The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Karen chuckled softly, squeezing Vivienne’s hand before pushing open the grand oak gate of the Perez Mansion.

As the door swung open, Karen's gaze fell upon an elderly figure leaning on a cane, clad in a smart tweed suit reminiscent of a bygone era. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he stood there, looking out as if in disbelief.

With the door now ajar, he stumbled forward a couple of steps, his body trembling, pausing as if unsure whether to believe this was all real.

It had been over thirty years. His little treasure, who had barely reached his waistline back then, was now a mother herself.

Karen stepped forward, stopping a yard away from Jasper, feeling the gulf of years between them - not a chasm of estrangement, but one of deep regret.

Thankfully, all was not lost; she had returned.

With a thud, Karen knelt on the ground, bowing her head deeply before Jasper.

“Dad, Sasha’s cback.” Jasper could no longer contain himself. He hurried forward, his cane discarded, hunching over as he helped his daughter to her feet.

Slowly, his wrinkled hands reached out, caressing Karen's face gently as if afraid of inflicting any pain upon his cherished daughter.

Every contour of her face, every familiar line and curve, he touched as if reacquainting himself with a long-lost treasure.

“Sasha, my Sasha, oh, my Sasha...” With a choked sob, Jasper pulled Karen into a tight i “My precious girl.” Meanwhile, Zelda had already sought refuge in Yuri’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, and even the usually nonchalant Maddox was crouched on the ground, wiping away tears.

Vivienne stood at the threshold, unwilling to intrude on the heartfelt reunion.

Jasper and Karen held each other for what seemed like an eternity before they finally composed themselves.

Karen, ever the comforter, gently reminded Jasper, “Dad, tomorrow is the ninth of the month. Let's go inside.

And remember, no leaving the house tomorrow.” Jasper’s mind clicked - it dawned on him that Vesper, who had once saved him, was actually Sasha! “You little rascal, why didn’t you reveal yourself sooner? You've been through so much hardship. Do you have any idea how worried | was when | saw the explosion on that cliff?” Jasper and his family had watched the ordeal unfold through “Zelda’s” robotic surrogate via a live feed.

When Diana had raised a stone to Vivienne, Jasper had nearly rallied a posse to storm over, but Maddox and Yuri had managed to restrain him just in time.

The cliff side explosion had nearly sent him through the screen, but a timely signal from Percival had assured him of their safety and calmed his nerves.

Vivienne, trailing behind, tried to remain silent.

But how could Jasper let her off the hook? “And you, young lady, you're no less of a worry! Always giving your grandfather gray hairs!” Vivienne cracked a smile. “Grandpa, blmy mom. She's been ‘dead’ for so many years. If | hadn't given her this little scare today, she’d still be in hiding!” “Cheeky girl, no wonder your master always speaks ill of you!” Karen shot back, though her eyes were devoid of any real reproach.

Speaking of Finnian, Jasper suddenly remembered. “Sasha, how on earth did you end up with that old madman?” Karen helped Jasper to a chair and began to recount her tale.

“I don’t quite remember the details, but when | cto, | was with another family. | met Finnian during school.

He said | had a unique talent and wanted to takeon as an apprentice. | went along with it for fun and never officially took the pledge. Eventually, | joined Vanguard Agency and got involved with more advanced work, and my thoughts kept drifting to bionics and synthetics, and here we are.” Jasper nodded in understanding. “No wonder you sent Vivienne to Emerald Mountain. You were leaving her in your master’s care as a playful bargain.” Karen waved dismissively. “Not quite. He insisted | bring a bottle of whiskey as a token of apprenticeship. | was too stingy, so | promised him my future child instead. Had no choice!” Vivienne finally caught on. No wonder Finnian always joked about her being a lousy deal - she was traded for a bottle of whiskey! Maddox could not help but laugh. “Niece, you're not even worth a bottle of whiskey! Cand stay with your uncle. Your mom isn't reliable at all!” Vivienne didn’t take offense. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Maddox, replying, “Uncle Maddox, my mom has been with Aunt Willa, you know.” Maddox's laughter stopped abruptly as if he had bitten his tongue. He quickly sidled up to Karen, the traces of tears still visible at the corners of his eyes, his voice tinged with concern.

“Sasha, were you really with Willa? How is she? Is she eating well? Has she lost weight? Is she sleeping okay? Does she dress warmly? Has she been hurt?” The barrage of questions took Karen aback. Though she had been with Willa all this time, Willa never once mentioned Maddox.

She didn’t realize how deep the connection between her brother and Willa was.

Karen glanced at Vivienne, who silently nodded her confirmation.

“Yes, Mom, it's as you suspect - your brother is hopelessly in love.” Maddox felt a chill run down his spine and turned to Vivienne, insisting. “It’s true love!” Yuri rolled his eyes in disgust, pushing Maddox aside and moving closer to Karen. “Sasha, Maddox has been pining over Willa for over a decade. He's beyond help.” Karen clicked her tongue. “Maddox, did you scare Willa away? Is that why she left?” Jasper nodded sagely. “That sounds about right.” Maddox was quick to defend himself. “No way! It was Diana who...” He caught himself mid-sentence, realizing the family code of silence regarding Diana. After all, Jasper had treasured her like his own daughter and had great hopes for her.

Even if the entire Perez family harbored animosity towards Diana, Jasper was her steadfast protector, ensuring she never suffered a moment's distress.

Anyone who dared to mock Diana for being adopted would find Jasper on their doorstep, ready to confront them.

Truth be told, before Maddox discovered that Diana might have tampered with Vivienne’s paternity test, he had not particularly disliked her either.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Whenever Diana faced bullying, her four brothers would rally around her, a united front.

But who would have thought this act of kindness would breed such an ingrate? A heavy silence fell over the group, and Yuri shot Maddox an annoyed look for his blabbering.

Maddox, in a moment of urgency, had simply forgotten to filter his words given the circumstances.

It was then that Vivienne chimed in, “I'm starving.” Upon hearing Diana’s name, Jasper had felt a pang of discomfort, but Vivienne’s admission of hunger immediately shifted his focus. “Let’s get dinner ready,” he declared. “It's Sasha and Vivienne's official homecoming; we can’t have them going hungry.” “The feast’s been prepared,” Yuri said with a smile. “If there's one thing the Perez Mansion never runs short of, it’s food. Sasha and Vivienne won't go hungry, that’s for sure.” Vivienne chuckled. “Then | guess I'll be counting on Grandpa and Uncles to feedfrom now on.” “Ha! That's the spirit! | will take care of you!” Jasper beamed at Vivienne and Karen; his spirits lifted considerably.

And so, the subject of Diana was tactfully set aside, leaving behind only the warmth of family harmony.