The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

The next day.

"Ah!"

A startled cry echoed through the Linklater household.

Isaiah was the first to dash out, only to see Juliette holding a note, looking utterly dumbstruck. "What happened?" he asked.

Juliette turned around, handing the note to Isaiah with a complicated expression. "Mom's left us to go on a retreat!"

Isaiah, "A retreat?"

Juliette was fuming. "Yes! That's exactly what mom wrote. She also told us to get on good terms with Mr. Boyd, to treat him like he's our real dad!"

As the words left her mouth, Yorick, Arthur, and Sasha entered the room.

Yorick, anxious, asked, "Juliette, why did you scream so loud? What's happened?"

Juliette threw herself into Yorick's arms, "Grandpa, mom doesn't want us anymore. She said she's going on a retreat with no set return date!"

Yorick was stunned. He turned to Arthur and Sasha, "Vivienne's gone on a retreat? Did she mention anything to you guys before this?"

Arthur was equally perplexed. "She didn't tell me anything."

He then turned to Sasha, "Did she tell you?"

Sasha shook her head. "No."

"What's with this sudden retreat, then?" Arthur's expression grew serious. "Could something have happened?"

Over the years, he had gradually stepped back from the forefront, letting Vivienne handle most things.

They hadn't inquired much about Vivienne's work or why she would suddenly decide to go on a retreat, whether it was work-related or something else.

"Vivienne knows what she's doing. If she wants to go on a

Sasha

long before she's back. Don't be upset. Why don't you two visit your grandparents in the meantime? I doubt your mom has told them yet." Juliette and Isaiah

we do now? Mom's not here. Do we still

before saying, "Let's try to get on

you say you haven't

his eyes. "Who said I've

just said we should get on

to get on his good side? And why do you think mom suddenly went

on retreats these past years, but he hasn't actually been. He's been investigating something!" She hadn't heard everything clearly because she didn't want Vivienne to notice her eavesdropping. She only caught bits about not really going on a retreat and

"So..."

Isaiah interjected,

Juliette chuckled, "Right!"

Harbor City. Luck Village.

walked along a rugged path, surrounded

pressed together in worry. "Ms. Vivienne, are you sure Mr.

it difficult to see far. Her expression was

entering like

suspicion?" Logan Wood was

diagnose Mr. Ellington's condition and we get exposed? Can we still

students from her

Logan had managed to get into Rivenwood University. Although it wasn't

to catch up to the girl he admired, who was also studying medicine. Initially, Vivienne refused to take him on as an apprentice, not due to a lack of talent on his part but because she had no intention of taking on any apprentices. After persistent pleading from Logan, Vivienne finally agreed, taking on two apprentices at once: him and

girl he cherished,

into a

design

the latter was a secret. Ever since Vivienne cured her facial

a doctor to

people heal.

was initially turned down for