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 to

couch, accepted a glass of

much, we wouldn't have followed suit. Why did you have to be so compliant?" "Yeah, Grandma," Huxley chimed in. "I gave you so many

you really think I wanted

were taken

mother.

either, but my hand acted on its own, reaching for food and bringing

choked back a sob. "Dad, could

possessed. I moved when Vivienne moved and ate uncontrollably even though I

forget who Vivienne is," Wendy reminded them

was likely only what Vivienne wanted to show. Eliza connected

gasped. "That explains why Percival, of all people, would fall for a country girl. She

handle it," Yannick growled, still seething from the recent nausea. "Some backwater girl isn't going to

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,

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

and Percival were settling in for

was curious about Vivienne's earlier antics. "What did you do

an hour, making them do as they wish. I simply enhanced it a bit,

ruffling Vivienne's hair with pride.

the villa, where the servants had everything

this is your bedroom. It's equipped with everything you might need. If anything is missing, just press the button by the bed, and we'll be