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

gasped in surprise, "Mom? You two are mother and daughter! No wonder I couldn't just beat you like that! I

talent. Met him on a mission once, and with a bit of guidance, he was able to unlock some pretty deep medical mysteries. It's just a shame his

knack for things that align with my thinking, thanks

enjoying the show, with

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

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

released her grip, having no real intention

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

running into Karen here, Brody would never have remembered that

the name of Evelyn. She was busy with her own

had given him

gifted young man would one day steal her

Brody never imagined that, years later, he would run into the daughter of

the task I gave you coming along?" Vivienne

your mom? Wasn't this what she was

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

into another lab, one

enough to keep his potion experiments separate to

effective, but now it seems this thing has 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

Karen crouched before the potion cultures, engrossed

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

was like

frowned. "This thing keeps giving

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

researching

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

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

adequately diluted, could become

of the