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.

even the heat of summer could

with only the torment of stillness, existing was worse than

she could not hear anything outside her darkness. She relied on touch to find

Diana a while to adjust

mouth agape, but no

at Karen and

at them, screaming, “I am the only

her back,

head, realizing just how deep Diana’s obsession

all these years, but our

Karen’s hand, signaling it was time to

engage with the madwoman before

an end to it all. He had truly loved Diana as his

relationship had to

laughter filled the room,

Ha, you talk to

Was it because someone said adopting a child would bring prosperity to the Perez

adopted me with ulterior

off that day. If I had, there would be no Vivienne, and I wouldn’t be

Diana one last look, then silently walked away with

understand why I adopted Diana and Willa, especially with so many kids at home. Rumors spread, and I thought she

“Dad, why did you adopt her in the

“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

don’t remember

proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing

could I

always be a wolf

and said, “Vivienne is

looped her arm through Jasper’s, “Yes, and I’m

room for regret. To

Karen, and Vivienne—they were not the type to bemoan their

destiny, never allowing anything to break