The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Leo was in the middle of a heated conversation, his fingers gripping the woman's chin to turn her face towards him, oblivious to the scrutinizing glances from the crowd around them. His suspicious gaze softened momentarily when he caught sight of Sophie's hauntingly persistent presence, only to recoil as if jolted by electricity.

He quickly let go of her hand, shaking it in the air as if he had touched something filthy. Sophie, teetering in her high heels and with her arm restrained by him, was already unsteady. His sudden release sent her tumbling towards the ground! The hard marble tiles of the mall floor slammed against her chest, bringing tears to her eyes and eliciting sympathy from the onlooking gentlemen. "Hey man, even if you're fighting with your girlfriend, that's no way to treat her. That's just cold!" Leo, feeling like a cornered cat, jumped back and retorted, "Who the hell said she's my girlfriend?! I can deal with a lot, but don't you put words in my mouth! I've got nothing to do with this lady!" "How can you say that?" With the help of sgirls, Sophie stood up, clutching her chest, a picture of wounded innocence. "My father hoped our families could unite through marriage. You're supposed to be my fiancé. Even if you don't like me, you can't just disownlike that. Where does that leave my family's honor?" Ah, the old arranged marriage spiel. That cleared it up for everyone.

"You're way out of line, buddy! Good looks but a heart of stone, huh?" One of the girls couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up for Sophie. "Even if yours is an arranged marriage and you don't like her, you can't be this harsh. If you're so against it, why don't you confront your families about breaking off the engagement?" "Engagement? What engagement?" Leo was on the verge of losing it. "My dad never agreed to any of this in the first place. Engagement, my foot. Stop trying to elevate yourself at my expense. I wish I'd never cshopping today!" Saying so, he grabbed Tom and made to leave. But Sophie wasn't about to let him off so easily. She had finally caught up with Leo and hoped to use him to get closer to Percival. Letting him go now would mean losing who knows how many chances in the future.

Without thinking, she grabbed Leo's arm. "Leo, please don't do this. I... I know you don't like me. But I really like you. If I've caused you any trouble, I'm sorry. Please, don't ignore me." Her voice was soft and pleading, a stark contrast to her usually more assertive tone. Even if the ladies weren't moved, the gentlemen certainly were.

"Man, you're blind. The girl is literally throwing herself at you. How can you not appreciate that?" "In this day and age, finding someone who genuinely likes you is rare." Leo, scanning the crowd with a frosty gaze, said, "Mind your own business. I don't need anyone's devotion. If you're so eager for love, go find it elsewhere, but leaveout of it." Leo rarely lost his cool in public. That Sophie could drive him to this point was a testament to her tenacity. Tom, observing from a corner, smirked at something on his phone just as Sophie shot him a look. Caught off guard, he was about to speak when Sophie, her voice soft but filled with accusation, pointed at him.

"Leo, are you rejectingbecause of him?!" Leo: "Are you out of your mind?" Tom: "???" It was clear now why Leo was so fed up with Sophie. Despite being from the prestigious Abernathy family, she was nothing like her more respectable peers. The crowd was in shock. Was she implying...? "Just because he's always around you? What's wrong withthat you'd choose a man over me?" Leo was itching for a fight.

"You know what's wrong with you, yet you still shamelessly chase after my boyfriend? Have you no dignity?" As Leo was about to unleash a tirade that would surely set the gossip mills ablaze, a vibrant voice cut through the crowd, accompanied by the click-clack of high heels. A woman made her way to Leo's side.

Seeing her, Leo's face lit up. "Forgetting about titles now, are we?" He stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "What brings you here?" She glanced at his hand on her shoulder, a blush creeping up her neck. "I had to cbefore the damsel in distress stole my man!" "The luck on this guy! How's he got all these women fussing over him?" Between Sophie's delicate looks and this new arrival's striking presence, it was clear who held the upper hand in both looks and aura. This newcomer, a scion of theprestigious Martinez family, radiated an air of authority and sophistication, her demeve alone marking her as a formidable. presence. As the two women faced off, the crowd couldn't help but marvel at the unfolding before them. Sophie, unfamiliar with this new rival but intimidated by her commanding presence, retorted with jealousy. "This miss, my engagement with Leo was arranged by our parents. I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere." "Arranged by our parents?" With a sneer, she pulled out her phone, ready to call Leo's father on the spot. "Let's clear this up right now. I'll just ask Mr. Sterling himself if there's any room in their family for 'future daughter-in-law' like you." shee "No need!" Sophie blanched, realizing this call could only end in embarrassment for her. The color drained from the girl's face as she caught the shift in the surrounding gazes. Clenching her teeth, she spat out, "Fine, I'll just leave! It's clear you albcan't stand me, so I won't stick around to be a thorn in your side." With those words, she covered her face with her hands and bolted. In that moment, Leo's face mirrored the viral mof "that guy staring at his phone on the subway" to a tee.

His mind was a whirlwind of incredulous thoughts.

Is she for real?! Does she actually have a screw loose?! Con, Sophie, seriously? If you knew you were bothering me, why show up in the first place?! The of it all could have easily found its place in any suburban high school , with its mix of teenage angst and the kind of misunderstanding that could only happen in the digital age.