The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

On the other side of town, Richard stormed into the bakery with his entourage and bought away every

last cake on the shelves. Then, after snatching up a dozen blowguns, he charged towards the nursing

home with fury in his eyes.

At that very moment, Baron Brooks was lounging comfortably in a deckchair, soaking up the sun and

listening to an opera recording. Life without that pesky Richard was bliss!

Just as he reached for the glass of water on the side table, the door to his room burst open with a

violent kick. Startled, he spilled water all over himself and was instantly enraged.

Whirling around, he saw Richard leading a posse with an air of vengeance, each one armed with cakes

of all things.

Baron’ brow furrowed in anger, “What’s gotten into you, you old jerk? Why busting into my place with all

those cakes?

Did Richard finally find his conscience and decide to throw him a birthday bash? He thought.

But that couldn’t be right; his birthday was months away, deep in December.

Baron braced himself as suspicious picked his nerves. What kind of nasty trick was Richard planning

this time?

Richard merely glanced at him dismissively. Without bothering with a single word, he turned to his

bodyguards with an order, “Let ’em have it!”

Before Baron could even grasp what was happening, the guns were loaded with cakes and, with a loud

“BANG!”, and the pastries smashed precisely onto his bed.

Baron was furious as he bellowed, “Richard! Do you want to get yourself killed?!”

Ignoring his outburst, Richard stood in the center of the room, leaning on his cane with an air of

unshakable calm.

The bodyguards fired the cakes one after another, and in moments, the walls, the ceiling, and the

furniture in the room were all plastered with creamy shrapnel.

Baron was apoplectic, so much so that he nearly passed out.

All cake cannons were fired after a few minutes.

Richard nodded in approval on seeing the disastrous room, “Perfect! Just what I wanted!”

He had toyed with the idea of blowing up the nursing home, but despite his rashness, he couldn’t

muster the nerve. Ignoring the fact that he couldn’t get his hands on a real bomb, the nursing home

was state-owned. Blowing it up would spell the end for him.

He wasn’t about to sacrifice himself just to teach Baron a lesson. It simply wasn’t worth it.

So, after much thought, the cake assault seemed like an excellent alternative, and the result was

indeed satisfying. The room would take days to clean.

Baron, gasping for breath, was covered in cake splatter; his clothes were a mess.

“Richard! I’ll have your head for this!” he shouted and lunged forward, but his foot slipped on a piece of

cake, sending him crashing to the floor with a pained “Oof!”

Lucky for him, his regular workouts saved him from a more serious injury.

Richard sneered at the sight, “That’s a lesson for you, old man. If you dare to mess with my

granddaughter-in-law again, not only your room will be blasted the next time, but the whole Brooks

estate!”

He lifted his chin defiantly, “Don’t believe me? Just try it and see if I dare to blow your place into the

ground!”

Baron, whose face twisted in pain and anger, retorted immediately, “Nonsense! Nobody bullied your

baby granddaughter-in-law. You’re just stirring up trouble for no reason!”

“Oh, playing dumb now, are we?” Richard’s smile was menacing. “Your family people had kicked my

door to annul the wedding and you are still feigning innocence here. Do you need me to help recount

how your father bonded with my old man years ago?”

Baron was taken aback, “Annulling the wedding? What?”

“Your baby son and your wife tried to call off Vivienne and Percival’s engagement and wedding and

push for Percival to marry Calista instead! And they were claiming some nonsense about your father

and mine arranging a marriage between the best of the Brooks and the Ellington heir. Are you

daydreaming?” Richard’s gaze was icy, “Back in the day, your dad saw my dad as an easy mark. He

conned my old man into that engagement because the Ellingtons were thriving under my leadership. I

told you that time that I’d never agreed to it!”

Baron faltered; his memories were flooding back.

There had indeed been such a deal. His father valued the capability and fortune of the Ellingtons so he

was aiming to align the Brooks’ with that family. It didn’t matter which Brooks granddaughter married

into the Ellingtons; securing a match with the heir was all that counted.

Baron had objected, but unlike the Ellingtons, which Richard built and ruled, he had no say in the

Brooks family, which was built all by his father at the time.

He acquiesced the situation but Richard paid them a visit just to tell them he rejected the engagement.

The disagreement had simmered down and was eventually forgotten.

Baron was clueless as to why it was being dredged up now.

Richard’s cold stare bore into him, “I didn’t just disagree back then; I drafted a dissolution agreement,

which you signed personally. Have you forgotten everything before sending yourself into the grave, old

man?”

Mention of the agreement reignited Baron’ fury, “You tricked me into signing that when I was drunk! You

don’t agree with it, and neither do I!”

Richard, that wretch, had lured him out for drinks, got him sloshed, and made him sign that accursed

agreement.

He nearly got his legs broken by his old man because of that!

“Heh!” Richard sneered with a mocking laugh, “What’s the matter? It’s fine for your dear old man to pull

a fast one on my pops, but I can’t play you for a fool? This, my friend, is what they call tit for tat!”

Baron was seething with anger.

“Anyway, I delivered the message that I don’t agree with that engagement! I’ve kept the annulment

papers safe and sound. If you dare to go back on your word, don’t blame me for wrecking the Brooks

family!” Richard glanced at him with a deep voice, “I may not be involved in the family business

anymore, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stir things up! If you push me to the edge, and I’ll bring down the

full might of the Ellington family on you, and bankrupt you lot!”

With that, he snorted coldly, “The Brooks family is nobody while it always picks on my granddaughter-

in-law. I wouldn’t even bother with your bunch of clowns if Vivienne is not one of the Brooks!”

Having said his piece, Richard spat on the ground in Baron’s direction; and with his bodyguards striding

behind him, he left with an air of defiance.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For

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Baron’s face was ashen with rage, yet he was utterly powerless to do anything.

That Richard was nothing but a scoundrel! Always going after the easy targets!

Looking around at the chaos in the room, Baron was fuming.

He looked up only to see a bunch of old men at the door, watching the drama unfold. With a roar, he

bellowed, “What are you looking at? Get in here and help me up!”

One of the men at the door said, “Who would dare go in there? The floor’s covered in cake. If we slip

and fall, are you gonna pay up for my medical expenses? No way!”

Baron was left speechless.

Bah!

What a bunch of snobs!