The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

Yorick shot him a glare, "You always have too much to say!"

"Come on, help me soothe the kids."

At the mention of the kids, Arthur instantly caved.

It was a good thing there were two of them; otherwise, he, as their grandad, wouldn't even have a fighting chance against their own dad. Vivienne was already immune to their antics.

Out of sight, out of mind.

At least for now, she could play the role of a hands-off manager.

She turned to Arthur, "Dad, where's Mom?"

Arthur awkwardly held one of the kids in his arms, too nervous to even glance around freely, and just jerked his chin towards the back.

"She's in the north wing, giving that lad one last round of acupuncture, hoping to stimulate his nerves. If all goes well, we should see some reaction in a couple of days." Vivienne checked on the kids to make sure they were truly sleepy before she left.

On her way, Leopold called, "Vivienne, Mr. Watson has heard the news and asked me to pass on a message."

Vivienne hummed as she walked, signaling him to continue.

"He said the Watson family owes you one. Just say the word if you need anything."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Vivienne knew the weight of a favor from the Watson family.

But, there was no need for it now.

She'd save it for when the time came.

Entering the room, Sasha was in the middle of an acupuncture session.

Vivienne quietly took a seat nearby.

Soon, she was sweating from the warmth.

Ever since Mr. Wolf had been brought to the Linklater family's care, the room's temperature was kept slightly higher to maintain his normal body heat. Now that spring was here, just sitting made her feel overheated.

Yet, Mr. Wolf hadn't awakened.

Has it been a month already, and he didn't miss her at all?

After a while, Sasha finished her session and checked his pulse, frowning at Percival's body that had physically recovered but still lay unconscious.

A look of inquiry crossed her face.

Vivienne approached, "Mom, how's Mr. Wolf?"

Sasha put down his hand and stated frankly, "His internal injuries are all healed, but when he'll wake up is up to him."

Vivienne frowned at her words.

As a Specter Healer and a renowned physician, she understood all too well.

It wasn't that Mr. Wolf couldn't wake up; he didn't want to.

Sasha saw right through Vivienne's thoughts and patted her shoulder, "Don't overthink it. It's common in such cases. As soon as his consciousness decides, waking up will happen in a moment." Vivienne's gaze stayed on Percival's face.

She wished to see Mr. Wolf awaken now.

To hear him call her Vivienne with a laugh.

To feel his embrace once more.

Wanting to distract her from becoming too sentimental, Sasha led her to the door.

"The day after tomorrow is Uncle Maddox and Willa's engagement party. Grandpa has already arranged a private jet to pick us up."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, nearly forgetting about it, "I'll pick a gift for Uncle Maddox and Willa tomorrow."

Sasha suggested she didn't need to be so formal, "We're all family here; no need for fancy gifts."

Vivienne smiled, "It's not every day Uncle Maddox and Willa make it official. I have to buy them something special."

The next day, Vivienne went shopping alone and was back in less than an hour.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Sasha, curious about the unmarked box in her hands, asked, "What did you buy?" Vivienne hid the box behind her, simply stating, "A secret."

Sasha chuckled at the mention of a secret, glancing at the box again "Well, keep your secrets, but don't give them anything too outlandish. Willa is shy; she can't handle too much teasing."

Vivienne remained silent, amused by her mother's imagination. Willa indeed wouldn't handle it well.

Didn't her mother realize, at an engagement party full of elders, what could she possibly give that was inappropriate?

On the day of the engagement party.

Vivienne and Sasha arrived at the Perez Homestead in a chauffeured car.

It was a small affair, just family, to keep things simple.

Arthur and Yorick had insisted on staying home with the kids, claiming they couldn't relax not knowing if the house was empty.

The ceremonial items had been packed into the car in advance.

Arriving at the Perez Homestead by noon, they were greeted by an eagerly waiting Jasper, who only brightened upon seeing his daughter and granddaughter.

He couldn't help but look past them, asking, "Vivienne, didn't the kids come with you?"

Sasha and Vivienne exchanged glances before focusing on Jasper's sons beside him.

Luke coughed subtly, hinting something, while Fredrick and Yuri Perez awkwardly avoided the topic.

Today was important, and nobody wanted to upset the old man, especially since Maddox would never let them live it down.

Sasha stepped forward, linking arms with Jasper to console him, "Dad, the kids are still too young for the wind. We'll bring them over when they're a bit older for you to see."

It was partly because the two men were too attached to the kids.

At the sound of crying, nothing else mattered to them.

The mood stiffened a bit.

Ignorance was bliss, but knowing

the kids were that close to them, while Jasper barely got a glance, made him huff, "They're getting all the joy, holding one each... and here

I am longing just for a look..

Sasha remained silent, navigating the complexities of family dynamics with a mix of humor and solemnity.

Did she say something wrong?

Vivienne made her way to the other side of the old man. "Grandpa, kids at this age are quite the handful, you know. If you want to hold them, just wait until they're a bit bigger. Ibring them both over for you to spoil to your heart's content."

It was then Jasper finally cracked a smile. "Vivienne always knows just what to say."

"Just make sure the kids can stay with me for a while then. I can't have Yorick showing me up."

Vivienne's lips curled into a smile. "Absolutely!"

The sons trailing behind finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The engagement party was held in the mansion's grand foyer.

Maddox Perez had transformed the place into a sea of roses, blooming in their prime.

Willa Perez was never one for big crowds, so the celebration was a family affair, presided over by the grandfather himself.

To see two kids he watched over from their infancy find each other was his ultimate joy.

Maddox, in his sleek black suit, and Willa, dazzling in a red strapless gown, made their entrance.

They walked hand in hand towards the rose garden, Maddox never once taking his eyes off his bride-to-be.

Willa's cheeks turned from pink to deep red, eventually having to pinch Maddox's hand to bring him back to the moment.