The Million-Dollar Heart

Five years later.

At the Rivenwood Public Kindergarten, in the office.

"Snap!"

"I'm at my wit's end, just look at this! How many times has it been?"

The headteacher's face was a palette of frustration, sitting at her desk, eyes blazing with anger.

What on earth had she done in her past life to deserve dealing with these two little reincarnations of mischief?

Leopold glanced at the photo on the desk, his mouth twitching in annoyance, yet he managed to maintain his composure. "Kiera, please, calm down. Have some tea. Whatever the cost, we'll cover it twice over. Kids will be kids, after all. Please be patient with them." Outside the window, two kids in red uniforms were tiptoeing to peek inside, watching Leopold bending over backward to smooth things over.

One whispered to the other, "Sis, think Uncle Leo can smooth things over with Kiera this time?"

Juliette blinked her eyes, a relieved expression on her face, "Uncle Leo's handled this stuff loads of times. Piece of cake. Besides, who else could we possibly call?"

Isaiah, his face betraying a maturity beyond his years, countered, "But what if Uncle Leo goes back and snitches to Mom again?"

At the mention, Juliette's eyes sparkled with mischief, mirroring the look of their mother Vivienne, "I have a plan, guaranteed to keep Uncle Leo from breathing a word of this."

Isaiah, skeptical, moved closer to hear her out but was already doubting the feasibility.

"Are you sure?"

"Remember last time? Uncle Leo tried to cover for you, and mom gave him one look, and he spilled everything. We ended up kneeling at the door for an entire afternoon. Forgot about that?"

If it weren't for grandpa stepping in, sending grandma to plead on their behalf, they'd have been kneeling till midnight, thanks to mom's temper.

Juliette raised an eyebrow, confidence oozing, "This time it's different. Uncle Leo will definitely agree."

Inside the office.

promises from

couldn't

you're their guardian. It's your responsibility to

of kids manage to blow a hole in the school?!" Leopold was

what Vivienne meant

he was left holding the

had pegged him as the

was he to

to Emerald Mountain, where they accidentally set fire to their master's residence and then turned a library into their coloring book, his fellow disciples had been overly welcoming, suggesting he keep the kids

care of the kids for two days while Leopold was sick, vowed never to bring up the topic

worry, I'll talk to them. It

to the window, "Juliette, Isaiah, get in here and apologize

kept the speed to a

why are we taking a different route?

be left

persisted, "You're not planning to get rid of us,

frustration peaked, "Get

you? After the stunts

take you?

If I brought you home, there'd

this, see

the backseat, Juliette and Isaiah exchanged looks, their eyes welling up, "Uncle Leo, do you

"Count

starting preschool, how many

hadn't intervened, you'd have led a whole

thought alone

incident had made all the fancy kindergartens in Rivenwood wary of accepting

choice but to turn to

looked up, "They wanted to see the ocean, so

about being lost. You're only five. What if

send