The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

The phone rang suddenly, diverting Juliette's attention.

Leopold picked it up and said, "Yeah, Dawson, I've got Juliette and Isaiah with me. We'll be there shortly."

Juliette's eyes lit up, "Godfather, is that Dawson?"

Seeing Juliette was okay, Leopold breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, your Dawson knows you're coming to see him. He's booked a table at Chuck E. Cheese's and is waiting there for us." Juliette was quick to move on from the recent events, grabbing Leopold's hand to hurry him, "Let's go then, I've missed Dawson so much!"

Juliette was alright now.

Leopold felt his heart rollercoastering with emotions, still thumping wildly!

Thank goodness Juliette was unharmed. If anything serious had happened, he wouldn't know how to explain it to Vivienne.

After informing their teachers, Leopold scooped one child in each arm and headed for the car.

Once they were all buckled in, he finally relaxed, catching Juliette's excited reflection in the rearview mirror, a pang of bittersweet emotion washed over him.

"Who said this morning that I was the most important? You haven't even seen Dawson yet, and you've already forgotten about your godfather, haven't you?" Juliette's eyes sparkled, "All my mentors are important to me, but I only have one godfather. How could I compare that importance, right, godfather?" Leopold couldn't help but smile at her response. He was quite satisfied.

Just as the car started, a fleeting shadow caught Isaiah's eye.

He paused, looking out the window, but saw nothing.

Checking his tablet, there were no alerts.

Isaiah suddenly remembered Juliette's words, frowning slightly.

Meanwhile, Juliette was busily chatting with Leopold in the front about Grandpa Finnian, oblivious to Isaiah's concerns.

At the restaurant.

Dawson stood there in casual white, holding two trendy plush toys, eagerly watching the door.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Upon seeing him, Juliette dashed over for a big hug, "Dawson, I've missed you so much! Did you miss me and Isaiah?" Dawson's eyes crinkled with joy as he lifted Juliette, "Of course, I've missed both you and Isaiah."

Leopold watched this scene with a slight tug at his heart.

Telling himself he wasn't jealous!

After seating Isaiah, he greeted Dawson with a shy, "Hi, Dawson."

Dawson returned the greeting with warmth. He cared for both Juliette and Isaiah equally as they were Vivienne's kids.

But noticing Isaiah's pale face, Dawson frowned, "Isaiah, are you feeling alright? You look so pale."

Isaiah shook his head, insisting he was fine.

Leopold, concerned, checked Isaiah's forehead for fever and then asked for some hot water for him to drink.

Dawson, observing Leopold's makeshift caregiving, raised an eyebrow, "Leopold, with Vivienne away, is this how you've been looking after them? They've both lost weight since I last saw them two months ago!" Leopold was speechless.

"Aren't all five-year-olds supposed to be this slim? How much more can they eat?"

But he didn't dare voice his thoughts. Dawson would have his head.

Sensing Leopold's dilemma, Dawson's sharp gaze softened, "Just make sure they're not neglected under your watch, okay?"

Leopold felt wronged!

With Yorick and War God around, he hardly dared to let the kids snack carelessly.

Isaiah, now feeling better after a sip of water, defended Leopold, "Dawson, it's not godfather's fault. I'm really okay."

Dawson was surprised by Isaiah's intervention but still gave Leopold a scrutinizing look, "As long as it's not his doing." Leopold felt deeply moved.

Isaiah usually kept to himself, but in a crucial moment, he sided with him.

Juliette tugged at Dawson's sleeve, "Dawson, godfather really takes good care of us, it's not what you think."

With both kids vouching for Leopold, Dawson let the matter slide.

Soon, their kids' meals arrived, and the adults simply nibbled, there more for company than appetite.

Juliette, remembering her purpose, asked, "Dawson, can you get in touch with Grandpa Finnian? I need to ask him something!"

Dawson, taken aback, glanced at Leopold before responding, "Master Finnian is likely on a retreat in Emerald Mountain. I can't reach him either. Once he returns, you'll be the first to know, okay?" Even if they couldn't contact him now, Finnian might show up on his own soon enough.

That was usually the case.

Juliette's face fell slightly, but she nodded, "Please don't forget to tell me as soon as Grandpa Finnian is back."

Dawson assured her, "Absolutely. Grandpa Finnian would love to see you and Isaiah too."

As long as it wasn't on Emerald Mountain. That place couldn't handle Juliette's enthusiasm.

It had been a while since their last meeting, and Juliette found herself missing the familiar camaraderie.

inquiring about Dawson's latest endeavors, "Hey Dawson, what's been keeping you so busy? haven't seen you in like, two months."

She decided to bridge the gap by et

Caught off guard, Dawson offered a sheepish grin, "Oh, you know, just swamped with work. We're actually developing this new medical device at the company." Juliette's eyes sparkled with interest, "Really? Can I swing by your company to check it out sometime?"

Knowing Juliette's fascination with

medical research, Dawson looked at her with a playful smile, "It's not all that exciting. But you're into pharmaceuticals, right? Once we get the lab all set up, I'll take you there for a tour."

Juliette nodded eagerly, her excitement palpable. She then shared a recent disappointment, "I only got to visit my mom's lab once before they barred me from entering. They even had Anna and Isaiah set up this whole security cordon, telling us we couldn't step foot inside. Talk about being heartless."

Isaiah looked up, clarifying, "That was specifically for you. I know not to touch what I shouldn't."

His implication was clear: he was an innocent bystander in this.

Dawson felt a twitch in his eyelid.

Why did he feel like he had just agreed to something potentially troublesome?

Maybe delaying the lab renovation wasn't such a bad idea after all.

After dinner, Dawson finally broached another subject with Juliette, "Hey, Juliette, I've been meaning to ask. Has anyone been giving Vivienne a hard time lately?"