The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Isaiah and Gordon couldn't help but burst into laughter as they finished speaking in unison.

More kids kept arriving, each of them making a beeline to greet Juliette and her group first.

Although Soren and Anna didn't have gifts for the kids, they brought plenty of goodies, quickly livening up the hall. Everyone who saw the siblings couldn't stop praising their upbringing.

Floyd knew he was being watched. He stood up, intending to head to the restroom, and just then, he overheard sof the entitled young men who cwith their families gossiping about him at the door.

"See that? Chen's still around. Disappeared for years and now he's back. Quite the surprise." "No shame, right? If it weren't for their family's kindness, he'd have been long gone. After all those years abroad, he still dares toe back, thinking he's one of them?" "With everyone talking just now, hardly anyone paid him any mind. Those are folks well in with the big families. If I were him, I'd be too embarrassed to show my face. He's just bustling about like a waiter - guess that's all he'll ever amount to." The room erupted in laughter after their harsh words, and Floyd, standing outside, didn't utter a single word. He neither stopped them nor walked away, his hand clenched by his side.

As the voices grew closer to Floyd, he lifted his head to see the door open and the faces of those mocking him appear. Perhaps they hadn't expected such a direct confrontation, as their smiles quickly faded.

Floyd's gaze was as calm as still water, instilling an inexplicable fear in them, a fear that seemed to grow uncontrollably. "You, why are you here?" one dared to ask.

The question made Floyd chuckle, his response laced with sarcasm. "What do people usuallye to the restroom for? Surely not just to gossip, right?" The embarrassment flashed across their faces, but seeing Floyd alone, they quickly regained theirposure. "Well then, enjoy your restroom visit," one said haughtily before striding away, signaling the others to follow with a discontented frown. "What are you waiting for? If you're happy keepingpany with him, don'tplain about losing face!" They quickly vacated the doorway, and Floyd, paying them no heed, pushed the door open and went in.

The man, thinking he got the better of Floyd, started plotting how to embarrass him further.

Floyd, after leaving the restroom, stayed alone upstairs.

His gaze inadvertently made the person surveilling him shiver, sensing something eerily familiar about it.

Seeing the crowd moving below him, Floyd smiled knowingly - his trap was set.

He walked into a lounge, carelessly choosing a door to enter.

As they reached the top, they saw Floyd entering the room. "Follow him. Today, I'm going to teach this usurper a lesson, show him dogs can't defy their masters." The lounge door was flung open, but Floyd was nowhere to be seen in the initial sweep.

"Search!" the man bellowed.

His cronies scattered, searching the vast room for Floyd but to no avail, even the curtains hid no one.

Just as they decided to leave, the lights went out.

The moment Floyd, who had just disconnected the lights, walked in with a chuckle, everyone saw him by the door. He slowly closed it, facing the row of fools.

"Looking for me?" "Was it you? Why turn off the lights? Scared of facing me?" the man continued to taunt Floyd.

Floyd snorted, "Scared of you?" Before the man could reply, Floyd's hand was tightly around his neck, his grip tightening with every struggle.

The others couldn't see what was happening in the dark, only hearing the sounds of a struggle and muffled whimpers.

Soon, all noises ceased, and the eeriness settled heavily in the air.

Floyd didn't plan to let anyone off; in less than ten minutes, he dealt with them all.

When he stepped out, there was no sign of what had transpired. He even calmly went downstairs to greet Anna and the guests.

The delay before the official start of the banquet went unnoticed, and no one questioned it until Vivienne's family weed everyone from the stage fifteen minutes later en.kikistories Floyd watched from below, expressionless, blending in as just another invitee.

The murmurs around him grew, discussing Floyd's backstory that had been dug up over the years, showing less respect than before.

Floyd blamed Vivienne and Percival for this change. They must have stopped caring long ago, allowing such disdain towards him. "Just goes to show, it's their family celebration, not his. He's just another spectator, like us." "After what his dad did, and his mom ran at the first sign of trouble, leaving him behind. The Ellingtons. taking him in was already more than kind. What more does he want? He shouldn't even be here." en.kikistories Willa frowned at the two gossiping ladies, their oblivious chatter disturbing those around, her face a clear picture of disapproval.

In stark contrast, Floyd sat there with an air of nonchalance, as if he had seen it all before and nothing could faze him anymore.

Noticing Willa's distracted demeanor, Maddox leaned in closer and whispered, "What's got you so hooked that you're not even watching the show anymore?” en.kikistories е swnove Willa shook her head in disbelief, "The way those folks are talking is just too much. To say such things in front of everyone like that..." >