The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne massaged her forehead, utterly flabbergasted by Maddox's thoughtfulness.

It was beyond thoughtful—it was downright invasive! Grinding her teeth, she snapped a picture with her phone and sent it to Jasper.

“Grandpa, please extend my thanks to Uncle Maddox!” In the stillness of the night, Maddox, lounging in a bath at hand gazing at a photo of his beloved Willa, suddenly felt a chill he had never experienced before.

The next second, his phone rang—it was his dad, Jasper.

Maddox spent the entire night weathering a storm of Jasper’s blistering reprimands, not one word repeated.

Vivienne instructed the maid to return her bedroom to its normal state and to escort Percival to his room.

The maid looked at Vivienne uneasily. “Miss, we only prepared one guest room. The others aren't ready—there’s not even bedding.” Just one room? In a mansion this size, there was only one room available? You've got to be kidding! Noticing the change in Vivienne's expression, the maid slowly explained, “Miss, we were notified by Master Maddox too late, so we didn’t have tto prepare. Usually, it’s just us here tending to the house—we weren't expecting to accommodate any guests.” Luckily, the staff had the foresight to prepare a clean scipgehects and blankets, preventing the pink surprise from continuing.

But even the staff had not anticipated that Vivienne and Percival would sleep separately.

Thus, there was only one room available.

The maid apologetically smiled. “It wouldn't be proper to have Mr. Ellington stay in the servants’ quarters.” Indeed, it would not be suitable for Percival to stay in a servant's room—not to mention displacing one of the staff.

Percival sighed deeply. “Let it be, I'll bunk with Vivienne. You may retire for the night.” With that, Percival pulled Vivienne into the room and shut the door firmly behind them.

The maids, now alone, shared knowing smiles.

They were all mature adults here; there was an unspoken understanding.

In the room, Percival pressed Vivienne against the wall and kissed her deeply.

His kiss was fervent, pouring out long-suppressed emotions as if he wished to meld her into his very bones.

He pinned Vivienne’s slender wrists with one hand while the other wrapped tightly around her waist, their embrace intense yet restrained.

Vivienne quietly reciprocated, expressing her tenderness and adoration in full measure.

She could hear the fervent beating of Percival’s heart and felt the unique intensity of his emotions, responding to them with equal passion.

They held each other tightly, their embrace full of longing, yet never crossing that final line.

They fell asleep entwined, fingers interlocked.

Cmorning, Vivienne stirred, only to find the comforting warmth beside her gone.

Yawning, she sat up and heard running water from the bathroom.

Percival was showering.

Instantly alert, her heart raced like a startled doe at the thought.

Mr. Wolf was in the shower.

Hmm.

She wanted to peek.

Vivienne blushed at her thought, pulling the blanket over her head and giggling like a schoolgirl.

She had forgotten that she was, in fact, just a nineteen-year-old girl.

The sound of water ceased, and Vivienne composed herself, sitting on the bed as Percival emerged from the bathroom.

“Good morning, Mr. Wolf.” Percival was dressed casually, clearly ready for an outing.

For a fleeting moment, Vivienne felt a twinge of disappointment. She had hoped to see him in a bathrobe.

Percival sat down and tousled her hair. “What's on your mind, you little mischief?” Vivienne arched an eyebrow and leaned in close, her bright eyes glinting. “I was wondering what Mr. Wolf thinks about in the shower?” In an instant, a blush crept across Percival’s chiseled features.

Vivienne, already at the bathroom door, peeked out with a playful smile. “I'm going to freshen up first.” As the door clicked shut again, Percival realized he had been playfully taunted—again.

His lips curved in amusement, and he knocked on the bathroom door, “Vivienne, while | showered, | was thinking of you.” The sound of a toothbrush cup hitting the floor followed.

His grin deepened, and he contentedly left the room.

The gof wits was all part of the charm.

After freshening up, Vivienne joined Percival at the breakfast table, where the maid had just prepared a perfect soft-boiled egg, knowing it was her favorite.

“Miss, you're awake,” the maid greeted her cheerfully. “Mr. Ellington insisted we make a fresh egg for you, soft in the middle, just how you like it. Here it is, nice and warm. Eat up before it gets cold.” Vivienne nodded her thanks and spread ketchup over the soft-boiled egg.

One of the maids chuckled. “You know, you eat just like Miss Sasha did when she was younger. She loved her eggs this way and even drew smiley faces with ketchup when she was little.” The comment gave Vivienne and Percival pause.

This habit had been instilled in Vivienne by Karen.

Karen had pacified a young Vivienne by drawing smiley faces in ketchup on soft-boiled eggs.

And when Percival, her apprentice, had been injured on a mission, Karen had done the sto lift his spirits.

Vivienne's nose twitched with the threat of tears, but she quickly composed herself, taking a bite of her soft- boiled egg before turning to inquire, “How long have you been with the Perez family?”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

“If I count it out, it's been nearly forty years. | started working for the Perez family when | was barely twenty, and now I'm pushing sixty. Just the other day, Master Maddox mentioned setting up a pension for me.” Everyone called this servant Juliet. She was practically an institution within the Perez family, having served loyally at the Perez Mansion for decades.

Only when Vivienne cto stay did Maddox reassign her here.

After all, taking care of Vivienne required someone familiar and utterly reliable.

Vivienne nodded, her smile warm as she said, “Apart from the patriarch and my uncles, who else is in the Perez family? | haven't gotten to know everyone yet.” Juliet, aware of Vivienne’s standing with Jasper and feeling an affinity towards her reminiscent of the late Sasha, spoke candidly and with warmth, holding nothing back.

“Well, there's the eldest son, Luke Perez, and his wife, Carmen. Then there's the second son, Fredrick Perez, with his wife Alice. There's also a young lady, Diana Perez, who was adopted into the family, and Willa, who grew up with us, too. The old man treats her as his daughter, but Ms. Willa...” Juliet sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice, “Ms. Willa has her demons. She left Sea City stago, and no one knows her whereabouts.”