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,

“Percival, why don’t you take Isolde back home? Everything’s under control here.

sitting up, Mara looked at Percival

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

that even she

was driven—Vivienne was all about making

love, Mr. Wolf

I’m not only less appealing than a strawberry cheesecake but

Vivienne would actually reach out to her. Since that was the case, she was not about to miss this opportunity to overplay her

her feet, only to collapse to her knees

for things to go so far. I was awful, please don’t be angry with me

too young

no one came to

nearly laughed out loud but managed to keep her

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

tone. “What are you

suppressed mirth. He smiled, affectionately ruffling

this act again. Admitting your mistake is one thing, but forgiveness comes from genuine

snorted from the

of elementary school was

“Mara, Isolde is right. Get up, what’s with this

do to apologize?” Mara screamed silently. Reluctantly, she climbed back onto her feet,

bed, she clutched her cheek. “Ah,

her side, helping Mara back into bed. “You

hand, her eyes betraying a fragility,

anything that can’t be fixed. Just take it easy, and