The Million-Dollar Heart

Gary couldn't hold back his admiration. "Master, considering Vivienne's touch, this minor task is a piece of cake for her. Moreover, everything she handles turns into a collector's edition." Donald nodded earnestly, glancing at Finnian's bright red attire and swallowed hard. "Indeed, Master, maybe Vivienne could tweak something for you too?"

Daniel frowned, "You're going too far, guys. Our Master is a man of stature. Can we really afford to make him a spectacle in front of everyone?"

Finnian stroked his beard, finding Daniel's concern the only one that resonated with him.

However, Daniel's next comment nearly pushed Finnian to disown him as a disciple.

Casting a glance at Finnian's increasingly portly figure, Daniel shook his head, "Besides, what transformation can we expect at Master's age? Can we really expect him to match Vivienne's fitness?" There was a moment of silence before a unanimous agreement.

Lately, Master did seem to have indulged a bit too much.

Dressed in bright red, he actually looked... rather festive.

They all pondered when they'd have Finnian don such attire for their weddings, given none of them were keen on marrying yet.

Finnian's mood darkened further.

What sins had he committed in his past life to deserve such disciples?

Eric, unable to bear the tension and sitting directly across Finnian, adjusted his glasses, now seeing everything tinted in red. "Master, how about I send over a piece that's just as good as the one you're wearing?" Finnian was tempted but suppressed the thought immediately.

He had accepted those gifts from Leopold; what if Leopold asked for them back?

Knowing Leopold's temperament, it was entirely possible.

of treasures, Finnian found no room for hesitation. "What's there to change? Leopold gave

all, it was only for a

through him, commenting casually, "Master seems quite pleased. It appears Leopold has been quite

about to defend himself, but the eager faces of his disciples looking for gossip stopped him. He vented his frustration, "What are you all standing around for? Go

had left, Finnian whispered to Vivienne, "Watch your words, girl. You know how they covet my

interest to his wealthy disciples,

better than to argue. It would only

topics, she inquired about Finnian's health, to which he boasted about his resilience if not for

Vivienne had any more of that healing

used up the entire bottle. Knowing him, he was

conversation drifted

table, finding them surprisingly palatable She was about to enjoy another when a sudden wave of nausea hit her, a secret struggle she had tried to mask

between her

Their moment was abruptly

Panicked, he promised to keep Vivienne's pregnancy a secret, unwittingly revealing it to everyone

was punctuated by gasps, marking the revelation of

like a

remained silent, a storm brewing behind her calm facade. "Well, Leopold," she thought. "This is a grudge I

"Vivienne, when did this happen? Please tell me we're

up, we've only been apart for a few days. How did this happen so quickly...?"

as though they'd stumbled upon some