The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The Ellington Mansion.

Cecilia had just picked up her daughter, Isolde, from school and was looking forward to unwinding with scartoons and a quick bite of afternoon snacks. This tradition had bectheir little sanctuary of mother- daughter bonding.

Just as they were settling in, the doorbell chimed persistently.

“Aurelia, who could that be?” Cecilia called out, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice.

Aurelia, the housekeeper, appeared at a loss for words. “Madam, perhaps you'd better csee for yourself.

It’s, uh...” The hesitation in Aurelia’s voice was enough to pique Cecilia's curiosity. She set her snack aside and rose from the couch. “Who is it? What's with all the mystery?” she muttered as she approached the door.

As she reached the entryway, Cecilia stopped dead in her tracks, her expression shifting from curiosity to shock.

Words failed her as she stood face-to-face with a sight too startling for words.

Isolde scampered over, her youthful curiosity piqued. “Mom, what's wrong? Oh, is that a beggar?” The figure at the door was indeed a sight to behold. With a wild mane of hair resembling a lion's, a face smeared with grime, and clothes exuding a pungent stench, the visitor looked every inch the part of a beggar. The most frightening feature, however, was the jagged scar slashing across their face.

At Isolde’s blunt assessment, the disheveled visitor suddenly collapsed to her knees, crying out, “Auntie, I've finally found you!” Isolde clung to Cecilia, startled by the intensity of the moment.

Regaining her composure, Cecilia handed Isolde to Aurelia and knelt to brush the hair from the beggar’s face gently. “Mara, how did you end up like this?” [x] The beggar was none other than Mara Boyd, Cecilia's niece and the youngest daughter of the Boyd family’s second branch.

Mara was weeping uncontrollably, her tears tracing clean lines down her dirt-streaked face, adding a touch of absurdity to the tragic scene.

“Auntie, I've finally found you,” she repeated between sobs, her voice filled with a heartbreaking mix of relief and despair.

Cecilia promptly instructed Aurelia to prepare a hot bath and fresh clothes, foregoing any further questions for the moment.

Once Mara had cleaned up, her original features emerged from beneath the grime, though the untreated scar still marred her face, red and angry, the edges dark and inflamed. Even in her clean state, Isolde was visibly frightened, and Cecilia, too, struggled to reconcile the image before her with the niece she once knew.

Aurelia brought a bowl of steaming chicken ramen, offering it with a gentle, “Ms. Boyd, please eat something.” Mara nodded, famished, and began to devour the meal with a ferocity born of long deprivation, nearly choking in her haste.

Cecilia handed her a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and softly patted her back. “Take it slow, there's no rush.” Mara paused, her tears flowing anew. “Auntie, | thought I'd never see you again,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Cecilia had harbored great disappointment in the Boyd family, especially Mara, whom she had thought different —kinder, not as callous as the rest. However, she was wrong. Yet, seeing Mara so vulnerable, her maternal instincts still took over. Blood was, after all, thicker than water.

“Mara, weren't you and your mother supposed to be abroad? How did this happen?” The Boyd family had splintered after a scandal, with the daughters-in-law absconding with their children and their shares of the family fortune—a sum substantial enough to ensure a life of luxury.

Cecilia had never expected to see any Boyd again, let alone Mara, and certainly not in such dire straits.

Through sobs, Mara recounted a tale of betrayal and loss. They had indeed gone abroad, found universities, and planned new beginnings, but Mara’s mother had fallen prey to a con artist who squandered their wealth and nearly assaulted Mara.

“My mother... she fell under his spell,” Mara said, her voice trembling. “When | accused him, she took his side, blamed me, said no man would wantwith my scarred face.” Cecilia was stunned. Nancy had always doted on her children; this was a cruel twist she could not have imagined.

Mara continued her tragic tale. After a falling out, she found herself alone when the swindler vanished with their remaining money, leaving her and her brother Huxley penniless and homeless.

Cecilia sighed and said, “Karma is indeed cruel. What happened after?” “Huxley and | were expelled because we couldn't pay the tuition. We thought of selling our house and using that money to cback, so at least we'd have sform of guarantee in life. But that swindler had used our house as a mortgage. That was when we found out that guy was a gambler who led our mother down that path as well.

Later, their creditors cto take the house, and my mother was locked up. Using all the money we had left, Huxley and | bought a ticket back to the country. However, during the transfer, | lost signs of Huxley. He had all our luggage. My phone was stolen too. | begged my way back, Auntie,” Mara sniffled. “Skind souls fed me; that’s how | survived long enough to find you.” Cecilia listened, her heart aching for her niece. The bond of family, it seemed, could withstand even the bitterest of estrangements.

She was taken aback, never having imagined that Mara’s life would have taken such a turn.

She tenderly stroked Mara’s hair, saying, “Sweetheart, you rest up here for a while. I'll have the doctor cand check on you, alright?” Mara nodded, her voice a whisper of gratitude. “Thank you, Auntie, for takingin. | know I've made mistakes.

I've been foolish. It’s all my fault.”Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

“We'll talk about all that later; just get settled for now,” Cecilia sighed.

Though bound by blood to feel compassion for Mara, Cecilia knew that winning over Percival and Vivienne would be another matter entirely.

Mara had made her share of missteps, and if Cecilia was honest, the likelihood of Percival and Vivienne truly accepting her seemed slim.

The family doctor arrived promptly, giving Mara a thorough examination. Aside from malnutrition and sstomach issues, she was otherwise in decent health.

After the check-up, Mara retired to the guest room and quickly succumbed to a deep sleep.

Cecilia watched her rest, imagining the hardships and indignities she must have faced wandering the streets.

A young girl, once a debutante, now akin to a beggar, could hardly find peace in her slumber.

Once Mara was settled, Cecilia took out her smartphone and dialed Percival’s number.

“Percival, | need you and Vivienne to chfor a bit. | have something important to discuss with you.” Percival had never heard such a tone from Cecilia before. Surprised, he did not ask questions, just brought Vivienne back to the Ellington estate.

As soon as they walked through the door, Isolde, unable to contain her eagerness, blurted out to Vivienne, “Vivienne, Mara'’s here.”