The Million-Dollar Heart

The moment Leopold spoke, the car fell into a silence that stretched for a full thirty seconds.

Vivienne looked up at Leopold with a hint of exasperation in her eyes. Her junior always had a knack for being clever at the most inconvenient times.

Some things, even if you know them, you just don't blurt out!

Realizing he might have put his foot in it, Leopold met Matthew's disapproving gaze and chuckled awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "So, what do we do now? Head over to the YQ Research Center first?"

Vivienne nodded. "Let's drop Holly off there first. She can't hold on much longer with just the meds I've been giving her. The lab's equipment is state-of-the-art, and with Brody there to help out, I can run some tests and stabilize her condition. Then, we need to focus all our efforts on dealing with the Abernathys!"

Neither Leopold nor Matthew objected to the plan.

Percival, who had regained his composure, gripped Vivienne's hand tightly, "Leave Gavin to me! I want to avenge Aunt Holly myself!"

YQ Research Center.

The soft blue floor lights flickered overhead. The roar of the rain and thunder was swallowed by the soundproof walls.

Behind the frosted glass doors, Percival and Leopold could only make out the vague silhouettes of two people inside.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" Enzo sidled up to Leopold, nudging his elbow.

The touch was met with an impatient brush-off, and Leopold held a finger to his lips, "Keep it down, will you? Come outside; I'll fill you in."

He cast a surreptitious glance at the stone-faced Percival and gestured for Enzo to follow him out of the lab.

pulled out a beer from seemingly nowhere. "Relax,

eyes flickered.

you know, then why are you

Vivienne and Brody worked with grave intensity. "Hemostats." Vivienne let Brody wipe the sweat from her brow as she received the shiny forceps,

he thought Vivienne and the others

that she was Percival's aunt,

cheeks hollowed from malnutrition and unconsciousness, he could see the resemblance to

would be reduced

of a miracle. If Vivienne hadn't brought her back from that remote village they mentioned, she probably

he wasn't sure he

didn't blink as she replied, "It'll take some

in surprise. "Sometimes I really wonder just how advanced

the room were the ticking of the surgical instruments and the slicing

didn't respond, focusing instead on stitching up Holly's incision. After the final suture, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, put all the tools back on the tray, and removed

hands, opened a sterile passageway. "Tomorrow morning, someone will come to take care of her. What you need to do is monitor all her vital signs. If anything unexpected

assured, pushing the gurney through the passageway. He preferred experiments, but looking after a patient was well within his capabilities. Plus, he was curious to see how the Specter Healer would work her magic on someone who was practically

"How did it go?"

who had returned from outside, along with Matthew and Percival, who had been waiting, crowded

Holly's condition is stable. Now, it's all about recovery. She hasn't

front of the others, Vivienne squeezed Percival's hand to reassure him, "She needs time to heal and

Percival's palm warmed under

that Leopold and the other bachelors

non-stop. If we don't get back soon, I think Mrs. Littleton is going to lose

Vivienne nodded. "Let's go."