The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Maddox's grin froze on his face, and the bowl in his hands clattered to the floor.

Heads turned at the sound.

“Maddox, you just broke Natalia and Yasmine’s favorite bowl, you're so screwed, man! Say goodbye to your

wallet!”

“Oh, Maddox, when will you learn? You handle things like a bull in a china shop, and look what happens!”

“Oopsie, don’t be mad, Natalia and Yasmine, I'll buy you a new one and make Uncle Maddox here pay up!”

Trying to keep cool, Maddox forced a smile and turned to the girls. “Sorry, Natalia and Yasmine, but | cut my

hand pretty bad. Doesn't anyone feel sorry for me?”

Luke immediately whisked the two kids away. “Girls, remember not to date a guy like this one.”

Yuri and Fredrick also quickly made their exit, unable to watch the embarrassing scene any longer!

After everyone left, Karen pulled out a small bottle of antiseptic powder and sprinkled it on Maddox's wound,

which healed quietly.

“No need to look so surprised, Maddox. Without Frost, I'd have less than a 2% chance.”

Karen smiled at Maddox and added, “Just don’t tell Dad, okay? | don’t want him to worry. Just say I'm off to find

Frost's dad, and it'll be a long tbefore | can cback, alright?”

Maddox fought back tears, his eyes reddening but not allowing a single tear to fall.

Even with Vivienne and Karen working together, they only had a 2% chance of success. That left Maddox

thinking...

“Sasha, can’t we just not do it?” Maddox struggled with the idea one last time.

“No, we have to do this,” Karen replied with certainty.

Maddox went silent, accepting that this was unstoppable.

In the yard, Jasper and Vivienne were locked in a tense gof chess, neither willing to give in.

Just as the gneared its end, Jasper suddenly asked, “Vivienne, what's your mom up to?”

Vivienne’s hand trembled ever so slightly, and she managed a smile. “Oh, just out for dinner, shopping, and a

movie.”

Jasper tapped her head lightly. “She’s my daughter; she can’t fool me!”

Vivienne could no longer hold back, and her chess piece landed with a thud on the board, shaking slightly before

coming to rest.

“My mom is attempting a procedure. It could restore memories, or it might...”

Jasper exhaled silently, a heavy breath dissipating into the air, followed by his grave voice. “I knew it. She was

too chatty tonight, fussing over this and that. She's up to something, isn’t she? And she didn’t plan on telling me,

did she?”

Vivienne bit her lip. “She doesn’t want you to worry.”

Jasper chuckled, a hint of sadness in his voice. “Tellthe truth, Vivienne. What are the chances of success?”

Vivienne clenched her fists, the words barely escaping her lips. “One percent.”

In her eyes, the procedure had only a one percent chance of working.

The ST-1 was powerful; otherwise, it wouldn't have so easily repaired Calista’s failing organs. Yet, its effects

seemed mild, which baffled Vivienne.

Now, they were about to inject this mysterious ST-1 into Karen and perform brain surgery.

If it weren't Vivienne herself doing it, there wouldn't even be a one percent chance. And that one percent was

only for the surgery itself; for the medication, she had no confidence at all.

Jasper nodded, his eyes moist. “Alright, can you promise your grandpa one thing?”

Vivienne looked up into his reddened eyes and said, “Sure, tell me.”

“Don’t let your mom know I'm aware of this. Pretend I'm clueless so she can go into surgery without any extra

burden.”

Jasper knew his daughter was tough on the outside but carried a heavy heart. She was aware she might not

wake up again.

So, she chose to leave quietly.

Knowing this, he couldn't burden her. He would pretend to be oblivious, letting his precious daughter take her

path without interference.

Especially since the surgeon was his granddaughter, he couldn't add to the pressure she had already faced.

Jasper stood up, looking at the finished chess game. “You lost today. Next time, we'll have your mom win it back

for you.”

A tear dropped onto the chessboard from Vivienne’s eye as she stared at the interwoven pieces, her heart heavy

with understanding.

Be it Jasper or Karen, none of them wanted to put pressure on her. They had chosen to keep things under wraps

instead of revealing the truth.

The Perez Mansion eventually returned to silence, broken only by the occasional snore, which somehow didn’t

seem loud.

In the night, Karen slipped quietly out of her room and into Percival’s waiting car.

“Let's go, we should head back. Get srest.”

Percival nodded and drove away from the Perez Mansion.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated

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Maddox sat on the garden wall, watching the car disappear. He clasped his hands together, whispering to the

moon. “I want to make a wish for my sister to cback safe.”

After a pause, he opened his eyes. “I have never made a wish, moon. You better make this one work, or I'll pluck

you from the sky!”

At YQ Research Center, Brody had everything ready, the operating room sterile and waiting.

For Brody, this surgery carried significance as well. He could hardly contain his excitement; he was finally going

to witness the legendary Specter Healer perform surgery in person! Such a complex procedure was a once-in-a-

century spectacle.

How could he not be thrilled? He hadn't slept a wink all night, his eyes glued open as he waited in the anteroom

of the operating theater until dawn. He lingered by the door like a loyal dog; his gaze fixed hopefully on the

corridor.

At last, he saw Vivienne and Karen descend the stairs, the ever-stoic Percival following closely behind.

“Master, Vivienne, long tno see, huh? You must be wiped out. Here, lettake your stuff!” Brody

schmoozed his way over, eagerly taking Vivienne’s bag from her hands, his eyes shining with admiration.

Vivienne shot him an indifferent glance. “Only | am allowed inside the OR.”

Brody's face fell faster than a house of cards. “What do you mean? How could such a crucial op be a one-person

show? Are you pulling my leg?”

“It's true,” Karen chimed in from the side, “The procedure is highly confidential, no room for bystanders. Frost

needs complete focus. Plus, someone has to monitor my vitals from outside, and that someone has to be you.”

Deflated, Brody slumped into a chair, his hopes dashed to smithereens.