The Million-Dollar Heart

Chapter 16

Day two

Just past eight in the morning, Dorian and his family were having breakfast when his cell phone rang. The caller ID showed a number he didn’t recognize Lately, Dorian had been getting a lot of calls from unknown numbers, so he was used to it. Most of them were from companies responding to his job applications. Usually, it was something like, “Sorry, Mr. Hawthorn, you don’t meet our recruitment criteria.”

Dorian sighed and answered the call.

“Are you Thaddeus‘ father?” The person on the other end of the line asked, in a friendly tone.

1 am Who’s this?” Dorian responded, while passing Vivienne her breakfast.

Tm the assistant principal at Imperial Blossom Nursery. We’d like to invite Thaddeus to join our school. Is that OK with you?”

Dorian froze, fork in hand. After a pause, he asked, his voice shaky. “Who did you say you are?”

Tm the assistant principal at Imperial Blossom Nursery.” The voice on the other end was still friendly.

Dorian’s mouth dropped open, and he jumped up excitedly. “Imperial Blossom Nursery? You mean, you want my Thaddeus to join your school?” Cordelia also jumped up, equally excited.

Vivienne just looked up and continued to enjoy her fried egg. She turned to Thaddeus, who was looking at her, passed him a piece of toast, and moved the blueberry jam in front of him, whispering, “Eat up, you’re too skinny”

her and said politely, “Thanks,

saw Cordelia staring at him excitedly and switched

and he meets our admission criteria. Do you agree to his enrollment?” The assistant principal asked, sounding a tad exasperated. Any other person, and she would not have repeated herself so many times. But this was Thaddeus! The higher–ups had personally ordered his admission. So, she

course, agreed!” Dorian was so afraid that she would change her mind that he answered quickly and loudly.

arrange for someone to deliver

ended, Cordelia excitedly grabbed Dorian’s arm. “Dorian, is it true? Is

Nursery! That was a school that money couldn’t buy! A school that even

failed despite pulling many strings. Rumor had

dreaming. He never thought that such

back, we’ve not only moved into Tranquil Estates, but Thaddeus also got into Imperial Blossom Nursery Vivienne is our

almost ran over to hug and kiss Vivienne. Sensing

In the afternoon.

family’s old

at the head of the table, with

with Dorian? Why haven’t we heard

to get Dorian to agree soon, or this marriage is off,” Joseph said, looking at Beatrice.

her teacup. Her gaze filled with hardship and her face grim. The nursery school principal had called her yesterday to say that their plan had failed. The three people they had hired had been arrested, and the principal and the teacher had been fired. As the mastermind, she had to

that Vivienne hadn’t left there for ten years and probably hadn’t been to school, so

Say something! We can’t let the marriage with the Ellington family slip away like this,” Michael said anxiously. “Ever since Dorian refused to share the perfume formula, the

the rush? Haven’t I taught you

Joseph. “Joseph, your relationship with Dorian is still good. Why don’t you