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.

two are mother and daughter! No wonder I couldn’t just

talent. Met him on a mission once, and with a bit of guidance, he was able

seemed to have a knack for things that align with my

sat back, enjoying the show, with no intention

with a gloomy expression, “Vivienne, I’ve got something to tell you. Can

Vivienne finally spoke up leisurely. “Mom, let him go. I’ve got a job for

grip, having no real intention of

couldn’t

were not for running into Karen here, Brody would never have remembered that before he became ‘Brody,’ he had interned in a lab just

Karen went under the name of Evelyn. She was busy with her own lab while leading a team at Vanguard

had given him a few

know this gifted young man would

that, years later, he would run into the daughter

the task I gave you coming along?”

you ask your mom? Wasn’t this what she was researching

in Vivienne’s potion stemmed from his experience in Karen’s lab, and

one Brody

smart enough to keep his

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 the phenomenon

now it seemed

like

thing keeps giving me surprises every

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

virus is GTO researching that could cause

Vivienne was deeply puzzled.

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

adequately diluted, could become life-saving

pinch of the wrong substance, could turn into

potion before them, with reactions of healing, self-healing,

ambition might be deeper than we imagined,” Karen

Vivienne shared the sentiment.

GTO’s ultimate goal was not just to develop something akin to a