The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Griffin bit her lip, her worry evident in her wide eyes.

No matter how much you prepare, the thing you fear the most always seems to find a way to happen.

"Vivienne, you don't think the guys will take Leopold out back for a rough-up, do you?" she whispered, sneaking over to ask Vivienne.

The only outcshe could imagine was Leopold getting a piece of their minds, quite literally.

Vivienne offered a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. They know better than to actually hurt Leopold." At most, they'll find sother way to vent.

Meanwhile...

Leopold was cornered in an empty parking lot, surrounded by a group that looked less than pleased to see him. Jerry, cracking his knuckles leisurely, led the charge. "Alright, Leopold, spill it. How are we handling this?" With a heavy heart, Leopold glanced at the intimidating setup and then back at the two brothers pinning him down, swallowing hard.

This was a setup if he'd ever seen one.

Accustomed to playing the weaker card, he immediately went for sympathy, "Guys, con. Today's the christening party for Vivienne's twins. If I show up looking like I've been mugged, what will people think?" Daniel snorted, cutting him off, "You think Vivienne's always going to take your side?" As if they were invisible in Vivienne's eyes.

Jerry sighed, looking directly at Leopold, "We've been good to you, haven't we?" Leopold, knowing full well he'd kicked the hornet's nest this time, could only nod in agreement, afraid to utter another word.

Jerry raised an eyebrow, "And how have you repaid our kindness?" Supposedly, it was all about fair competition, but here was Leopold, sneaking around and then boasting about it...

How were they supposed to swallow that? Silence from Leopold.

He knew, no matter what, this pit was not one he could talk his way out of.

He played the sympathy card, "Jerry, I swear, it wasn't on purpose. It just... cout." Old-F, lifting him up by the collar with a threatening tone, questioned, "Becoming godfather to Vivienne's twins just slipped out, huh?" Leopold blinked earnestly, nodding.

He swore it was a casual remark.

Who would have thought Vivienne would actually agree? Eric, always the quiet one, pulled out a white pill, his demeanor icy, "Not coming clean, huh? Good thing I've got a new concoction from the lab. You'll be the first human test subject." Leopold panicked, eyes wide at the thought.

Knowing Eric's reputation for being ruthless, whatever he was proposing could have serious side effects.

With his wedding on the horizon, any mishap would be disastrous.

Eric paused, eyes narrowing, "That's more like it. Talk." Leopold, on the verge of tears, pleaded, "I swear, I didn't do anything. I just asked Vivienne if I could be the godfather, and she agreed." Daniel's face darkened, "You're kidding, right? Just asked and she agreed? What, do you have a magic mouth?" Dawson raised an eyebrow, "Thinking you can fool us with that excuse? Do you think Vivienne's easy or we're dumb?" Enzo sneered, "Knew you were too slick. Not honest, huh? Seems we weren't harsh enough." "Gary, Larry, do your thing!" Eager for action, Gary and Larry moved in, one holding Leopold still, the other ready with a handful of peanuts, about to shove them in his mouth.

Leopold, allergic to peanuts, could barely stand the smell without reacting.

With the christening just moments away, showing up swollen and red was not an option. Vivienne and their mentor would have his head.

In desperation, Leopold blurted out, "I swear on the Sterling family name, I'm telling the truth. Call Vivienne if you don't believe me..." The group paused.

Knowing full well Leopold's fear of his family's wrath, they considered his words might actually hold truth.

Cornered, Leopold stood firm, "Call her now. If I've lied about anything, do whatever you want with me." Skeptical yet curious, they huddled, whispering, "Maybe he didn't have the guts after all. If Vivienne agreed, there must be a reason.' || "Still, why him? What do we lack?" Leopold, unable to keep his mouth shut, chimed in, "Guess I'm just lucky!" That earned him a collective glare.

But without further argument.

Though luck seemed to be Leopold's ever-faithful companion, even their mentor envied his fortune.

Bagging a beauty like Vivienne and having the formidable Martinez family backing him up? That wasn't just luck; it was a miracle.

The group, reluctantly setting aside their plans for revenge, still looked for a way to make Leopold pay, should his story not hold up.

Leopold gulped, a nervous gesture that didn't go unnoticed. "Guys, I swear, I'll always speak highly of you in front of Vivienne. And if you ever want to see the kids, just say the word, and I'll make it happen How's that sound?" Content belongs to en.kikistoriesThe group raised their eyebrows, a glint of scheming already in their eyes. "Really?" At this point, Leopold just wanted to make a quick escape, so he nodded frantically.

In the grand hotel lobby...

Richard, holding his two children, stepped up to the podium to give aspeech. This was followed by a torrent of friends coming up to present gifts and well-wishes. The sheer volof presents soon resembled a small mountain. Content belongs to en.kikistoriesJust as the celebration was moving on to the next phase, it hit a snag with a few of the older gentlemen silently competing. Yorick, with a casual flick of his wrist, presented a painting by a renowned master worth millions, claiming it was just something for the kids to practice their drawing skills on.

Who could top that for sheer audacity? Jasper wasn't about to be outdone. He brought out a box of vintage jewels and gemstones.