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.

since when did he become your disciple?" Vivienne asked with a hint

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

and with a bit of guidance, he was able to unlock some

have a knack for things that align

enjoying the show, with no intention of intervening on

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

this, Vivienne finally spoke up leisurely. "Mom, let him go.

having no real

"No wonder this lab looked so familiar. I couldn't beat you because you're mother and

not for running into Karen here, Brody would never have remembered that before he became 'Brody,' he

then, Karen went under the name of Evelyn. She was busy with her own lab while leading a team

she had given him a few

did she know this gifted young man would one day steal

imagined that, years later, he would run into the daughter of

task I gave you

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

interest in Vivienne's potion stemmed from his experience in Karen's lab, and back then,

another lab, one Brody

was smart enough to keep his potion experiments separate to avoid another

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

before the potion cultures, engrossed

had initially thought it only had healing effects, but now it seemed that those effects were merely a prelude to

was like a

frowned. "This thing keeps giving me surprises every

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

researching that could

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

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

adequately diluted, could become life-saving

just a pinch of the