The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Before Leopold could utter another word, Abigail waved her hand, silencing him instantly.

"Today's my lucky day, so I'll spare your life. Just so you can watch as they fall one by one, becoming unwitting pawns in my grand scheme." Leopold's eyes bulged in disbelief.

If looks could kill, he'd have slain the wicked witch a thousand times over and fed her remains to the sharks.

Her grand scheme? Probably the delusions of a madwoman.

And eternal youth? Why didn't she just claim a throne in heaven if she was so capable!

Unfortunately, he was paralyzed, unable to speak a word.

If he could turn back time by just two minutes, he would warn Vivienne and Percival to flee. The witch was after their lives; escaping was their only chance to warn the others. Now, trapped, who would come to their rescue?

Before activating the ritual, Abigail conjured a wave of energy, filling the air with a thick, white mist. Everyone caught within struggled to breathe, and Leopold, previously glaring, passed out in moments. However, Vivienne and Percival, standing ten meters away, remained unaffected, watching coldly. Seeing Vivienne unaffected, Abigail's frustration grew. She increased her energy output, but to no avail. "This is impossible!" she exclaimed.

Vivienne dropped the act, "Nothing's impossible. I was never poisoned to begin with."

Suspicion flashed in Abigail's eyes, but she masked it with a smirk, "Not poisoned? Then why follow me?"

Vivienne's tone was calm, but her gaze was piercing, "I'm here not to be controlled by you, but to see how you bring about your own downfall."

If it weren't for Flynn's warning, she might have fallen into Abigail's trap, thinking the poison was in a pendant. But Flynn's reaction made her realize the poison was on him. Abigail had concocted various toxins, embedding them in Flynn's skin over time, creating a new, untraceable poison.

Flynn, the vessel for her to poison others.

The poison on Flynn's skin, however,

to harm her physically, explaining why no one could detect it

treatment sessions, refusing her touch to spare her the same fate despite his own

believing "Delilah" was Natalia's mother, bore his pain alone, unaware that

Vivienne, though they had taken antidotes. Vivienne reassured

"How are you not poisoned?

appeared, Vivienne and

not Delilah!"

even considered Delilah's ex-husband. My people following your breadcrumbs, would only be more convinced you

a simple interrogation revealed

with these details, focused on her goal, "He was disposable. His death means

attack, but Vivienne countered, their

Vivienne, "How

or

connected the dots, her expression souring, "Are you also

that look on

of her suspicion and let

you couldn't target my mother back then is exactly

two heartbeats. That's a major affront to the

Abigail mentioned her mother,

years ago, just before

to be a compelling reason for