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.

I’m not going

didn’t know what Karen was planning, but she

wouldn’t have said what she did

resolute as if to say, “Wherever you go,

treat my memory

her deep voice finally broke the quiet. “Is it

Danger was not an absolute concern

Willa’s hair. “I’m not going to

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

old age, surrounded by children

She believed him!

thoughts and decisions, and once she had made up her mind, she

left, Willa sat still, slowly eating

at the plate, quietly separating the steak from the salad with her

appeared in front of her with only

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

had completely ignored

back, ready

quick on her

haven’t paid yet!

the fast-acting steak house owner grabbed him. “Maddox, you can’t dine

Do you have to do

that split second, Willa would have definitely

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

he could skin Fredrick alive. This was no way

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

steak house owner immediately let go of Maddox

the empty street, Willa was nowhere to

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

Jasper,

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

upon herself to clean up,

poker,

Luke to a sparring