The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Willa took a bite of the salad and asked nonchalantly, “I don’t see the link.”

“But there is!”

Karen exhaled heavily and pinched Willa’s cheek. “Didn’t Dad drill it into you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper that you can’t be picky, that you can’t just eat the steak and ignore the salad? Because that’s just common sense, it’s the basics, it’s about not being wasteful.”

Willa nodded, confused. “Isn’t that how it should be?”

“But what if you just don’t like the salad? If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t. Not everything you do has to please Dad, nor does every action have to benefit the Perez family before you decide to do it. Everything you do should make you happy, got it?”

Willa sort of got it, but not really. She had always told herself that whatever happened, she needed to put the interests of the Perez family first.

The only time she ever went against Jasper’s wishes was when she had to leave the Perez family because of the F-Poison incident.

But technically, it was still for the benefit of the Perez family.

This mindset had become deeply ingrained in Willa.

Karen’s sudden outburst today left her at a loss.

What were the things that she actually liked?

Seeing Willa’s puzzled and lost gaze, Karen didn’t press on. She knew Willa had to figure it out on her own.

Some things are buried deep in the heart and aren’t so easily rooted out, especially for someone as stubborn as Willa.

Coming to a real understanding would take time.

“Alright, chew on that for a while. I’ll give this notebook to Frost. If there’s anything else, go straight to her.”

As Karen got up to leave, Willa grabbed her wrist. “Sasha, where are you going?”

Willa, with a keen sense, sensed a farewell in Karen’s demeanor. Her eyes held a tightness as if Karen would disappear the next second.

Jasper had just welcomed her back; where could she be going now?

Karen patted Willa’s hand gently, as light as a spring breeze.

worry, I’m not

what Karen was planning, but she guessed it involved going somewhere

Karen wouldn’t have said what she did

eyes resolute as if to

is going to treat my memory loss after-effects. Maybe by the next time we meet, I’ll remember who they all

her deep voice finally broke the

denied nor confirmed. Danger was not an absolute concern for

“I’m not going to

wasn’t lying; she had no talent in fortune-telling,

had said she’d live to a ripe old age, surrounded by

She believed him!

She understood that Karen had her thoughts and decisions, and once she had made up her mind, she wouldn’t

Willa sat still, slowly eating the steak on her

the steak from the salad with her

of her with

cheeky grin, watching her. “Eat up if you like it. Have as much as

stiffened, so lost in her thoughts that she had

darted back,

on her

you haven’t paid

steak house owner

to do this?” Maddox

that split second, Willa would have definitely

told me you’re a gambling addict and a womanizer, too. Seeing

could skin Fredrick alive.

the owner’s hands. “From now on, I’m your

immediately let go of Maddox and said

on the

chance to see her again, she slipped away. He hadn’t

Jasper, who was enjoying a stew as if nothing

of woe on his face. He had overheard the conversation between Karen

to clean up, sending Vivienne to play chess

poker, roping

was challenging Luke to a sparring match, insisting Fredrick be