The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne could not help but think it probably would not be that easy.

This kind of thing, straight out of a fantasy novel, had her utterly gobsmacked.

Telekinesis? It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

But her shock didn't last long. Vivienne was the type to believe that the world was full of wonders beyond the grasp of her imagination.

"So that's how it is. Quite fascinating," she mused.

As they spoke, their takeout arrived. Thus, the two of them chatted away while chowing down.

Vivienne crunched on a piece of crispy duck skin, saying, "I've heard that these ancient warrior lineages are usually hidden from the world. So why did the Martinez family decide to go public? And what about the Boyd family? Why were they kicked out of this secret society?"

Gnawing on a duck drumstick, Maddox replied, "A big part of why the Boyd family got the boot was their restlessness. They were too greedy, trying to use the power and prestige of the ancient warrior lineage to monopolize the market and control the economy. They even harassed the Martinez family, attempting to snatch away their arms-dealing rights. After their scheme was exposed, they decided to exile them and neutralize their special techniques so they could not pass them on and cause more trouble.

As for why our family and the Martinez family decided to go public..." Maddox belched, "Well, that's a long story. You might've heard about that one family that crossed the lineage and then vanished overnight? Vivienne nodded. "I've heard rumors. How did they manage to offend the ancient warrior lineage? Does it have anything to do with the Perez or the Martinez families?"

"We're all quite peaceable," Maddox said, taking a swig of cola. "The family that got wiped out was also part of the lineage but more on the fringes. Their surname was Sheldon." Vivienne's grip tightened.

Sheldon!

There was only one Sheldon that she knew of - Finnian!

Finnian, whose real name was Ulysses Sheldon.

And she had never known that Finnian was part of the ancient warrior lineage.

Maddox continued, "The Sheldon family's forte was more mystical - they were seers."

certain Finnian was the last of the Sheldons Maddox

only she knew the

to her, even

grandfather, in particular, was quite fond of them. He and the young Sheldon

down when the Boyds were merely expelled? What led to

details are murky, even to your grandfather. Some say the Sheldons were struck by divine retribution; others claim they miscalculated something crucial,

sure.

lineage. Not

chewed thoughtfully. "Our family went public under your

whirlwind. "Why did he choose

Sheldons vanished without a trace, not to be spoken of again, it must've weighed on him. He's always valued loyalty, and the disappearance of his close friend could not have been easy to accept. The

solemn expression, Maddox inquired,

serving the same purpose, still holding onto the title of the ancient warrior lineage? Why do all but the Perez and Martinez families

leaned in and said, "Vivienne, do you know why the gods never walk among

expression pensive, but she quickly grasped the

like the deities enshrined within a cathedral to

precisely why mentioning the

if they were to walk the earth, indistinguishable from the average Joe, it would inevitably lead to their assimilation by

power and wealth, they would not command

would not revel