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 going

was planning, but she guessed it involved going somewhere

have said what she did

resolute as if to say, “Wherever you go, I’ll

is going to treat my memory loss after-effects. Maybe by the next

while before her deep voice finally broke the quiet.

absolute concern for her. Regaining her

“I’m

had no talent in fortune-telling,

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

She believed him!

her thoughts and decisions,

Willa sat still, slowly eating

separating the steak

appeared in front of her with only a plain

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

she had completely ignored

back, ready

quick on her heels,

paid yet! Three

house owner grabbed him.

you have to do

that split second, Willa would

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

almost wished he could skin Fredrick alive. This was no way

it in the owner’s hands. “From now on, I’m your VIP. Don’t ever ask me to pay

owner immediately let go of Maddox and said with

the

her again, she slipped

and Vivienne were accompanying Jasper, who was enjoying a stew

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

Karen took it upon herself to clean up, sending Vivienne

ladies started a game of poker,

challenging Luke to a sparring match, insisting Fredrick be the