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.

and powerless, no one had the energy

on the couch, accepted a glass of water

have followed suit. Why did you have to be so compliant?" "Yeah, Grandma," Huxley chimed in. "I gave you so many glances, but you just kept eating, forcing

sighed. "Do you really think I wanted to

were taken

her mother. "What do you mean,

"It wasn't just you. I didn't want to eat either, but my hand acted on

back a sob. "Dad, could it be we've been

moved and ate uncontrollably

is," Wendy

thoroughly investigated Vivienne or so she thought. What she found was likely only what Vivienne wanted to show. Eliza connected the

all people, would fall for a country girl. She must have bewitched him. What do we do

"Some backwater girl isn't going to best us, especially not here in

powerful. The real masters are all over fifty. There must be another reason." "Regardless, Vivienne is trouble. We can't let her be with Percival, or who knows how much he will suffer." Mara pressed, her lips thin. "Plus, Gillian is a far better match for my

aligned with the Boyds' intentions for inviting Percival to Sea City-to marry him to Gillian Ashford and cement an alliance between the Boyd and Ashford families. No matter how far Vivienne and Percival had gone, Gillian was destined to wed

and Percival were settling in for the

was curious about Vivienne's earlier antics. "What

giggled, "Just a little trinket from Brody. It's supposed to control people for half an hour, making them do as they wish. I simply enhanced it a bit, extending

said, ruffling Vivienne's hair with pride. "Look at

their way into the villa, where the servants had everything prepared for

press the button by the bed, and we'll be at your service. We won't disturb you any further-have a good