The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Cordelia couldn't stand people talking about Vivienne in such a manner, but the news of the child's illness also pained her heart.

"Delilah, what happened to Flynn is something none of us wanted. Besides, it waswho shamelessly asked Vivienne to treat Flynn. Why would she harm him? She wouldn't even know who Flynn is." Seeing this, Delilah's eyes reddened with anger, a flash of hatred passing through her gaze, "Sis, have you lost your mind? Are you really going to prioritize someone who's practically a stranger over your own sister?" "Don't you dare speak about Vivienne that way!" This time, Cordelia was genuinely furious.

Vivienne had remained silent, simply watching to see how long Delilah could keep up her act. It seemed she was proving Dorian's words right: the Wilson family always took advantage of Cordelia's soft heart to use her.

Stepping forward, Vivienne reassured Cordelia, "I'm fine." Then, turning to Delilah with a calm tone, she said, "I'll see Flynn's treatment through to the end. He'll be alright." Delilah turned her head away, scoffing, "Flynn has less than a month left. Don't think you can torture him any longer. I won't let you." Vivienne countered directly, "If you don't lettreat him, then he truly will only have a month left." Delilah was speechless.

Cordelia seized the moment to mediate, unable to bear seeing her sister upset, "Delilah, you haven't seen what Vivienne is capable of. If anyone in this world can save Flynn, it's her." Delilah, feeling cornered even by Cordelia, realized she had no choice but to relent, especially with nowhere else to turn. Cordelia, knowing her sister's spoiled nature since childhood, believed smoothing things over would solve the issue.

After casting an apologetic glance at Vivienne, she declared, "Alright, Vivienne will continue with Flynn's treatment. If you're ufortableing to the hospital, I'll go in your place. You've been by Flynn's side every day, you're wearing yourself out." Delilah remained silent, which Cordelia took as agreement.

Eager to avoid any further conflict between the two, Cordelia, caught between her adopted daughter and her long-lost sister, sought a middle ground.

Vivienne nodded, accepting the decision as a favor to Cordelia.

Delilah, after a glance at her son on the bed and wiping away her tears, followed Cordelia out.

Once the door closed, Thomas stood guard outside as Vivienne began her treatment on Flynn. The toxins flowed slowly out through the silver needles, turning black, indicating the depth of the poison within him.

Vivienne's expression shifted subtly.

The toxins in Flynn were spreading too rapidly, and her usual methods were insufficient.

She had to try something different.

After removing the needles, Vivienne sealed them in a bag to take back to the lab for analysis.

She always believed in the innocence of children, especially when their bodies were pushed to the limit.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Setting aside her work, she answered, "Master, you were looking for me." On the other end, Finnian's cheerful voice cthrough, "My dear girl, I'm over at the Perez family's. If you want information, you'll have to tradethe Snow Lotus. Don't think about stiffingthis time." Vivienne responded lightly, "Okay, I'lle by tomorrow. I'm tied up today." Finnian, sensing Vivienne's unusual demeanor, asked, "Found a clue?" Vivienne replied honestly, "I've encountered a patient. The toxins were manageable, but within a day, they've spread to his heart. Now, I can only suppress them, not remove them quickly." "What kind of poison is this powerful?" "It's hard to say. It's like a poison that's been dormant for years suddenly erupting, uncontrollable." Finnian muttered under his breath, "Isn't this just like backlash symptoms?" Vivienne's eyes flickered, "Master, what did you say?" Finnian, confused by her sudden question and only remembering what he wanted, said, "You're not planning on givingthe Snow Lotus, are you? I'm telling you, you have to..." Vivienne cut him off, "Not that, the part after." Realizing, Finnian explained, "Oh... You mean the reaction to the poison, how it's been building up and suddenly erupts. It does resemble backlash." Vivienne's thoughts drifted to the pale-faced boy on the bed, wondering, "He has no ties to the Wright family. How could he exhibit symptoms of backlash?" Finnian offered no further insight, only advising. "Poisons are unpredictable. You can't judge solely by what you see. Maybe it's a poison we're unfamiliar with. Just remember, find the source and conquer it." Vivienne didn't dwell further. Flynn's condition was deep-seated, different from Colin's.

As she was about to hang up, Finnian added, "Oh, about that thing you askedto look into, there's been a surprising development." Vivienne, accustomed to her master's tangents, calmly inquired, "What is it?" Finnian, barely containing his excitement, shared, "You know about the Grimshaw family's ancient martial arts? Their family treasure, the Millennia Aegis, went missing during sturmoil." "If you can find that treasure, it won't just be a huge help; it could effortlessly solve the backlash poison issue." Vivienne raised an eyebrow, "Millennia Aegis!" Finnian exclaimed with a gleam in his eyes, "Exactly! Rumor has it that this artifact, whenbined with the prowess of a skilled psychic, can purify toxins within the body. It can even neutralize backlash poisons. If used correctly, it could even enhance one's psychic abilities." Vivienne mused thoughtfully, "Why hasn't the Grimshaw family mentioned this before?" If she had known it could be used in such a way, she wouldn't have had to wait until now to reach the seventh tier.

Finnian snorted, "Such treasures are kept under wraps. Who would be foolish enough to broadcast their prized possessions as if they weremon as dirt? They're not that naive." Vivienne was silent.

After hanging up the phone, Vivienne instructed Thomas to ensure the hospital was secure.

She then took the object in her hands to the lab.

Brody happened to being out from there and upon seeing Vivienne, his annoyance seemed to skyrocket. He casually pulled out an amulet from his pocket and tossed it to her, "Here, you've wasted enough of my time!" "Since when did a Specter Healer be so cowardly, scared by a mere trinket." Vivienne caught the amulet and nonchalantly placed the object she brought onto the table, "This is just a prototype, but this is the real deal." Brody glanced at it, his chin lifted in inquiry, "What is it?" As Vivienne swirled her gaze, a smirk played on her lips, "Backlash poison." Hearing those two words, Brody was rooted to the spot, his eyes fixated on the darkened silver needle on the table. He swallowed hard, "Are you sure?" Vivienne narrowed her eyes, feigning a motion to take it back, "If you don't believe it, I can keep it for my own amusement." If it weren't for Mr. Wolf laying down nearly a hundred restrictions overnight on what she couldn't touch, she would have experimented on her own long ago, without needing his help.

"Don't, I want it." Afraid that Vivienne would change her mind, Brody grabbed the object and cradled it like a treasure, then vanished in the blink of an eye.