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.

of sunlight, not even the heat of

the torment of stillness, existing was

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

Diana a while to adjust and

mouth agape,

blankly at

she suddenly charged at them, screaming, “I am the only daughter of the Perez family, I am

swiftly pushed her back, protecting her

realizing just how deep Diana’s

it’s over. I have nothing to say. I’ve raised you all these years, but our bond is

hand, signaling it

no desire to engage

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

relationship had to be

laughter filled the room, reminiscent of a deranged spirit from a

talk

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

spare me your righteousness! You’re nothing but a hypocrite! You adopted me with ulterior motives, and now you

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

back, giving Diana one last look, then silently walked

Jasper explained, “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

you adopt her

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 her from a distance. But you wanted

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

Even picking up a proverbial wolf in sheep’s

“Master, could I

“Mr. Wolf, you’ll always

daughter and said, “Vivienne is just

arm through Jasper’s,

was no room for regret.

and Vivienne—they were not the

of their destiny, never