The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Maddox’s grin froze on his face, and the bowl in his hands clattered to the floor.

Heads turned at the sound.

“Maddox, you just broke Natalia and Yasmine’s favorite bowl, you’re so screwed, man! Say goodbye to your wallet!”

“Oh, Maddox, when will you learn? You handle things like a bull in a china shop, and look what happens!”

“Oopsie, don’t be mad, Natalia and Yasmine, I’ll buy you a new one and make Uncle Maddox here pay up!”

Trying to keep cool, Maddox forced a smile and turned to the girls. “Sorry, Natalia and Yasmine, but I cut my hand pretty bad. Doesn’t anyone feel sorry for me?”

Luke immediately whisked the two kids away. “Girls, remember not to date a guy like this one.”

Yuri and Fredrick also quickly made their exit, unable to watch the embarrassing scene any longer!

After everyone left, Karen pulled out a small bottle of antiseptic powder and sprinkled it on Maddox’s wound, which healed quietly.

“No need to look so surprised, Maddox. Without Frost, I’d have less than a 2% chance.”

Karen smiled at Maddox and added, “Just don’t tell Dad, okay? I don’t want him to worry. Just say I’m off to find Frost’s dad, and it’ll be a long time before I can come back, alright?”

Maddox fought back tears, his eyes reddening but not allowing a single tear to fall.

Even with Vivienne and Karen working together, they only had a 2% chance of success. That left Maddox thinking…

“Sasha, can’t we just not do it?” Maddox struggled with the idea one last time.

“No, we have to do this,” Karen replied with certainty.

Maddox went silent, accepting that this was unstoppable.

in a tense game

game neared its end, Jasper suddenly asked, “Vivienne, what’s your

ever so slightly, and she managed a smile. “Oh, just out for

“She’s my daughter; she can’t

longer hold back, and her chess piece landed with a thud on

a procedure. It could restore memories, or it

breath dissipating into the air, followed by his grave voice. “I knew it. She was too chatty tonight, fussing over this and that. She’s up to something, isn’t she?

“She doesn’t

his voice. “Tell me the truth,

her fists, the words

her eyes, the procedure had only a one percent chance

was powerful; otherwise, it wouldn’t have so easily repaired Calista’s failing organs. Yet, its effects seemed mild,

this mysterious ST-1

a one percent chance. And that one percent was only for the surgery itself; for the medication, she had

his eyes moist. “Alright, can you promise your

reddened eyes and said, “Sure, tell

this. Pretend I’m clueless so she can go into surgery without

knew his daughter was tough on the outside but carried a

she chose

be oblivious, letting his precious daughter

couldn’t add to the pressure she had already

“You lost today. Next time, we’ll have your

Vivienne’s eye as she

or Karen, none of them wanted to put pressure on her. They had chosen to keep things under

returned to silence, broken only by the occasional

night, Karen slipped quietly out of her room and

should head back. Get

from the Perez Mansion.Books Chapters Are Daily