawberry cheesecake.

As Karen pushed open the door, a nauseating stench hit her full force.

The person inside, hearing the noise, slowly turned her head.

Her hair was a tangled mess, unwashed for days.

Stains marred her clothes, and her bare feet were caked in dirt.

The source of the foul smell was clear—it emanated from her.

Jasper sighed deeply at the sight. “Diana…”

The person trapped here was, indeed, Diana!

After the cliff side explosion, Diana had been rushed to the hospital. Once she survived, the Perez family had locked her away here.

The villa might have looked like a luxury home, but it was more akin to a prison cell.

It had everything—a complete set of furniture.

But the all-black decor and the perpetual darkness turned the spacious abode into a haunted house.

There were no lights, no windows, and even the walls were painted black.

heat of summer

with only the torment of stillness, existing was worse than

daily, only to ensure Diana remained alive. Unaware of time or place, she could not hear anything outside her darkness. She relied on

Diana a while to adjust and recognize the figures before

stood up, mouth agape, but no sound

stared blankly at

screaming, “I am the only daughter of the Perez family, I am

her back,

just how deep

years, but our bond

Karen’s hand, signaling it was

no desire to engage with the madwoman

it all. He

their relationship had to

Diana’s eerie laughter filled the room, reminiscent of a deranged spirit from a

you talk to

child would bring prosperity to the Perez family? Or that this adopted daughter

nothing but a hypocrite! You adopted

regret is that I didn’t finish you off that day. If I had, there would be no

turned back, giving Diana one last look, then silently walked

things Diana mentioned, they’re probably rumors she overheard. Many couldn’t understand why I adopted Diana and Willa, especially with so many kids at home. Rumors spread, and I thought she was educated enough not to believe them. Apparently, I

did you adopt her in

parents died in the line of duty, and I initially planned to send her to an orphanage

fate entwined. “I don’t remember how I felt back then,

in Karen’s world. Even picking up a proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing

“Master, could I possibly become a

always be a wolf to

his daughter and said, “Vivienne is just

arm through Jasper’s, “Yes, and I’m just

smile. In their world, there was no room for regret. To

and Vivienne—they were not

destiny, never allowing anything to break