The Million-Dollar Heart

The chat group was quiet at first, filled with question marks. Then, like a stone thrown into a pond, messages began to flood in.

It was like a bomb had gone off.

Jerry Perez, the second oldest, chimed in: "Leopold, that trick won't work on us!"

Daniel, the third, added: "No offense, Leopold, but you're just not in the same league as us."

Eric, the fourth, joked: "Leopold's definitely got some delusions of grandeur."

Old-man Dawson couldn't believe it: "Has Leopold lost his mind? ... The nerve to say that, did you eat lion's heart and leopard's courage?"

Donald, the sixth, laughed: "Leopold, you're trying to kill us with laughter. If Vivienne would let her kid call you godfather, I'd call you godfather too!" Enzo agreed: "Seconded!"

Larry, the eighth, added: "Seconded +1!"

Gary sent a long voice message, laughing so hard he couldn't even speak.

Leopold, feeling smug, was driving with one hand and replied with a voice message, specifically tagging Donald.

"Come on, Donald, the master is still here. If you call me godfather... that's like shortening my life!"

"And if you dared, I wouldn't dare accept."

The group went silent.

Then, Old-man Dawson sent a message, "Leopold, did Vivienne confirm this herself?"

Leopold couldn't suppress his grin. "Dawson, you too? Would I dare share the news with you guys if Vivienne hadn't agreed?"

With that, Leopold closed his phone, feeling victorious as the group's messages kept coming.

He had secured his position as godfather.

into the car, she saw Leopold grinning from ear to ear as if he'd

"Did you and Griffin

You know how tightly the Martinez family guards Griffin. If I dared to elope, they'd skin me alive." Vivienne narrowed

Vivienne in the rearview mirror, "I told the guys about you agreeing to my request. Let them die

be the godfather of your two kids. Let's

Vivienne was speechless.

was she being

the prison,

Declan alone, facing his stoic expression, she calmly stated, "Stop waiting, Abigail

his hoarse voice breaking through, "She can't be

but threw a photo into

a tumult of

any chances of

Abigail's remains could be pieced back into a whole was debatable. How

her end

darkened as he muttered, "She never made it to the

narrowed, "What final step?

a hand on Declan, guessing there

deal wouldn't surface until the very

Declan's voice was

spared your life, there must be something you promised

"She was too arrogant to let anyone else complete her grand vision. Anything she couldn't take with her, she'd destroy with her own hands." Vivienne scoffed, knowing Declan was deliberately muddling the

this person was chosen by her, or related to her, it's

tree. I was just a means to an end for her. Now that Abigail is dead, do with me

for her, yet she regarded you as expendable. Yet, here you

knew how deep Declan could scheme. He must harbor some of Abigail's secrets,

gleam in her eyes, "Name the person, and I'll grant you a quick

death matter? The world is flawed. After my death, someone else will complete