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.

"Did you and Griffin Martinez

why are you teasing me too? You know how tightly the Martinez family guards Griffin. If I dared to elope, they'd skin me

car, smiling at Vivienne in the rearview mirror, "I told the guys about you agreeing to my

two kids. Let's see who dares to mess

Vivienne was speechless.

she being dragged

prison,

expression,

those words, Declan's body tensed, his hoarse voice breaking

threw

tumult

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

Abigail's remains could be pieced back into a whole was debatable.

her

muttered, "She never made

"What final step?

hand on Declan, guessing there was some deal between him

wouldn't surface until the

Declan's voice

be something

grand vision. Anything she couldn't take with her, she'd destroy with her own hands."

if this person was chosen by her,

was just a means to an end for her. Now

to great lengths for her, yet she regarded you as expendable. Yet, here you

scheme. He must harbor some of Abigail's secrets,

"Name the

The world is flawed.

but it was too late to

of his inner energy, struck his own

a person, but any clues to

scene.