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.

become your disciple?" Vivienne asked with a hint of

No wonder I couldn't just beat you like that!

Met him on a mission once, and with a bit of guidance, he was able to unlock some pretty

to have a knack for things that align

with no intention

gloomy expression, "Vivienne, I've got something to tell you. Can you-can your mom... my dear master

this, Vivienne finally spoke up leisurely. "Mom, let him go. I've got a job for

grip, having no real intention

up, rubbing his shoulder. "No wonder this lab looked so familiar. I couldn't beat you because you're mother and daughter. It's like I'm

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

of Evelyn. She was busy with her own lab while leading a team at Vanguard

she had given him a

did she know this gifted young man would one day steal

never imagined that, years later, he would run

gave you coming along?" Vivienne

you ask your mom?

in Vivienne's potion stemmed from his experience in Karen's lab, and back then, he lacked the

lab, one Brody was responsible

keep his potion experiments separate to

has a mind of its own. It keeps changing direction with every bit of progress we make.

crouched before the potion cultures,

now it seemed that those effects were merely a prelude to

like a

keeps giving me surprises

previously discovered the potion's healing properties and found them odd. But now, this reaction was

researching that could cause

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

remedy in the world has a dual nature, saving or taking lives at the flick of

poisons, adequately diluted,

some medicines, with just a pinch of the wrong substance, could turn into deadly