The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Evening.

Yorick had heard about the Perez family's ordeal and, over dinner, he tasked Arthur with a heavy tone, "Since this case falls under

your watch, you need to catch the criminal at all costs. We can't let such people off easily!"

Arthur nodded, "Don't worry, dad. They won't get far!"

Yorick then turned to Sasha, his tone softening, "Sasha, don't stress too much. Whatever concerns the Perez family concerns us,

the Linklaters. If you need any help, just say the word."

Sasha felt a warmth in her heart, "Thanks, dad."

She then served Yorick a bowl of soup.

Yorick took a sip.

Arthur and Sasha had just started to eat when suddenly,

"Crack!"

Yorick’s face tightened suddenly, clutching his chest, and collapsing onto the table.

Arthur jumped up, rushing over, "Dad, what's wrong?"

The butler was equally startled, rushing to call for help, "Quick, get the doctor!"

Sasha cover, checking Yorick's pulse, her brows furrowing, "It's too late, dad's been poisoned. Lay him flat on his side, quick!"

Arthur did as told.

Sasha swiftly used a needle to induce vomiting, and shortly after, Yorick spat out a mouthful of the clear soup he had just ingested.

Sasha's eyes turned icy, "The soup was poisoned!"

Arthur's face turned grim, "Find out who entered the kitchen today. No one gets off the hook."

If it weren't for Yorick drinking that soup earlier,

likely, everyone at the table would have been poisoned by now.

Someone was clearly after the Linklater family's lives!

Daring to poison the Linklaters, he was eager to see who had such audacity.

In the hall,

Arthur, eyeing the staff brought by the butler, questioned each one.

The dozen or so people, who had been with the Linklater family for years, were shocked to hear about the patriarch's poisoning

from just a sip of soup.

Arthur scanned the room, his voice cold, "Who was responsible for this soup today?"

Silence fell.

No one dared to take the blame.

Except for one person, trembling uncontrollably, his feet inching backward.

Arthur noticed the odd behavior and grabbed the man, "Trying to run?"

The man, previously cowering, suddenly looked up with a blank stare and constricted pupils.

Before Arthur could react, the man flashed a sinister smile and threw a handful of powder at him.

Arthur sent the man flying and dodged the powder.

But not everyone was so fortunate; those who inhaled it fell to the ground, writhing in agony before dying.

Arthur's eyes darkened, stepping over to the man on the ground.

But before he could examine him, a voice halted him.

"Wait!"

Sasha approached, frowning, "He's covered in a deadly poison. Don't touch him."

Arthur paused, his gaze deepening, "Honey, something's off about this guy. He doesn't seem... right."

Sasha looked at the man’s twisted corpse, speaking softly, "He was controlled."

"A type of dark magic that manipulates the mind, making him act according to someone else’s will, like a puppet."

First, the Perez and Martinez families, and now the Linklaters.

Someone was eager to stir the pot.

But who?

Arthur asked, "Has anything unusual happened at hlately?"

The butler, pale, shook his head, "No strangers have been around, and the servants in the back have been with us for over a

decade. They wouldn't..."

Mid-sentence, the butler collapsed to his knees, trembling.

"I've failed in my duties, leading to the master's poisoning and these senseless deaths. It's my fault."

Arthur's expression was stern, "That's irrelevant now. Notify the others toe in. Apart from that man, make sure the others are

taken care of properly."

The butler bowed deeply, "Yes, sir."

Just before leaving, Sasha added, "The poison on these people won't dissipate quickly. Handle their remains carefully. Meet any of

their families’ requests to avoid hard feelings."

The butler paused, then nodded.

The Linklaters had their own security force; it didn’t take long to secure the scene.

Once the orders were given, the staff dispersed in two groups.

Arthur then approached Sasha, "How's dad? Will he be okay?"

Sasha pressed her lips together, "I've neutralized the poison. It won't harm him further, but the toxin was strong. It might be a

while before he wakes up."

Arthur thought of the soup in front of him, his eyes clouding over.

If it weren't for his wife's vigilance, the entire Linklater family could have been wiped out.

"Someone's after our entire family!"

Sasha's eyes held a deep investigation.

The poison was undetectable, flavorless, and odorless; who could it be?

Just then, the butler rushed in, "Ma'am, should you check on the guest in the south wing? Their meals were the same. It's late, but

I'm concerned..."

Sasha's expression tightened, "I'll check on them!"

In the guest room,

Daphne was slowly eating, spoon-fed by her daughter, Anna. After a few bites, she paused.

Anna picked up a bowl of soup, blowing on it to cool it down, and was just about to feed her mother.

A silver needle flew in, pinning the spoon to the wall with such force it embedded deeply.

Anna, on high alert, turned to retaliate but paused upon seeing Sasha, "Karen?"

Daphne, having a clearer view, quickly stopped Anna, "Captain, what's happened?"

Sasha eyed the soup in Anna's hand, not hiding the truth, "It's poisoned."

Anna's grip tightened, she stood up, distancing herself from the soup.

"Don't let Daphne anywhere near this."

Daphne's face paled, her eyes wide with disbelief as she turned to Sasha. "Captain, what the heck happened? How could someone

dare to poison something right under your nose? That's like signing their own death warrant."

Sasha furrowed her brow, a hint of perplexity in her voice. "It's bizarre, | can't figure this poison out."

Anna blinked, taken aback. Sasha's reputation as a master of both poisons and antidotes was legendary.

After all, she was the one who had mentored Brody and Vivienne, turning them into the medical geniuses they were today.

The idea that there was a poison out there that Sasha couldn't identify was unthinkable.

"How can there be a poison like that in the world?"

After a moment's contemplation, Daphne spoke up. "Well, you can't really say that. After all, besides the art of poisoning, there are

things in this world that shave never even heard of. Something that mimics a poison but isn't one. It's not surprising that it

could go undetected."

Sasha looked at her, surprised. "Daphne, since when have you been into this kind of stuff?"

Seeing Sasha's reaction, Daphne shook her head. "Captain, I've only heard about it. Whether it exists, | can't say for sure. But the

world is full of strange and mysterious things. Perhaps it's just something we haven'te across yet."

"If someone is intentionally using something like this to throw us off track, we might be looking in the wrong direction."