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.

the heat of summer could

only the torment of stillness, existing

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

was blinding, and it took Diana a while to

slowly stood up, mouth agape,

blankly at Karen

“I am the only

her back, protecting

realizing just

to say. I’ve raised you all these years, but our bond is broken.

hand, signaling

engage with the

visit was merely to support Jasper in putting an end to it all. He had truly loved Diana as his daughter, never allowing her to

had

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

Ha, you talk to me

was our bond? Was it because someone said adopting a child would bring prosperity to the Perez family? Or that this adopted daughter would bring blessings

a hypocrite! You adopted me with ulterior motives, and now you preach about

I didn’t finish you off that day. If I had, there

last look, then

“The 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

you adopt

said, “Diana was the child of one of my men. Her parents died in the line of duty, and I initially planned to send her to an orphanage and support

entwined. “I don’t remember how I

Karen’s world. Even picking up a proverbial

I possibly become

“Mr. Wolf, you’ll always

at his daughter and said, “Vivienne

Jasper’s, “Yes,

their world, there was no room for regret.

were not the type to bemoan their

masters of their destiny, never allowing anything