The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

When Leopold walked in, the scene before him stopped him dead in his tracks.

There was Percival, shirtless and blushing furiously, sprawled on the couch while Vivienne, with eyes sparkling with mischief, was pointing her smartphone at him like she was about to devour him whole. Leopold was dumbfounded.

He had only been gone for what, ten minutes? And things had escalated this quickly?

The room was buzzing with an energy that was both electric and slightly scandalous.

The unexpected interruption clearly didn't sit well with Vivienne, who shot Leopold a glare sharp enough to cut, "Out!"

Leopold, taken aback and with every wild thought fleeing his mind except for self-preservation, stammered, "Uh, Vivienne, I saw nothing, really. Just came to drop off the car keys...'

With that, he tossed the keys towards the entryway and made a hasty retreat, not even bothering to close the door properly.

Once outside, he took a deep breath.

Trust Vivienne to be involved in something he hadn't even dreamed of.

Poor Percival, though. In Vivienne's clutches, he was practically a goner.

After snapping a few pics, Vivienne put down her phone and picked up a cotton swab to tend to the scrapes on Percival's arms and shoulders.

Once she was done, she let out a sigh and finally voiced her concerns, "Mr. Wolf, it looks like our wedding might need to be postponed."

Percival turned to face her, "Your dad still not on board?"

Vivienne grimaced, "It's not just my dad this time. My four uncles too. They want to throw a big bash. My mom's wedding was a surprise to them, and now, they want to make sure they're fully prepared for ours."

Percival thought for a moment, then pulled her into a hug, "I understand."

Feeling his strong heartbeat, Vivienne nestled closer, "You're so understanding, Mr. Wolf."

Percival stroked her hair, his eyes filled with affection, "My understanding is all for you."

"But leave the wedding plans to me. I'll meet your dad and your uncles' demands, but we're not changing our date."

Vivienne looked up in surprise, "You think you can convince them?"

"There's always a way."

Percival tapped her nose gently, "I've dealt with tougher crowds than your brothers. Your uncles won't be a problem."

Vivienne, now intrigued, couldn't help but look forward to it, "Well, you better be prepared, Mr. Wolf."

Maybe it was the comfort of Mr. Wolf's couch, or just being by his side, but Vivienne soon drifted off to sleep.

Waking up, she saw dusk had settled outside.

Percival had prepared dinner, laid out on the coffee table, complete with four dishes, a soup, and a palm-sized strawberry cheesecake. "Come on, have some food."Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Vivienne obediently sat down, reaching for the cake first, only for Percival to hand her a fork, "Eat dinner first."

Unable to get to the cake immediately, Vivienne felt as if there were ants crawling in her heart, "Mr. Wolf, you're getting stingy. This cake's too small for my appetite." Percival sighed, "Eating too much cream at night isn't good for you."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow, "Fine, tomorrow I want a cheesecake twice this size."

Percival laughed and nodded, "Alright."

Then, with a deep look, he asked, "Staying over tonight?"

Vivienne paused, then decided, "Better not. I don't want your house to be one room short."

Percival, "..."

Did everyone have to take their frustrations out on his house?

The Linklater household.

As soon as Vivienne stepped in, Arthur's booming voice filled the hall.

"Don't you stop me, honey! Vivienne's been my darling daughter for over a decade. How dare he! I'm going to blow that scoundrel's house sky-high..." Vivienne strode over, ice in her voice, "And whose house are you blowing up?"

"I, uh..."

Arthur, seeing his daughter's figure, switched from fury to fondness in an instant, "Oh, my dear, you're back!"

"You misheard, darling. I was saying, it's late; are you hungry? I've just mastered the perfect fried mozzarella sticks. Want to try?"

Scrambling for damage control, Arthur's face was the picture of sincerity.

Vivienne's temples throbbed, "No thanks, I've eaten."

Seeing his daughter home safely deflated Arthur's earlier bluster, and he quickly agreed, "Alright, then first thing tomorrow, I'll make you breakfast." Vivienne, heading upstairs, suddenly turned back to Sasha, "Mom, Mr. Wolf's fine. No need to worry."

Sasha nodded, giving Arthur a side-eye.

"Let's not be hasty next time. She's home safe, isn't

No need to blow up anyone's house."

For the next few days, Vivienne stayed quietly at home.

She spent her days reading in the garden with Sasha and her nights resting up early.

Aside from occasionally accepting deliveries of strawberry cheesecake from Percival, she kept to herself.

She was as demure as a lady awaiting her wedding day in another era.

Arthur thought perhaps his cooking had won his daughter over, prompting him to take over the

kitchen entirely, from breakfast to

dinner, much to the family's

amusement.

Percival, arriving with a cheesecake in hand, found Vivienne lounging on an outdoor chaise, a classic novel covering her face, the picture of serene contentment.

Hearing the footsteps growing

closer, Vivienne's lips curved into a smile, her voice muffled by the book in front of her, "Mr. Wolf, your cake delivery is running half an hour late today."

Percival crouched down, gently removing the book from Vivienne's face, whispering in her ear, "Made two batches, one for you and one for the boss." Vivienne shot him a surprised look.

"Aren't you afraid my dad will come charging out of the kitchen with a knife?"

Percival flashed a confident grin, "A student must never disobey their master."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow. She knew all too well; even her mom was just putting on a brave face.

All that talk about unique flavors and full of happiness, as if she didn't know who was sneaking snacks late at night.

Sasha, hearing the commotion, came out, her steps quickening at the sight, "Percival's here."

Percival nodded, handing over his creation, "Made a chiffon cake, just how the boss likes it, not too sweet."

Sasha's eyes lit up, quickly taking it from him, shushing Percival with a finger to her lips, glancing towards a nearby figure, "Don't let Arthur hear. He's been a bit too enthusiastic about cooking lately, and I don't want to crush his spirit."

Percival nodded in understanding, "Don't worry, boss."

Vivienne, nibbling on her piece, scoffed, "It's not even that good, and we're not allowed to say so."

Sasha gave her a playful smack on the head, "Even if it's bad, you eat it. Ungrateful child, don't you see who your dad's doing all this for?"

Vivienne rolled her eyes, "I never asked him to."

With countless other ways to show care, he chose the most challenging path. What could she do?