The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 1079

Chapter 1079

Outside.

Charlie and Oliver were led by Sophia into Grandpa Henry's prized greenhouse by their cousin Juliette.

Amidst the room filled with expensive plants, the two boys dared not move a muscle.

They had been here once before, when they needed to feed their newly acquired rabbit with some "grass".

That very night, their father was summoned to Grandpa's study and didn't emerge until after a stern hour-long lecture.

From then on, they knew to recognize the value of these plants and were strictly forbidden from touching them, as they were Grandpa Henry's pride and joy. Clearly, Juliette was blissfully unaware.

She moved freely around the greenhouse, turning to find the two boys frozen at the door, giving them a curious look.

"Charlie, Oliver, why aren't you moving? Grandpa's flowers are beautiful, look! I'm not stingy, come here, and I'll pick the reddest one for you."

The two boys shook their heads in terror.

They dared not.

Juliette, thinking they might run away again, plucked two flowers and stuffed them into their hands, "Here, consider the face-pinching incident forgotten. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

Charlie and Oliver's eyes widened, not at the sight of the flowers, but at the thought of Grandpa Henry's explicit instructions. Even the least expensive plant in the greenhouse was worth a year's supply of their favorite cheese sticks. Cheese sticks were their most cherished snack.

Holding these flowers... would they ever get to eat snacks again?

Grandpa Henry slowly made his way out of the room, spotting the group of kids in his greenhouse.

Just then, a flash of red caught his eye.

Grandpa Henry squinted, turning to his butler, "What are Charlie and Oliver holding in their hands?"

a careful look and cautiously replied, "Sir, the young

me. What's the point of having him if he can't even watch over a couple of kids?" The butler hesitated but

failure to behave is

"Crash!"

felt a sudden tightness in his chest,

accidentally knocked over the lotus orchid Luke had brought you the day before yesterday!" Grandpa Henry pursed his lips, serene, "No matter, it's broken, it's broken. We'll

The butler, "..."

replace, Luke wouldn't have

"Crash!"

stood there, his own heart in knots. Each of those plants was

"For what?"

Henry declared righteously, "What's wrong with a girl liking flowers? Let her

far it might as

Poor their father.

and now it seemed he'd have to "splurge" again. When their father caught up, he found the children

"Juliette, what are you

Charlie and Oliver shifted, tilting their heads to look at

up at their father, Charlie pointed and whispered, "Daddy, the

pointing at the orchid, remembered the most important

but as he came closer, he nearly choked on his own

expensive, Juliette patiently explained, "Oliver, you're still young, let me teach you.

was about

voice calm for the children's sake, "Juliette, put

for help while instructing Juliette, "Don't touch it. I'll call Luke

"No need, Juliette can do it

yanking it

felt as if his mind had

He knew that flower.

hadn't been in his father's

dumbstruck father, reminded him in their sweet, milky voices, "Daddy, aren't you calling Uncle?" Juliette

also grabbed a neighboring unflowered