The Million-Dollar Heart

Wendy was the first to pick up her milkshake and take a gulp, setting off a reluctant chain reaction among the others. They had no choice but to follow suit and sip away.

It was not until the last drops of the milkshake were consumed that Vivienne stood up, flicking her wrist in dismissal, "That'll do for today. Get some rest, folks. See you all tomorrow." With that, Vivienne and Percival left the Boyd residence and returned to the house Maddox had prepared for them to catch some sleep.

No sooner had they left than Wendy, forgetting her cane, bolted to the bathroom and began to hurl.

The other Boyds followed suit, much to the dismay of the household staff, who pinched their noses in disgust.

It was revolting.

To have so many people retching at once was unheard of, and Yannick even spewed on Wendy's beloved woolen rug.

Already, the house was tainted with the smell of barbeque and smoke, and now this collective upheaval of recently chewed food added insult to injury.

The odor was insufferable.

The Boyds spent a grueling half-hour vomiting before they finally collapsed back onto the couches, utterly spent.

The once prized woolen rug had been relegated to the trash, a sight that made Wendy's heart ache.

Theodore, drained and pale, leaned on his wife's shoulder, still dry-heaving.

Teresa, repulsed, shoved him away. "Get off me. You stink of decay. It's disgusting."

Theodore weakly slapped Teresa, not because he could not bear to hurt his wife, but sheer exhaustion. "You wench, you think you smell any better?"

"You dare hit me? Believe it or not, I'll divorce you for this!" Teresa howled, her voice nearly giving out from the strain.

one had the energy to argue

couch, accepted a glass of water from

you hadn't eaten so much, we wouldn't have followed suit. Why did you have to be so compliant?" "Yeah, Grandma," Huxley

think I wanted

were

looked at her mother. "What do

"It wasn't just you. I didn't want to eat either, but my hand acted on its own, reaching for food and bringing

"Dad, could it be we've been

similarly manipulated. Teresa confessed, "It was indeed like being possessed. I moved when Vivienne moved and ate uncontrollably even though I was fully aware." Mara shuffled closer

Vivienne is,"

she found was likely only what Vivienne wanted to show. Eliza connected the dots. "Vivienne stayed in some convent in

people, would fall for a

seething from the recent nausea. "Some backwater girl isn't going to best

be another reason." "Regardless, Vivienne is trouble. We can't let her be with Percival, or who

Sea City-to marry him to Gillian Ashford and cement an alliance between the Boyd and

villa, Vivienne and Percival were settling

earlier antics. "What did you do to make Wendy so

people for half an hour, making them do as

hair with pride. "Look at you, my clever

together, making their way into the villa, where the servants had everything prepared for a restful

equipped with everything you might need. If anything is missing, just press the button by the bed, and we'll be at your service. We won't disturb you any further-have a