The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Percival, Jasper, and Yuri sat together.

“Mr. Ellington, I hear your company’s been keeping tabs on the Seaside Mining project?” Yuri inquired.

Percival did not intend to conceal anything. As he added a slice of strawberry cheesecake to his plate,

he said, “Yes, I heard there’s a top-notch mine out there, and it’s piqued my interest.”

Yuri eyed the slice of strawberry cheesecake, saying, “Someone will deliver the contract to you later. As

for the details, your company can hash those out… So, Mr. Ellington, you’re a fan of strawberry

cheesecake?”

“It’s Vivienne’s favorite.” Percival chuckled. “And thanks for the heads-up about the mine, Mr. Perez.”

“No need for thanks. We’ve vetted many companies, and you’re the only one with the capacity to take

on such a big project.”

The group settled back at the table, which was laden with an assortment of dishes.

“Young lady, you should eat up. Look how thin you are,” Jasper kept passing dishes to Vivienne,

worried she was not eating enough.

Vivienne, unfazed, replied, “I never shortchange my stomach.”

“That’s right, you can’t let your stomach suffer. What you eat is all yours. Dig in.”

“You eat too,” Vivienne said with a smile, serving Jasper some food.

Yuri felt a pang at the tip of his nose; it had been years since he had seen his father smile so openly.

Zelda squeezed Yuri’s hand under the table, a silent comfort.

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They all knew that Vivienne’s presence had reignited hope in Jasper.

Whether the hope was real or not, they were all genuinely grateful for her presence.

After the meal, Vivienne politely declined Jasper’s offer to drive them home, choosing instead to walk

back with Percival.

Jasper watched their retreating figures, his eyes glistening with tears.

If Sasha were still around, she would be a mother by now, with a daughter just as grown.

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And he would have cherished his granddaughter, holding her close and protecting her with all his heart.

“Let’s head back, Dad,” Zelda said, helping Jasper into the car.

Jasper wiped his eyes, “Yuri, keep looking. I have a feeling… There’s something about Vivienne that

reminds me of Sasha.”

…

Under the inky moonlight, mingling with the dim glow of street lamps and lost amid the hustle and

bustle of traffic, Percival walked hand in hand with Vivienne beside the ginkgo trees lining the roadside.

Her long hair, caught by a gentle breeze, brushed lightly against Percival’s shoulder.

“Mr. Wolf, I really enjoyed dinner tonight,” Vivienne suddenly said, her voice low and tinged with mirth,

her pleasure barely concealed.

Percival smoothed back a stray lock of her hair and said, “Yeah, me too.”

If Vivienne was happy, so was he.

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Vivienne hopped onto the curb, arms spread wide, balancing herself with ease.

It had been so long since she felt this light, this at ease.

The last time was more than a decade ago.

Since her mother’s death, she had not dared to relax for a moment.

But now, she felt comfortable.

Percival walked beside her, looking up into the dazzling stars above.

A live broadcast of the Centurial E-sport Hotel tournament played on a giant screen on the street,

featuring the advancement matches between Runic Country and Helix Country.

When the camera captured Aaron and Kenneth in the picture, it showed they were both in the

audience, eyes glued to the screen.

“Mr. Wolf, would you rather face Runic Country or Helix Country?” Vivienne stopped suddenly.

Percival stepped up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, saying, “Runic Country. They’re

Kenneth’s second biggest rival, after your team.”

“Okay, then I’ll take on Helix Country. See you in the finals.”

Vivienne shared this sentiment; having already bested Runic Country once, beating a team they had

already conquered seemed pointless.

Percival lifted Vivienne’s chin and asked softly, “How about a bet?”

Vivienne thought for a moment. Mr. Wolf’s money was as good as hers, so that was off the table, and

she needed nothing else.

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“Let’s bet that the loser has to clean the winner’s team’s training room for a week.”

A smirk twitched at Percival’s lips; this girl knew how to place a bet. She was well aware that even if

she lost, he would never actually let her clean the training room.

“What? Afraid of losing?” Vivienne raised an eyebrow, a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.

Percival playfully tapped her nose, “Alright, you’re on.”

Vivienne cocked an eyebrow. “Mr. Wolf, you’re going to lose.”

As the qualifying matches ended, the four teams with the highest popularity moving into the group

stage were Hawk, Snake, Runic Country’s RED, and Helix Country’s FAI.

Hawk had been the underdog, with seven straight losses breaking their fans’ hearts. But their

breakthrough performance in the qualifiers and victory over RED had their popularity soaring once

again.

The group stage was set as Vivienne and Percival had predicted: Hawk versus FAI, Snake versus

RED.

Bennett and his team were worried upon seeing the draw.

FAI, the previous year’s champions, were a young and well-coordinated team with lightning-fast

reflexes. They had stormed the qualifiers with a 35-0 scoreline, a force to be reckoned with, aiming to

defend their title.

The pre-match pep rally, a gathering for all participants, was the organizer’s attempt to ease the

competitive tension.

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There had been scuffles before past matches, resulting in bans. Thus, the focus was on maintaining a

friendly atmosphere.

However, with the competition heating up, being too relaxed now would be rude.

Hawk and Snake were surprisingly chummy at the pep rally, united against the rest of the world.

The players from Helix Country were yapping about something, probably trying to ruffle Aaron’s

feathers with their taunting looks.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books

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Kenneth kicked at his stool and said, “Cut the chatter. We’ll see who’s boss on the field. Can’t

understand me? Too bad I’m not your translator. If you can’t afford one, I can hire one for you.”

The folks from Runic Country did not look too friendly either, squinting their eyes at Kenneth.

Aaron popped open a can of soda with gusto. “Oops, my bad, didn’t see you with your eyes open.

Thought you were snoozing and wanted to give you a wake-up call.”

The organizers would have given them an earful if it were anyone else. But who would dare to mess

with these two rich kids? Thus, the officials just threw in a few words and quickly wrapped up the

tension-filled meeting.

Stepping outside, Kenneth gave Aaron a nudge with his shoulder, “Don’t be a wimp. If you don’t make it

to the finals, I’ll look down on you for life.”

Aaron shot back without missing a beat, “If you lose to someone I’ve beaten, you better quit gaming for

good and disappear.”

The match started, and Hawk was up first. Aaron performed as usual, easily taking first blood.

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FAI was not far behind, securing the second kill soon after.

Quentin, having been solo killed, started to panic until Bennett stepped in, “Remember what Vivienne

said. Stay cool. They’re playing the long game. We need to focus on our farm.”

Quentin took a deep breath and refocused while Aaron, on the other side, was wreaking havoc in the

enemy’s jungle, thoroughly annoying them.

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