The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Declan's eyes flickered with unease.

After a moment, he finally spoke, "She has a team of operatives with extraordinary abilities."

Vivienne frowned, "What do you mean?"

Declan seemed genuinely wary of the subject, his demeanor tense as he spoke.

"These people are usually kept sedated underground, only brought out when she needs them."

"But they were all nurtured by Abigail with special abilities, and with the aid of drugs, their physical capabilities can skyrocket by

seventy percent at hermand, readying them forbat almost instantly—one of them could take on a hundred."

Vivienne's gaze turned icy. This team sounded eerily similar to the operatives trained by the Global Tacticalanization (GTO),

except the GTO used serums to push human endurance to its limits.

She hadn't expected Abigail to have her own squad.

Raised with special abilities, they could be even tougher to handle than the drug-enhanced agents of the GTO!

Vivienne narrowed her eyes and asked, "How many are there?"

Declan shook his head, indicating he didn't know, "No one knows for sure."

"This is Abigail's trump card for world domination. She won't reveal them lightly, nor bring them out unless absolutely necessary."

A chill settled in Vivienne's eyes.

It seemed Abigail planned to unleash these operatives in a grand, chaotic bid for power after securing immortality.

The conversation shifted as they left the prison. Vivienne, with her team in tow, headed to the hospital.

On the third floor, Vivienne knocked on the door.

e in!"

Colin, seated by the window, mistook the entrance for a nurse's routine check and responded without looking up from his book.

It wasn't until a timid voice called out that he snapped back to reality.

"Bro..."

Colin looked up to see Winston and Vivienne at the door, so shocked that his book tumbled to the floor unnoticed.

"Winston!"

"Ms. Hawthorn, what brings you here?"

Vivienne cut straight to the point, "Winston wanted to see you, so | brought him along."

She then turned to Winston, "I'll wait outside. Take your time."

Winston nodded.

Once the door shut, Colin, trying to contain his emotions, crouched down to Winston's level, "Do you remember me?"

Winston nodded vigorously, "Of course."

Colin choked up slightly, "Ms. Hawthorn mentioned you've been with the Linklaters. Are you doing okay there?"

Winston showed on his fingers, "Auntie, uncle, and my cousins treatwell. It's just that my siblings don't visit much."

"Auntie enrolledin a new school with kids from all over. They don't ask about my family, just play games with me."

Colin patted his head, relieved, "That's good. Ms. Hawthorn said you wanted to see me. What made you think of me?"

Winston gestured towards the door, "Sister tookto see Grandpa, and | wanted to visit you too, so she brought me."

Colin tensed, "You saw Grandpa?"

Winston nodded earnestly, "Uh-huh."

Colin grasped Winston's hand anxiously, "What did he say to you?"

Winston couldn't understand Colin's fear of their grandfather but shared everything he said, "Grandpa toldnot to et who |

am and that he has big plans soon to bringback."

"Bro, will our family reallye back together?"

Colin didn't answer directly but looked into his eyes, "Winston, do you want to go back to that home?"

After a moment's hesitation, Winston shook his head.

Ever since his older brother had threatened him, he'd been terrified of returning.

Colin solemnly advised, "The Wright family ended decades ago with that person's rise. There's no need to continue it. Understand?

Live peacefully, et everything about the Wrights. Those titles shouldn't burden your life."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Winston might not have grasped all of Colin's words, but he sensed they were for his benefit.

Upon returning to Vivienne, Winston appeared troubled, prompting her to ask what was wrong.

Winston, concerned, asked, "Sister, is Colin very sick? He wantsto live well for both of us."

Vivienne calmly reassured him, "Don't worry, he won't die."

After dealing with Abigail and Declan, the poison in Colin's system would naturally dissipate.

Twas running short for some.

After dropping Winston off at the Linklaters’, Vivienne was about to leave when Arthur called out, "Vivienne, hold on."

Vivienne turned to see Arthur, miraculously producing two large suitcases from nowhere, handling them effortlessly, "You ot

these."

Vivienne was speechless; she'd had no intention of taking them.

Percival, standing nearby, took them from Arthur, "Dad, I've got it."

Arthur, a bit defeated, cautioned, "Be careful with those."

Vivienne stepped away to take a call from Anna, who sounded panicked, "Vivienne, my mom passed out!"

Vivienne exchanged a glance with Mr. Wolf before assuring Anna, "Don't panic, I'm on my way."

Sasha approached, sensing the urgency in Vivienne's expression, "What's wrong?"

Vivienne shared the news, and Sasha, worried, insisted, "I'lle with you."

They headed to the hospital together.

Anna sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes red and swollen.

Seeing Daphne lying unconscious on the bed, Sasha furrowed her brows and asked, "What happened?"

Ever since she saw that locket, Sasha's suspicions had largely faded.

She knew Daphne, and that locket was something she cherished above all else.

Anna stood up upon seeing the others enter and said, "I stepped out for a bit, and when | cback, | found my mom clutching

her chest and coughing up blood, then she passed out. The doctors can't figure out what's wrong."

Sasha cover and gave her a reassuring pat, "Don't panic yet, let's have Vivienne take a look."

Vivienne took out a set of silver needles and sat by the bedside, inserting a few into Daphne's pressure points.

After about fifteen minutes, the needles were removed, and everyone noticed the change on them.

"It's poison!"

Anna's face went pale, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, "I'm going to investigate!"

Vivienne stopped her, "The poison acts immediately, going to investigate now would only alert them."

Anna paused in her tracks.

Vivienne then readministered the needles, successfully drawing the poison out of Daphne's body.

A quarter of an hour later, Daphne'splexion had somewhat improved.

They had managed to save her, but she remained unconscious.

For safety reasons, staying in the hospital was no longer an option.

Anna suggested transferring to another hospital and said she would find a quiet mansion where Daphne could recover in peace.

Just as she was about to make arrangements, Sasha stopped her, "If they could target Daphne so easily, it means you're already

under their watch. If we're looking for a safe place, there's nowhere safer than my place."

With the Linklater family's status in Rivenwood, no one would dare make a move against them.

Vivienne looked up at her mother and after a moment, nodded in agreement, "That sounds good."