The Million-Dollar Heart

In an instant, Brody's mind raced with countless ways to make a break for it, his feet itching to bolt.

Unfortunately for him, in Vivienne's grasp, there was no chance of escape.

"Blowing up my lab now, huh? Living a little too comfortably these days, aren't we?" Vivienne said, her grip firm on Brody's shoulder, patting his head like he was a naughty puppy.

Brody glared at Vivienne and retorted, "Cut me some slack, Specter Healer! I was just experimenting!"

"You've got some nerve!" Vivienne raised her hand, poised to strike again.

A real man knows when to fold. Brody, raising his hands to his ears, shouted, "Okay, okay, I was wrong!"

Only then did Vivienne relax her stance.

On the sidelines, Karen chuckled. "You must be Brody, right?"

Hearing her, Brody shot Karen an impatient look, "Yes, and who might you be? Have we met..."

He took a closer look at Karen and realized something about her face seemed familiar. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition. "It's you! You're Evelyn!"

Vivienne was taken aback, not expecting Brody to know her mother.

Karen just smiled at Brody, her gaze filled with an enigmatic meaning as she stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Still as impolite as ever, huh? Don't you know how to greet your master properly?"

As she finished her words, a sharp pain shot through Brody's shoulder, causing him to buckle under her grip.

Vivienne was even more surprised.

Since when had her mother become Brody's master?

But Brody was wise enough to know when to give in. He wailed, "Master, I'm sorry! I was wrong!"

"You're sorry? Stealing my research papers, running off with lab secrets, do you think a simple apology is enough?" Karen's gaze was fierce, her grip tightening.

Brody's body was nearly doubled over, powerless to resist, like a lamb in the grip of a lioness.

did he become your disciple?" Vivienne asked with

surprise, "Mom? You two are mother and daughter! No wonder I couldn't just beat you like that! I knew there must be

of guidance, he was able to unlock some

to have a knack for things that

show, with no intention of intervening

tell you. Can you-can your mom...

let him go. I've got a

her grip, having no real intention of

stood up, rubbing his shoulder. "No wonder this lab looked so familiar. I couldn't beat you

running into Karen here, Brody would never have remembered that before he became 'Brody,' he had interned in a lab just like this

name of Evelyn. She was busy with her

talent, she had

she know this gifted young man would one day steal her lab secrets

that, years later, he would run into the daughter

task I gave you coming along?"

"Why don't you ask your mom? Wasn't this what she

his experience in Karen's lab, and back then, he lacked the

into another lab, one Brody was responsible for his

enough to keep his potion experiments separate to avoid

a mind of its own. It keeps changing direction with every bit of progress we make. It's devouring the old cells and spawning new ones, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, inexhaustible,

crouched before the potion cultures, engrossed in the phenomenon

thought it only had healing effects, but now it seemed that those effects were

was like a self-healing

frowned. "This thing keeps giving

healing properties and found them odd. But now, this reaction was

researching that could cause

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

dual nature, saving or taking lives at the

adequately diluted, could become

a pinch of the wrong substance, could turn into deadly