The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Outside, Vivienne wasn’t eavesdropping on the conversation; she just happened upon it quite by chance.

Who would have thought that Maddox, the proverbial prodigal son, would be so out of his depth in front of Willa? Their chat was all kinds of odd.

Peering through the glass, Vivienne observed Willa.

Willa seemed oblivious to matters of the heart as if she had no clue what feelings really were.

Toward Jasper, it wasn't kinship but a gratitude that had to be repaid.

Toward Maddox, there was a vague sense of romance, yet she could not fully comprehend it.

She wasn't obsessed with being the Perez heiress like Diana, nor did she harbor an unswerving affection for someone like Vivienne did for Percival.

Even the most obtuse wouldn't be this clueless, right? “What are you thinking about?” Behind her, Percival suddenly appeared, carrying a box of strawberry cheesecake.

Vivienne turned and leaned half against him, gesturing lazily toward the hospital room. “They're playing lovey- dovey in front of my mom.” Percival wrapped one arm around Vivienne’s waist and sat down, planting her securely on his lap.

“No, they haven't fallen for each other yet. There's no lovey.” Vivienne chuckled. “If Uncle Maddox heard you say that, he would hold a grudge.” “It’s alright, we're family.” Percival rested his chin on Vivienne’s shoulder, threading his hands around her waist to untie the box of strawberry cheesecake. [x] His hands, pale and slender, stood out starkly against the cheesecake, dazzling.

Half-leaning on Percival, Vivienne’s bright eyes lifted slightly, reflecting his refined profile. “Mr. Wolf, something on your mind?” Percival paused, not denying it. Vivienne always had a knack for detecting his worries.

He forked a piece of the cheesecake and offered it to her lips. “It’s alright; today, | moved Flynn, and he asked about Grandpa's condition.” Vivienne didn’t take the bite he offered. Instead, she took his wrist and guided the cake to his mouth.

Then, she wrapped her arms around Percival’s neck, enveloping him in her embrace.

“Mr. Wolf, cheer up. I'm sharing my strawberry cheesecake with you.” Percival was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.

If his Vivienne was willing to share her strawberry cheesecake, how could he afford to stay downcast? “Yeah, I'm already happy.” Percival tilted his head back and gently pecked Vivienne's lips, a fleeting touch that didn’t cross boundaries.

Skisses convey deep love without the need for passion.

Just then, Maddox stepped out and caught this tender moment. He sighed heavily and sat down beside them.

At over forty, he was still teaching his beloved what liking someone meant, while this twenty-something-year-old girl was already in the throes of cuddles and endearments. What a cruel twist of fate! Vivienne remained seated on Percival’s lap, nibbling on the cheesecake he fed her, and asked, “Uncle Maddox, was Aunt Willa always like this, even as a little girl?” Maddox snapped back to attention. “Like what?” “Indistinct about feelings, not quite understanding affection, whether it’s familial, romantic, or friendly.” Although Vivienne hadn’t spent much twith Willa, she felt it.

Willa had her own approach to people. It seemed she didn’t know how to relate to others.

Maddox leaned back in his chair, pondering for a moment, then said, “You know, now that you mention it, Willa was much worse as a child.” Vivienne was stunned, nearly retreating entirely into Percival’s embrace without realizing it. “What? How was she worse?” Seeing enough, Maddox pulled Vivienne from Percival’s embrace and made her sit properly. “You, stop pawing at my niece in front of me, or Ill skin you alive!” Pure jealousy! Percival shrugged. “Alright, Uncle Maddox. Next time, I'll tell Grandpa that you won't letmarry Vivienne.” “You're taking things out of context; that’s outright slander!” Vivienne pulled Maddox back to the topic. “Uncle Maddox, you're getting sidetracked!” Maddox relented and continued, “Do you know why Diana is so afraid of Willa?” “Diana’s afraid of Aunt Willa?” Vivienne hadn't noticed that.

After all, she had never seen Diana and Willa together nor heard anyone mention it.

Maddox nodded. “Yes, in the Perez family, the one person Diana wouldn't dare cross was Willa. Otherwise, she wouldn't have schemed to send Willa away from the family.” “What happened?” Vivienne asked.

“When Willa cto our house, | was six, and she was about one, the sage as Sasha. She was such a quiet baby, never crying or fussing, even when she fell while learning to walk. When Sasha tried to play with her, she ignored her, even pushing her away with apparent disdain.” “We brothers thought maybe Willa was just shy, but years went by, and she stayed the same, only she stopped pushing Sasha away. Later, Diana joined our family. You know, kids tend to emulate their older siblings, and Diana copied Sasha in everything, including trying to be close to Willa.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

One year, when | was in middle school, and Sasha was not at home, it was just Willa and Diana around. | remember Diana playing with her pet parakeet when it nipped Willa. Without a blink, Willa just snuffed it out and shoved Diana away, leaving her in tears. Then she just walked off, stone-faced.” Maddox recalled the memory without a hint of horror, just a twinge of sorrow.

Percival mulled over the story for a moment. “Uncle Maddox, you don’t have a thing for Aunt Willa’s icy demeanor, thinking it’s cool, do you?” “Of course not!” Maddox feigned a scare at Percival and continued, “When Sasha got back and heard about it, she had a talk with Willa. I don’t know what she said, but Willa apologized to Diana afterward. But from that day on, Diana couldn't bring herself to play with Willa again. She just grew up scared of her.” Vivienne nodded thoughtfully. “So what changed? How did Aunt Willa transform?” Maddox rubbed his chin, respect flickering in his eyes. “I'm not too sure of the details, but Sasha always had the patience of a saint with her. She stuck by her no matter what she did. The memory that sticks out towas during Halloween. Our gang of kids was watching a horror flick together—'Saw’, real gory stuff. Even Sasha was hiding behind a book. But Willa? She watched the whole thing without flinching. | thought, man, Willa is so badass!” Percival chimed in dryly, “So it is because you think she’s cool.” “Zip it, Percival!” Maddox couldn’t hold back and aimed a kick at him, which Percival nimbly dodged.

Finally, Vivienne got it. “She has emotional detachment.” “Emotional detachment? What's that?” Maddox inquired.