The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

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 needles Brody analyzed were lethal and without cure. The poison on Flynn's skin, however, caused disorientation, progressing to total control.

Abigail needed her heart, so the poison was designed not to harm her physically, explaining why no one could detect it in her system.

Flynn must have realized this during their treatment sessions, refusing her touch to spare her the same fate despite his own suffering.

Flynn, believing "Delilah" was Natalia's mother, bore his pain alone, unaware that his "mother" had been replaced.

As the fog thickened, Percival shielded Vivienne, though they had taken antidotes. Vivienne reassured him with a gesture.

Abigail's composure twisted into disbelief, "How are you not poisoned? When did you suspect me?"

From the moment Abigail appeared, Vivienne and Percival doubted her identity.

"You're not Delilah!" Vivienne declared.

Abigail scoffed, believing her disguise flawless. However, Vivienne pointed out her mistake, "You even considered Delilah's ex-husband. My people following your breadcrumbs, would only be more convinced you were Delilah."

Vivienne explained how a simple interrogation revealed the truth.

Abigail, unconcerned with these details, focused on her goal, "He was disposable. His death means nothing to me."

Suddenly, Abigail launched an attack, but Vivienne countered, their energies clashing in a brilliant explosion.

Taken aback, Abigail stared at Vivienne, "How do you still have energy?"

Vivienne smirked, "Maybe it's my unique constitution, or maybe your ritual has no effect on me."

"Constitution?" Abigail connected the dots, her expression souring, "Are you also pregnant?"

Seeing that look on Abigail's face,

Vivienne was suddenly certain of her suspicion and let out a derisive snort. "If I'm not mistaken, the

reason you couldn't target my mother back then is exactly because of this."

"After all, your so-called perfect sacrifice had two heartbeats. That's a major affront to the heavens."

The moment Abigail mentioned her mother, Vivienne had an inkling.

Twenty years ago, just before she was born.

There had to be a compelling reason for Abigail to abandon her plan.

But pregnancy? That was unexpected.

She figured even her own mother didn't realize how much trouble she'd avoided simply by being pregnant.

Twenty years later, history seemed to repeat itself with her own child, seemingly born with a mission to save her life.

It was outrageous to think that such an absurd turn of events could span the pregnancies and lives of both her and her mother for these twenty years... and neither of them had the slightest clue.

Abigail's gaze darkened as she

stared at Vivienne's belly, a

malevolent glint in her eyes. "You're

right, having two heartbeats does interfere with the ritual's

effectiveness, but if one were to disappear, the ritual could proceed as intended."

She had waited twenty years for this heart, unable to find a more perfect sacrifice than Vivienne.

So, today, she was determined to claim that heart, no matter what.

Compared to twenty years ago, an unborn child posed no threat to her plans.

Percival, his expression icy, harnessed his inner energy to shield Vivienne protectively. "It's not up to you to decide who lives and who dies today. You think a mere ritual can trap us? You're sorely mistaken." Abigail's lips curled into a sinister smile, her demeanor growing more diabolical. "This ritual was designed specifically for you. Once initiated, only a blood offering can halt it."