The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne explained, “Basically, it’s like she can’t empathize with others. She doesn’t feel happiness, anger, sadness, or joy. When she snuffed out Birdie, she just thought the chirping was annoying. She didn’t consider that it was Diana’s beloved pet. When she watches a horror movie, she just sees it as a scene of murder, nothing scary. She can’t grasp love, friendship, or family ties. She’s like a block of ice, pure ice. And even if it melts, it’s just a puddle of water.”

Maddox shook his head. “But Vivienne, Willa treasures your grandpa and your mom a lot. If she couldn’t feel emotions, she wouldn’t have shown up today.”

People who can’t feel emotions don’t sympathize with others or worry about them.

Yet, Willa clearly wasn’t like that.

Plus, she had said in the hospital that she saw everyone as her brothers. So, it didn’t make sense that she couldn’t feel familial bonds.

“It’s not absolute. Emotional detachment can be managed. Didn’t you say that my mom had a talk with Aunt Willa? I think that was part of the management, which is why she’s so dependent on my mom.”

Maddox’s eyes brightened in understanding. “You’re right. Willa is really dependent on Sasha.”

Vivienne pursed her lips and continued, “It seems Aunt Willa wasn’t born this way. It might be due to medication.”

“Why do you say that?” Maddox’s eyes suddenly took on a fierce edge.

“If it were innate emotional detachment, it wouldn’t change so easily. My mom’s been gone for over thirty years. If it were innate, Aunt Willa would have stopped caring years ago, thinking, ‘If she’s gone, she’s gone. It’s no skin off my back.’ But she’s been searching all these years and even ran away from home out of shame upon learning she is the daughter of F-Poison.

I think, in Aunt Willa’s heart, the interests of the Perez family always come first, followed by my mom, grandpa, and then those closest to her.”

Maddox raised a hand. “I’m at the top of that ‘closest’ list!”

“Sure, sure,” Vivienne said, pressing Maddox’s hand down.

Men can be so weird, fussing over such trivial rankings!

Vivienne went on, “If it were an innate emotional detachment, it wouldn’t be so easy for people to get close to her. In all these years without my mom, it was Grandpa and you guys who gradually influenced Aunt Willa’s heart. My mom was the enlightenment, and you guys are the continuation. That’s what has shaped Aunt Willa today.

If it’s controlled by medication, after a while, when Aunt Willa and I get to know each other better, I’ll give her a check-up. That way, we can treat her accordingly and help her recover.”

health, there’s no need to worry. It’s just a lack of

as if he hadn’t really heard what Vivienne

“I get it now.”

raised an eyebrow, “What do you

of her life, the one she can’t live without. When her love comes rushing at me like a tidal wave, I’ll respond with a river of my own affection. We’ll have seven or eight kids, leave them with the eldest to handle, and I’ll take Willa to

to find not only had Vivienne and Percival disappeared, but even the cheesecake

clicked his tongue. “Jealous, they’re

Percival hadn’t left the hospital but had gone to the office Percival had prepared for Vivienne, which held everyone’s medical records, including those of Leopold and others who were recuperating on the second

but Astrid is conscious now, though she can’t move much yet. The others are gradually recovering.

records and finally picked

when my

methods to awaken Karen, each with its risks and not to be tried

back, softly saying,

said seriously as if she really intended

lips but found

Vivienne was still the same, not

…

stirring his coffee. Kenneth hadn’t bothered him for days since Anna was

couldn’t muster any happiness. He didn’t know

over, and he hadn’t

failing to leave a

a

Why?

grown familiar with her. Why had Percival, that old man,

as Mara

he didn’t have the strength to jostle with Percival for the

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