The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The chat group was quiet at first, filled with question marks. Then, like a stone thrown into a pond, messages began to flood in.

It was like a bomb had gone off.

Jerry Perez, the second oldest, chimed in: "Leopold, that trick won't work on us!"

Daniel, the third, added: "No offense, Leopold, but you're just not in the same league as us."

Eric, the fourth, joked: "Leopold's definitely got some delusions of grandeur."

Old-man Dawson couldn't believe it: "Has Leopold lost his mind? ... The nerve to say that, did you eat lion's heart and leopard's courage?"

Donald, the sixth, laughed: "Leopold, you're trying to kill us with laughter. If Vivienne would let her kid call you godfather, I'd call you godfather too!" Enzo agreed: "Seconded!"

Larry, the eighth, added: "Seconded +1!"

Gary sent a long voice message, laughing so hard he couldn't even speak.

Leopold, feeling smug, was driving with one hand and replied with a voice message, specifically tagging Donald.

"Come on, Donald, the master is still here. If you call me godfather... that's like shortening my life!"

"And if you dared, I wouldn't dare accept."

The group went silent.

Then, Old-man Dawson sent a message, "Leopold, did Vivienne confirm this herself?"

Leopold couldn't suppress his grin. "Dawson, you too? Would I dare share the news with you guys if Vivienne hadn't agreed?"

With that, Leopold closed his phone, feeling victorious as the group's messages kept coming.

He had secured his position as godfather.

The next day, when Vivienne got into the car, she saw Leopold grinning from ear to ear as if he'd stumbled upon some great fortune.

asked, "Did you and Griffin Martinez elope or

teasing me too? You know how tightly the Martinez family guards Griffin. If I dared to elope, they'd skin me alive." Vivienne narrowed her eyes, "Then what's

told the guys about you agreeing to my request.

godfather of your two kids. Let's see

Vivienne was speechless.

was she being dragged

the prison, Leopold waited

Declan alone, facing his stoic expression, she calmly stated, "Stop waiting, Abigail is

words, Declan's body tensed, his hoarse

threw a

it, a tumult of emotions flashed

with her. Her body is now in the research lab. As for any chances of her making a comeback, it's almost nil." The photo had

be pieced back into a whole was

Anna involved, her end would

as he muttered, "She never made it to

eyes narrowed, "What final step?

on Declan, guessing there was some deal between

deal wouldn't surface until the

don't know," Declan's

turned icy, "She spared your life, there must be something you promised her. How could you not

let anyone else complete her grand vision. Anything she couldn't take with her, she'd

but if this person was chosen by her, or related to her, it's a different

wrong tree. I was just a means to

"You've gone to great lengths for her, yet she regarded you as expendable. Yet, here you are, alive. Do you

how deep Declan could scheme. He must harbor some of Abigail's secrets,

"Name the person,

laughed bitterly, "What does death matter? The world is flawed. After

eyes narrowed, but it was

the last of his inner energy, struck his own temple, ending his

confirmed there was indeed such a person, but any clues

team rushed in, shocked at the scene. Draven bowed