The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

An hour had passed before Mara finally stirred, a ghostly pallor on her face. Her voice was a weak whisper, barely there.

She had never felt so terrible in her life—it was like being on death’s doorstep!

That Gillian had actually given her a bottle of sleeping pills, and here she had thought they were vitamins.

If only she had known, she would not have taken a single one!

“Mara, you’re awake.” Cecilia’s voice carried a mixture of relief and worry, as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart upon seeing Mara’s eyes open.

To underscore her feebleness, Mara coughed deliberately, a decision she instantly regretted as her stomach convulsed painfully.

“Auntie, what happened to me?” Mara’s eyes brimmed with tears, but her pain was genuine.

Cecilia sat by the hospital bed, wiping away the tears streaking Mara’s face. “Oh, you silly girl. Do you have any idea how close you came to never seeing me again?”

Mara feigned shock, glancing down at her wrist as if seeing it anew, a look of realization crossing her face. “I… I’m sorry, Auntie. I just wasn’t thinking straight.”

“You really…” Cecilia held Mara’s hand, her heart full of unsaid words.

Across the room, Percival sat brooding on the couch, his eyes stormy as the horizon’s edge.

Vivienne, on the other hand, watched the scene with a certain amusement.

Such a promising talent, indeed.

Mara seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Gillian had been.

If she were to be signed and groomed properly, she might even outshine Kala!

Kala: Impossible, utterly impossible!

her chin in her palm, her mind racing

were enough before she turned to Percival. “Percival, why don’t you take Isolde back home? Everything’s under control here. I’ll stay with

at Percival

looping her arm through Percival’s, her smile beaming at Mara. “It’s

she would have been surprised at

was all about

was her true love, Mr. Wolf merely a

only less appealing

reach out to her. Since that was the case,

feet, only to collapse to

forgive me. Gillian and Grandma misled me, and I never meant for things to go so far. I was awful, please don’t be angry with me

was too young to understand, at least Cecilia would

no one came to

but managed

until Mara lifted her head, her eyes filled with fear and pleading, “Vivienne, will

“What are you

Vivienne, noting her barely suppressed mirth. He smiled, affectionately ruffling her hair. “Yeah, Vivienne is so magnanimous, truly

Vivienne has the biggest heart. She doesn’t hold grudges easily. Mara, don’t pull this act again. Admitting

snorted from the corner,

out of elementary school

Get up,

screamed silently. Reluctantly, she climbed back onto her feet, and whether by design or not, she winced at a sudden pain

against the bed, she clutched her cheek.

move to her side, helping Mara

Cecilia’s hand, her eyes betraying a fragility, like a delicate flower about to

there’s hardly anything that can’t be fixed. Just take it easy, and we’ll work through