The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Sasha shot Vivienne a knowing look before stepping out to confront Arthur.

Vivienne understood that Arthur's actions were for her sake.

He had personally severed the ties of kinship.

Now, it was all up to her.

Moving forward, Vivienne knelt down, shaking a few silver needles in her hand, "Dracon, I'm not my dad. I don't have any familial patience for you, so I'd advise you not to waste my time." "Where's Abigail?" Dracon's eyelids twitched, but his expression remained unchanged, "Who's Abigail? I have no idea what you're talking about." With a flick of her wrist, Vivienne inserted two needles into his pressure points, causing Arthur to grimace in unbearable pain. Her voice grew colder, "You've done so much for her, even risking so much to find the Millennia Aegis for her, and now you're tellingyou don't know who she is? Do I look like a toddler to you?" Dracon's face turned ashen, especially upon hearing 'Millennia Aegis', his eyes betraying a flicker of recognition.

Yet, he stubbornly remained silent.

Vivienne played a recording for him, a conversation between him and Abigail, discussing the Millennia Aegis. The voice had been altered, making it untraceable, but Dracon couldn't deny his own voice.

"You bugged me?" Finally understanding where he slipped up, Dracon realized.

Calmly retrieving her phone, Vivienne stated, "Dracon, one must know their limits. You reached into the Perez family's domain, it was tforto intervene." Knowing he was no match for Vivienne, Dracon turned his head away, refusing to speak further, "Since you have it, I have nothing more to say." Vivienne merely narrowed her eyes, offering no explanation or denial.

She pressed Dracon, "Did Abigail tell you the Millennia Aegis was with the Linklater family?" "Where is she?" Dracon refused to answer, feigning ignorance until Vivienne administered a drug that left him bleeding from the mouth within moments.

Fearing for his life, Dracon quickly confessed, "I'll talk, I'll talk." Vivienne rolled her eyes, halting the drug's effects without bothering to provide an antidote, not wanting to deal with the hassle again.

As Dracon's body ceased shaking, he stuttered, "I've never actually met Abigail, only knew her by name. We alwaysmunicated over the phone, and she was the one to contact me, never the other way around." "She toldabout the item." "What did she promise you?" Vivienne inquired, adding, "Besides helping you claim the Linklater family's legacy." Such naive belief was something Dracon, a man of little aplishment, would cling to. Even if he were given the Linklater family's legacy, he lacked the capacity to uphold it. Vivienne couldn't fathom how such hollow promises garnered so much belief. A glint of desperation appeared in Dracon's eyes as he revealed, "She said she'd helpsave Diana!" "Diana?" Vivienne frowned.

With a throat choked by emotion and eyes clouded with hatred, Dracon confessed, "Yes, don't think I'm unaware that Diana is being held captive by your Perez family. She must be suffering immensely!" "Her pride was crushed by you, and for that, you deserve to die!" Vivienne's understanding dawned, apanied by a cold smirk, "Indeed, she's not dead, but I can assure you, her remaining days will be worse than death." "Because she's be a madwoman, one who can only await death in darkness, a wretch covered in filth." Dracon was stunned, his rage-filled eyes fixed on Vivienne, unable to utter a word.

Only Vivienne's chilling voice lingered, "Rest assured, she doesn't deserve the light. She's only fit to die in darkness." In the main hall.

Yorick sat at the head, his earlier joy now vanished.

With hands clasped over a black cane, his emotions were obscured.

Not until Dracon was dragged in did his aged eyes show a flicker of response.

Arthur glared at Dracon on the floor, "Speak up. Let's hear what disgraceful acts you'vemitted." Once Dracon could move, his first instinct was to crawl to Yorick's feet, pleading, "Dad, please save me. My brother and his family are out to kill me!" Yorick slowly raised his head, his voice heavy withplexity, "You say your brother wants to kill you. Why don't you tell us why?" Dracon hesitated, his face stiffening as he shook his head, "No, dad, you can't abandon me. I'm your son, the one who's been by your side all these years..." "Who else was with you every New Year's Eve, every birthday, if not me?" Arthur, infuriated by such claims, retorted, "Dracon, have you no shame? Fulfilling your duties as a son is your responsibility. How dare you use that to manipulate dad?" "Arthur, what right do you have to judge me? You left for over a decade, returning as the celebrated War God. What have you done for dad?" "When has dad ever been sick and you were there? Have you ever once helped him wash his feet?" Arthur's brows furrowed deeply, his clenched fist loosening in defeat.

In his life, he had served his country and his cause without regret.

But he utterly neglected his family at home, including Sasha and their daughter. He owed them so much.

The moment she could, Sasha grasped his hand tightly, her gaze sharp and cold as an icy blade when she looked at Dracon.

Had it not been for the old man's presence, she wouldn't have tolerated a single nonsensical word from Dracon's mouth. Seeing this, a mocking sneer flickered across Dracon's face.

"Lost for words, huh, big bro? Over the years, you and the youngest have been prancing around, boasting about your capabilities, getting involved in matters of to share, as if the country couldn't national importance, secrets vel big spin without you. When did you ever spare a thought for this family?" "Silence!" Yorick slammed his cane down hard on the floor, casting a cold gaze at his son who, to his dying day, would not learn his lesson.

"Yes, in these past years, you were the only son by my side. So, I've been patient with you, even though you've achieved nothing, I've never held it against you. But you, you harbored thoughts of killing me..." mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1 mmMwWLliI0fifl0&1 mmMwWLlilOfiflO&1