Vivienne and Percival exchanged a glance, a mutual skepticism reflected in their eyes.
Was it any wonder that Griffin and Leopold seemed to have such chemistry? Godfrey was sick, and their first instinct was to shoot a video and snap pictures?
How had the Martinez family not throttled them yet?
But alas, Vivienne hadn't managed to watch the video.
Before she could even click play, her phone-juiced up from Leopold's car charger-began to buzz.
Brody's voice came through the call, tinged with utter despair, "Specter Healer! Where on earth did you get that medicine? She's been hopping around her room for half an hour! It took a heavy-duty sedative to knock her out, and she's still hopping in her sleep! My spotless lab is a mess now!"
Brian's laughter boomed, "Hahaha, Vivienne, where did you score that prank potion? That woman, she's like a marionette straight out of a movie, absolutely hilarious!"
At the Martinez Mansion.
Griffin's parents, Stellan and Penelope, stood guard outside the patriarch's room.
To better observe Godfrey, they had gouged a peephole into the solid wooden door. The Martinez family circled around it, three layers deep.
They peered inside at Godfrey with a mix of emotions as if viewing a rare specimen.
"When's Griffin getting back? If he keeps this up, he'll bleed out."
Stellan was practically glued to the peephole, almost sticking his head through.
His wife, Penelope, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, mirroring his posture, her face etched with worry. "Who could have snuck into our home undetected in the middle of the night?"
all. Dad was once a renowned master among the noble families.
"That's still our father you're talking about! Can't you see what state he's in? Don't you feel
scoffed, "Pity him? Who's going to pity me? If it weren't for his insistence that I marry into the Grimshaws, would
the scar on her face, her gaze
wasn't here out of
brothers wouldn't even tell her, denying her
her. "You're beyond
the eldest, couldn't take the bickering any longer and shouted, "What's with all the fighting? Lancelot, call Griffin. See where they are. If we delay any further, it might be too late for
the high difficulty of his movements made Stellan shake his
dark circles under his eyes,
look revealed fresh blood slowly trickling from the corners of Godfrey's mouth, his nostrils, even his
He had been in charge of the Martinez family's biochemical
a virus like this, one that literally
to
anxious voice
you're back! Where's the Specter Healer?
the voice, his bloodshot eyes darting around, "Griffin, where's
Vivienne's wrist, said, "Dad, it's her, Leopold's
Percival standing nearby, "he's Vivienne's husband, Percival. You should know him, Dad. Let me take Vivienne in to treat Grandpa now.
stop his determined daughter, watching their retreating figures, puzzled. "Mr. Ellington,
known only to those close to her; it was a secret kept
avoid being overwhelmed by the sick and
looked too young. Nothing
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