The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

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.

“Mom, since when did he become your disciple?” Vivienne asked with a hint of amusement.

groans, Brody gasped in surprise, “Mom? You two are mother and daughter! No

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

knack for things that align

the show, with no intention of

expression, “Vivienne, I’ve got something to tell you. Can you—can your mom… my dear master

let him go. I’ve got

no real intention of

rubbing his shoulder. “No wonder this lab looked so familiar. I couldn’t beat you because you’re mother and daughter.

remembered that before he became ‘Brody,’ he had interned in a lab just like this

busy with her own lab

Brody’s talent, she had given him a few

know this gifted young man would one day

he would

gave you coming along?”

caught his breath. “Why don’t you ask your mom? Wasn’t this what

potion stemmed from his experience in Karen’s lab, and back then, he

moved into another lab, one Brody

keep his potion experiments separate to

indeed effective, but now it seems this thing has a mind of its own. It keeps changing direction with every bit of progress we

before the potion cultures, engrossed in

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

was like a self-healing

frowned. “This thing keeps giving me surprises

found them odd.

researching that could cause such

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

dual nature, saving or taking lives at

adequately diluted, could

of the wrong substance, could turn into

reactions of

than we imagined,” Karen mused, her

Vivienne shared the sentiment.

ultimate goal was not just to develop