The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

A flash of fury flickered in Fiona’s eyes, piercing through Jeffrey like an unseen gust of frosty air, so

cold it was almost freezing.

Jeffrey jumped, a bit cowed. “I was just asking for your input, you know?”

Heloise stepped in to smooth things over. “Fiona, your brother didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t be

mad.”

Fiona picked up her tablet again, saying indifferently, “I want to launch my latest design at Grandpa’s

birthday bash.”

At this, the others in the household perked up.

Fiona was the head of the jewelry design department at the company.

Richard greatly valued her work, so her family branch received many privileges.

However, it had been a while since Fiona had released a new design, leading to a bit of a slump in

sales.

Now, she planned to unveil a new collection at the birthday bash, which could certainly help cover the

deficit!

“That’s my girl,” cooed Heloise, “Don’t overwork yourself. I’ll go fix you some supper.”

“Yeah, sweetheart, have something to eat. Don’t tire yourself out. If this works out, I’ll buy you that

sports car you’ve been eyeing,” Henry said.

Henry and Heloise could not be happier. They were ready to give Fiona the moon and the stars if she

asked for them, let alone cars and suppers. All that mattered was for their family branch to shine in

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front of Richard.

Used to her parents’ doting, Fiona retreated to her room with her tablet to continue her work.

This design had consumed all of her time and passion, yet she felt it still lacked something compared to

master Jessica’s work.

Jeffrey felt a twinge of jealousy.

It was just jewelry design. They had all studied art; it was nothing special.

But if Fiona wanted to grab the spotlight, he was not about to be left behind.

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He needed to ensure Vivienne got a taste of her own medicine at the party, or else Fiona would hog all

the attention.

Richard’s birthday bash was fast approaching.

It was a big deal for the Ellington family, and Percival was swept up in the preparations.

He took charge of everything, even making sure to handpick the menu.

Richard, for his part, was looking forward to making a grand entrance with his granddaughter-in-law. He

thought it would add prestige to the occasion.

Stealing a moment from the bustle, Percival relayed the news to Vivienne. “Grandpa has a few ideas

for making an entrance. He’s even thinking of rehearsing with you.”

Vivienne could not help but laugh at the thought.

“I’ll be picking up your folks the day after tomorrow, so just wait for me at home. I’ve also invited the

Perez family,” Percival said as he slipped a piece of cake into Vivienne’s mouth.

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Vivienne was surprised by the mention of the Perez family.

“Their mining business isn’t that closely linked with ours. Why the invite?” She asked.

Percival smiled. “Mr. Perez reached out a few days ago, wanting to discuss some business

opportunities related to the mines.”

“Jewelry?” Vivienne raised an eyebrow.

He nodded. “Exactly. They seem genuine, and it would be rude not to entertain the idea.”

Who would complain about having too much money?

Besides, it was all going to his wife.

The more she had, the tighter her hold on him.

Otherwise, he would suffer a massive loss if she ran away.

Especially since he had nine meddlesome ‘brothers-in-law’ dreaming of breaking them up.

Not to mention that Aaron kid.

“The Perez family could be good partners,” Vivienne said thoughtfully, finishing off all the strawberry

cake.

Strawberry cake was delicious. But too much sugar was not good. For Mr. Wolf’s health, he should not

have too much sweetness. So, the unhealthy indulgence would be her burden to bear. After all, being

ten years younger, she could afford to shave a year or two off her lifespan for his sake.

She was a thoughtful fiancée indeed.

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Percival could only smile wryly.

Thoughtful indeed! Too thoughtful to share!

He replaced the cake with a cup of refreshing water, saying, “The Perez family is a solid partner, but

their animosity towards me, especially Jasper, runs deep.”

Vivienne blinked, “What animosity?”

Had her intelligence dropped?

She had not noticed any hostility from Jasper towards Mr. Wolf.

Percival just laughed. “Maybe they think I’m not good enough for you?”

Vivienne was speechless.

Was that really what they thought?

Had Mr. Wolf been spending too much time with Leopold, picking up his odd habits?

Percival changed the subject. “At the birthday bash, things might get a bit turbulent for the Ellingtons.

Keep a close eye out, along with Dorian and Cordelia.”

“Sure,” Vivienne nodded.

Lately, she had been overthinking things. Now, she just wanted to relax.

So, the brain work would be left to Mr. Wolf. She had heard the food at the bash was excellent. She

had lost some weight recently. Time to indulge!

…

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On the day of the birthday bash.

Percival personally drove to pick up Dorian’s family.

The company was thriving, and Dorian’s family had upgraded, donning bespoke formal wear.

Thaddeus, once groomed, looked even more dashing.

Astrid, now at Rivenwood, was, of course, joining in.

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Early in the morning, she arrived with Alfred, waiting for Percival to pick them up.

“I’ll ride with Alfred; you all go ahead,” Astrid said, stunning in a luxurious red mermaid gown that

highlighted her figure, her arm entwined with Alfred’s. They looked perfect together.

Vivienne nodded and cast a meaningful glance at her. “Okay!”

Then she took Dorian’s family and Thaddeus and headed out first.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated

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After they left, Astrid let go of Alfred’s arm, her eyes gleaming. “Make a good impression at the bash.”

“Don’t worry,” Alfred replied with a smile.

The birthday bash was set in the Ellington family’s banquet hall, and Kenneth was there early, waiting

eagerly at the entrance. When he saw Aaron and Mark step out of their car, he hurried over to greet

them.

“Hey there,” Kenneth said, giving Mark a nod.

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Aware that Kenneth was mainly there to see Aaron, Mark replied briefly and, after giving Aaron a few

instructions, went off to mingle and chat with some familiar business associates.

Kenneth glanced around and then whispered, “Are you all set?”

Aaron looked at Kenneth with a hint of disdain. “Set for what?”

“It’s a brilliant plan! How can you not be prepared?” Kenneth sighed with exasperation. “We’ve come

this far; we need to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. We won’t get another chance like

this!”

“I know, I know,” Aaron said, shaking off Kenneth’s hand and heading towards the banquet hall.

Kenneth followed closely. He needed to stick to Aaron like glue until they encountered Vivienne to

ensure the plan unfolded perfectly.

Aaron felt annoyed but had no choice but to let Kenneth tag along.

Before long, Percival drove up and parked in the hall’s lot.

“They’re here, they’re here!” Kenneth exclaimed, tugging on Aaron’s sleeve energetically.

Aaron, annoyed, kicked at Kenneth’s shin. “I can see that.”

“Then get moving!” Kenneth urged, pushing Aaron forward.

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