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.

she saw Leopold grinning from ear to ear

you and Griffin

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

the car, smiling at Vivienne in the rearview mirror, "I told the guys about you agreeing to my

two kids.

Vivienne was speechless.

being

the prison,

approached Declan alone, facing his stoic expression, she

Declan's body tensed, his hoarse voice

but threw a photo into

Declan saw it, a tumult of emotions flashed in his

observed, slightly raising an eyebrow, "I personally dealt with her. Her body is now in the research lab. As for any chances of her making a comeback, it's almost nil." The photo

remains could be pieced back into a whole was debatable.

involved, her end would

he muttered, "She never made it to the final

final step? Who is

a hand on Declan, guessing there was some deal between him

wouldn't surface until the very

don't know," Declan's voice

your life, there must be something you promised

uncomfortably, "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

by her, or related to her,

"You're barking up the wrong tree. I was just a means to an end for her. Now

you as expendable.

how deep Declan could scheme. He

"Name the

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