The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Outside the quaint suburban house, Natalia and Yasmine tapped softly on the door before poking their heads inside.

“Grandpa, Uncle Luke, and Uncle Fredrick are here, and they're in the backyard bawling their eyes out.” “They're wailing so pitifully. | swear Auntie Karen's about to be hugged to death! Oh, and they keep asking for Vivienne.” Vivienne rubbed her neck, contemplating how overwhelming family affection could sometimes feel like asphyxiation! As they stepped out of the study, they were greeted by a chorus of sobs that could rival any opera.

Through his tears, Luke cried, “Oh, Sasha, my little Sasha, look how you've grown! I've been waiting for you to chome!” Fredrick joined in, his voice choked with emotion, “Sasha, oh Sasha! | can finally lay eyes on you again. You have no idea how much I've missed you! You were so small when you left, and | haven't slept well since!” Karen had one brother clinging to each arm, her face a mask of resignation as she glanced helplessly at Maddox and Yuri.

“Guys, a little help here?” Maddox feigned ignorance. “I don’t see anything!” Yuri chimed in, “Hang in there, Sasha. I'm powerless here!” “Luke, Fredrick, | get it, you're emotional. But we've got guests. Maybe stand up for now?” Karen suggested, patting their shoulders.

Luke and Fredrick shook their heads in unison. “No way. It’s been years since I've seen my little sis. | can’t just walk away.” | “Exactly, lethave a good look at you. You're finally back.” Karen was torn between exasperation and amusement, then reassured them, “I'm not going anywhere again, guys. You can seewhenever you want from now on!” Luke's wife, Carmen Pendleton, finally intervened, “Luke, enough is enough, move it!" Fredrick’s wife, Alice Churchill, though gentle, had a firmness to her words. “Fredrick, con, get up, will you? If you don’t, | might just twist your arm off.” Reluctantly, the brothers cleared the way, leaving room for their spouses to approach Karen.

It was then that Vivienne realized her uncles were identical twins, hence the striking resemblance and similar temperaments.

Maddox and Yuri could not contain their laughter, imitating their sisters-in-law, which earned them a glare from each brother.

Karen's gaze brightened as she looked at Carmen and Alice standing side by side, shocked by who they were.

They were not as emotional as Zelda had been but still bending in a gentle bow.

“Boss, you're finally back!” Everyone was taken aback. What was going on here? Luke and Fredrick exchanged puzzled looks, clueless about the sudden shift.

In a whisper, Jasper asked Vivienne, “Are your aunts, like, your mom's followers?” Vivienne nodded. “Sort of. You know, your daughter's incredible, so it’s not weird for her to have a bunch of followers and stuff.” Vance shot Karen a deep look before turning his gaze to Vivienne. What sort of enigmas were this mother and daughter? One commanded the Nine Mystics Society, while the other had the ladies of the Pendleton and Churchill families calling her boss.

Helping her sisters-in-law to their feet, Karen said, “You can’t callboss anymore. | should be calling you my sisters-in-law now.” Carmen, her eyes misting, shook her head, “No, you'll always be our boss.” Alice agreed, “That's right. That's not going to change!” Carmen was William Pendleton’s sister, and Alice was Zachary Churchill's sister. The Pendleton and Churchill families had nearly gone bankrupt. If it were not for Karen's secret support, their current status in high society would not have been possible, let alone their very survival.

Back then, Carmen and Alice had suffered much, protected by Karen from the shadows.

Sbonds seem destined from the start.

Karen had never anticipated that helping the Churchill and Pendleton families would result in gaining two sisters- in-law or that her daughter would becdeeply connected with both families.

Just then, William and Zachary entered, followed by Faye Churchill. Faye was there not for Karen but for Vivienne.

“Vivienne!” Faye ran towards her with much more composure than Charlotte Redwood, avoiding the mishap of knocking her over.

Because of Faye's greeting, Luke and Fredrick finally noticed their niece, whom they had never met.

They rushed over, exclaiming, “Vivienne, let us have a good look at you!” Vivienne instinctively wanted to flee from their overbearing warmth.

Thankfully, she had the world’s best grandpa, who blocked Luke and Fredrick with his cane. “Will you give it a rest? What if you scare my granddaughter?” Vivienne could not help but laugh, half-hiding behind Jasper, “Hello, Uncle Luke, Uncle Fredrick.” “Ah, there you go! A true beauty, just like me!” One boasted.

“Luke, you must be blind! She clearly takes aftermore. People always said Sasha and | looked like twins.

Vivienne is the spitting image of me!”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Vivienne thought to herself, “But aren’t you two twins? Why the competition?” As the uncles bickered, Maddox and Yuri joined the fray, each claiming they resembled Vivienne the most.

In the end, it was Maddox who turned the tide and clinched the victory! “Your kids are the ones who look like you the most, so Vivienne looks most like me! | don’t have kids!” The other three were at a loss for words, as it seemed there was no arguing with that logic.

Fredrick, always sharp-tongued, clicked his tongue and said, “No kids, huh? Not even a wife. | heard Willa still won't give you the tof day. Tsk tsk, that’s just sad.” Yuri nodded in agreement, “Yeah, we've got the whole warm and cozy hlife while you've got a table for one.” Luke, ever the earnest one, expressed his concern, “Buddy, when are you going to make Willa your wife?” Maddox felt something crack inside him, shattering into pieces that seemed to blow away with the slightest breeze...

“All right, you guys, freeze! We're settling this today. I'm taking all three of you on alone!” The tperked up at the challenge, practically dragging Maddox to the backyard.

Jasper rubbed his temples in resignation and said to Percival, who was standing by, “Promise me, when you and Vivienne have kids, don’t have a whole bunch of sons. It's too much chaos.” Percival chuckled, imagining if they were his boys, “A punch for each one of my dear sons, just to show them who's boss.”