The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 391

Percival, Jasper, and Yuri sat together.

"Mr. Ellington, I hear your company's been keeping tabs on the Seaside Mining project?" Yuri inquired.

Percival did not intend to conceal anything. As he added a slice of strawberry cheesecake to his plate, he said, "Yes, I heard there's a top-notch mine out there, and it's piqued my interest."

Yuri eyed the slice of strawberry cheesecake, saying, "Someone will deliver the contract to you later. As for the details, your company can hash those out... So, Mr. Ellington, you're a fan of strawberry cheesecake?"

"It's Vivienne's favorite." Percival chuckled. "And thanks for the heads-up about the mine, Mr. Perez."

"No need for thanks. We've vetted many companies, and you're the only one with the capacity to take on such a big project."

The group settled back at the table, which was laden with an assortment of dishes.

"Young lady, you should eat up. Look how thin you are," Jasper kept passing dishes to Vivienne, worried she was not eating enough.

Vivienne, unfazed, replied, "I never shortchange my stomach."

"That's right, you can't let your stomach suffer. What you eat is all yours. Dig in."

"You eat too," Vivienne said with a smile, serving Jasper some food.

Yuri felt a pang at the tip of his nose; it had been years since he had seen his father smile so openly.

Zelda squeezed Yuri's hand under the table, a silent comfort.

They all knew that Vivienne's presence had reignited hope in Jasper.

Whether the hope was real or not, they were all genuinely grateful for her presence.

After the meal, Vivienne politely declined Jasper's offer to drive them home, choosing instead to walk back with Percival.

Jasper watched their retreating figures, his eyes glistening with tears.

If Sasha were still around, she would be a mother by now, with a daughter just as grown.

And he would have cherished his granddaughter, holding her close and protecting her with all his heart.

"Let's head back, Dad," Zelda said, helping Jasper into the car.

Jasper wiped his eyes, "Yuri, keep looking. I have a feeling... There's something about Vivienne that reminds me of Sasha."

...

Under the inky moonlight, mingling with the dim glow of street lamps and lost amid the hustle and bustle of traffic, Percival walked hand in hand with Vivienne beside the ginkgo trees lining the roadside.

Her long hair, caught by a gentle breeze, brushed lightly against Percival's shoulder.

"Mr. Wolf, I really enjoyed dinner tonight," Vivienne suddenly said, her voice low and tinged with mirth, her pleasure barely concealed.

Percival smoothed back a stray lock of her hair and said, "Yeah, me too."

If Vivienne was happy, so was he.

Vivienne hopped onto the curb, arms spread wide, balancing herself with ease.

It had been so long since she felt this light, this at ease.

The last time was more than a decade ago.

Since her mother's death, she had not dared to relax for a moment.

But now, she felt comfortable.

Percival walked beside her, looking up into the dazzling stars above.

FAI, the previous year's champions, were a young and well-coordinated team with lightning-fast reflexes. They had stormed the qualifiers with a 35-0 scoreline, a force to be reckoned with, aiming to defend their title.

The pre-match pep rally, a gathering for all participants, was the organizer's attempt to ease the competitive tension.

There had been scuffles before past matches, resulting in bans. Thus, the focus was on maintaining a friendly atmosphere.

However, with the competition heating up, being too relaxed now would be rude.

Hawk and Snake were surprisingly chummy at the pep rally, united against the rest of the world.

The players from Helix Country were yapping about something, probably trying to ruffle Aaron's feathers with their taunting looks.

Kenneth kicked at his stool and said, "Cut the chatter. We'll see who's boss on the field. Can't understand me? Too bad I'm not your translator. If you can't afford one, I can hire one for you."

The folks from Runic Country did not look too friendly either, squinting their eyes at Kenneth.

Aaron popped open a can of soda with gusto. "Oops, my bad, didn't see you with your eyes open. Thought you were snoozing and wanted to give you a wake-up call."

The organizers would have given them an earful if it were anyone else. But who would dare to mess with these two rich kids? Thus, the officials just threw in a few words and quickly wrapped up the tension-filled meeting.

Stepping outside, Kenneth gave Aaron a nudge with his shoulder, "Don't be a wimp. If you don't make it to the finals, I'll look down on you for life."

Aaron shot back without missing a beat, "If you lose to someone I've beaten, you better quit gaming for good and disappear."

The match started, and Hawk was up first. Aaron performed as usual, easily taking first blood.

FAI was not far behind, securing the second kill soon after.

Quentin, having been solo killed, started to panic until Bennett stepped in, "Remember what Vivienne said. Stay cool. They're playing the long game. We need to focus on our farm."

Quentin took a deep breath and refocused while Aaron, on the other side, was wreaking havoc in the enemy's jungle, thoroughly annoying them.