The Million-Dollar Heart

Vivienne took a deep breath, realizing there was no way she could neutralize the poison coursing through her veins. She turned to look at Zelda, relieved to see her aunt unharmed and conscious. Zelda's eyes, large and watery, were fixed on Vivienne, filled with concern.

"Vivienne, are you okay? Does your head hurt? Feeling dizzy?" Zelda asked quickly, her voice tinged with guilt.

Vivienne shook her head, only to feel the room spin even more. "I'm fine, Auntie. Are you hurt?"

"I'm not," Zelda replied, her voice heavy with worry, then her gaze shifted to Diana. "Diana, you double-crossing snake, how could you collaborate with GTO? You know full well that's Dad's Achilles heel!" "So what?" Diana stepped forward, her face twisted with resentment as she slapped Zelda hard across the cheek.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what to do, Zelda?"

Diana then grabbed Zelda by the throat. "Do you have any idea how much I've loathed you since you married into the Perez family? The only ones who ever dared to cross me were you and that smug Maddox. I've wanted you out of the Perez family for ages!"

Zelda could not speak, but her defiant gaze never wavered.

That defiance only fueled Diana's spite. "Oh, so you like playing the doting auntie to Vivienne, huh? Well, watch closely as I show you just how she's going to die!"

Vivienne turned to Diana. "Die? You really think you've got the chops for that?"

Diana's hatred for Vivienne boiled over. She clenched her fist and punched Vivienne in the stomach with the force that could take down a mastiff.

Vivienne coughed up blood, but her eyes remained icy as she stared at Diana.

"You're destined to live in my mother's shadow, Diana. You were the one who got her taken away, and you'll spend your life atoning for it!"

landed even harder, nearly knocking

a long time since Vivienne had felt such physical pain, and she was unaccustomed

into Vivienne's chin, seething. "Listen up, Vivienne. I got rid of Sasha Perez without a shred of

as she absorbed Diana's words. "What are you saying? Did Sasha's disappearance have something to

you always this slow on the uptake? I thought you'd have

and she had a soft spot for Sasha, the

were on a picnic. "I bet you're dying

with Sasha, I knocked her out, just like I did with you. I watched F-Poison take her away. Before they left, I hit her wound viciously, blood staining

stared at Diana, her

the strength to lash out at Diana with every curse

how good Sasha was to you? She adored you, and this is how you repay her? Have you no soul? You were so young, yet

"So what if she was good to me? No matter how good, I was always overshadowed, never able to shine! Zelda, you were pampered as the Lynette family's darling, Yuri's childhood sweetheart. What could you possibly understand? You and your caged

Diana had been treated like a princess by Jasper, yet she spoke as if she

Then Willa. Now you and Vivienne. Next will be your precious daughters.

kids; what are you planning? You heartless creature, why don't you just drop dead! Even without Sasha, you'll never take her place in Dad's

Zelda's head, wishing she could mar

She's still of use to me. Not yet time

and forge connections with the Perez family, it would be like fitting the last piece