The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Diana’s pout could have tugged the heartstrings of the stone statues in the garden. “I'm fine,” she insisted, but even her echo did not believe her.

Dracon followed Diana's gaze and naturally landed on Vivienne.

“She’s been stealing your thunder again, hasn't she? Don’t worry, I'll get your back. No one messes with you on my watch,” Dracon said with a steely edge to his voice.

Before long, all the guests had arrived.

Yuri exchanged pleasantries with Natalia and Yasmine before moving on to the gift-giving part of the evening.

Isolde Ellington, on behalf of the Ellington family, presented two antique lockets. To the trained eye, these were not ordinary trinkets. They were antiques, auctioned for a hefty sum over a decade ago, once belonging to twin princesses from an age long past.

The crowd murmured their appreciation; the Ellingtons never did anything by halves.

Vivienne waited her turn, and once most had presented their gifts, she stepped forward. “Happy birthday, Natalia, Yasmine.” Upon opening the gift box, the sight of two exquisite jade bracelets lit up the girls’ eyes.

Indeed, no matter the age, jewelry had a certain irresistible allure for women.

“Thank you, Vivienne,” the girls chimed in unison, their eyes sparkling with joy.

Vivienne ruffled their hair affectionately. Paired with the shoes Karen had given earlier, these bracelets would keep Natalia and Yasmine in good health for years to come.

The crowd was duly impressed. Such bracelets were not items one simply stumbled upon in a store.

Then, a snicker cut through the chatter. “I was curious i x | Ms. Hawthorn would bring. Just a pair of bracelets? How uninspired. | heard Jasper once gave you the Heart of Hope set, and as Master Jessica, plucking a bracelet from your inventory is no hassle. | thought you only played games with women, but it seems you don’t spare the children either.” All eyes turned to Dracon, the only one who could deliver such a biting remark.

The faces of the Perez family fell, and the Ellingtons were not pleased either.

Public ridicule of their daughter-in-law was something the Ellingtons could not abide! Vivienne, holding onto Percival, stepped forward. “I wonder what you have brought that might enlighten me, the master of deception?” Dracon scoffed and presented his gift: an ancient wooden box. When opened, a prism of colors nearly blinded the onlookers.

Inside lay a rare multicolored opal - Rainbow Opal! It was a gemstone scarcely seen in a hundred years, invaluable both as jewelry and as a collectible.

And this was no mere purchase; wealth alone could not secure such a rarity.

The last sighting had been five years ago when a mysterious collector briefly brought it into the light before it vanished from public view.

That collector was none other than Dracon.

The Linklater family was indeed in a league of its own, gifting such a treasure without a second thought, and two stones at once, too! Cecilia, a collector herself, was dazzled by the opal, but her disdain for Dracon kept her from expressing her awe.

“Show off,” she muttered under her breath, “My son will have his own someday.” Percival smiled, wrapping an arm around Vivienne. “Mr. Linklater, is this the Rainbow Opal?” “Indeed. It’s precious, but giving it to Natalia and Yasmine is worth it,” Dracon replied, bowing gentlemanly and delivering the Rainbow Opal to Natalia and Yasmine. “Do the young princesses like my gift?” Natalia and Yasmine, though charmed by the opal, could not warm up to it, not after Dracon’s earlier disparagement of Vivienne.

Sensing the tension, Diana knelt to smooth things over. “This is a special gift chosen just for you two by Uncle Dracon. Say thank you.” Dracon played in Diana’s favor. “Diana mentioned you liked sparkly things, so here we are.” “Mr. Linklater, may | take a closer look at your Rainbow Opal?” Percival asked.

With a look of disdain, Dracon watched Percival hug Vivienne like a precious gem. He had thought Percival was a hero worthy of respect, but apparently, he was just another man orbiting around a woman.

Dracon handed the box over. “Please, Mr. Ellington.” Percival took the opal and, to Dracon’s horror, began tossing it as one might juggle balls.

“What are you doing, Percival?” Dracon nearly shouted.

Vivienne's smile was subtle as she said, “The Rainbow Opal can’t be shattered; it can only be cut with special tools. What's to fear?” Dracon frowned. “I'm not afraid, but isn’t Mr. Ellington's casual treatment of another's gift a bit impolite?” Suddenly, Percival hurled the opal to the ground without a word. To the shock of everyone, the supposedly unbreakable opal shattered upon the pebbled path, leaving nothing but fragments.

The guests were stunned into silence.

Was it not supposed to be unbreakable? Laughter broke the tension, starting with Maddox and soon spreading like wildfire.

Dracon’s face cycled through shades of red and white, his composure as shattered like the opal that had sparkled mere moments before.

Even Diana struggled to maintain her poise in the face of this debacle.

Such was the drama at a Linklater family soiree.

Gifting someone a present, especially to two little kids, and then it turns out to be a fake? That was like pulling wool over children’s eyes!Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Vivienne cleared her throat softly, fighting back laughter. “Mr. Linklater, don’t be too hard on yourself. Genuine Rainbow Opal is rare as hen'’s teeth; it's understandable that you couldn't recognize it.” Dracon’s face, already flushed with embarrassment, now burned with a sting of humiliation. He pointed at Vivienne’s nose and retorted, “Don’t act like you've seen the real deal!” Vivienne shrugged nonchalantly. “Funny thing, | actually have.” With that, Vivienne extended her hand. “Natalia and Yasmine, would you darlings bring over the bracelets | gave you?” The girls, obedient as ever, slid the bracelets off their wrists and handed them to Vivienne.

Whether by accident or design, Vivienne did not catch them, and the bracelets clattered onto the floor.

Those were supposed to be jade bracelets, which would shatter upon impact.

Regardless, it was the thought that counted, and Zelda was not one to waste. She moved to catch them, but Vivienne did not flinch.

On closer inspection, the bracelets on the ground were not even scratched, let alone shattered! Percival bent down to pick up the bracelets just as they caught the sunlight.

Under the sun’s rays, the bracelets emitted an extraordinary glow, their colors more vibrant and pure than the supposed Rainbow Opal that had been presented earlier.

“These,” Vivienne declared, holding them up to the light, “are the true Rainbow Opals.”