The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

Connor's gaze sharpened, and in the second before he fired his weapon, he raised his hand and unleashed his power, taking the lives of two assailants. His actions were decisive, leaving no room for retaliation.

As Juliette and Isaiah's eyes adjusted to the sudden change, they were both stunned.

Connor?

How could it be him?

Connor approached, extending his hand, "Don't be afraid, follow me!"

Juliette was momentarily taken aback.

Isaiah stepped forward, untied the ropes binding her, and pulled her to follow Connor.

At this moment, he was the only one they could trust.

Outside, Draven quickly noticed, "Young Master, someone just used their powers inside..."

Vivienne's heart skipped a beat as she strode inside.

To her relief, Connor appeared, holding the children, and calmly said, "Don't worry, the kids are alright."

A flicker of relief passed through Vivienne's eyes.

As she looked towards the darkened cave entrance, Juliette rushed to her, whispering, "Mommy, Mr. Boyd saved us. He has magic just like you." Though reluctant, a life-saving debt had to be acknowledged.

They could repay him later, but if he thought this would make him a stepfather to Juliette and Isaiah, that was out of the question.

Separate issues remain separate.

Hearing this, Vivienne narrowed her eyes, "Was it you who used your powers?"

Connor simply nodded.

Vivienne understood; the Boyd family, relying on the Perez family, had their place in Rivenwood.

But at its core, they were both part of an ancient warrior lineage.

Having supernatural powers wasn't unusual.

She had overthought it.

Vivienne then turned to Draven, ordering, "Take care of this. I don't want to see these people again." Draven obeyed and set to work.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Griffin and Leopold waited anxiously outside.

They had felt the surge of power and were increasingly worried about the children's safety.

Vivienne's capabilities were known to Griffin; she wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary.

"Godfather, godmother, we're back!"

Juliette's voice echoed from afar.

Leopold was visibly relieved at the sight of them safe and sound, his eyes welling up as he embraced the children. "Juliette, Isaiah, I'm so glad you're safe. I was so worried..."

Juliette, nearly suffocated by the hug, knew Leopold's concerns were genuine, evidenced by his trembling hands.

She patted him, pointing at Griffin, "Oh, godfather, stop crying. Godmother will tease you again."

Leopold took a deep breath, "Let her tease. Vivienne wouldn't let me go with them, you have no idea how scared I was..."

Juliette and Isaiah shared a look of exasperation.

Sometimes, they just didn't know what to do with Leopold.

Might as well let him hug them a bit longer, considering he was their godfather.

Griffin approached Vivienne, "Glad everything's fine. A moment later, and I wouldn't have been able to hold him back."

Vivienne nodded, glancing back towards the cave, "Did my father come by? Where is he?"

Griffin confirmed, "Mr. Linklater arrived armed to the teeth. I stopped him. By now..."

He glanced at the guards and heavy weaponry nearby, "I suppose he's dealing with the remnants."

Vivienne, "..."

Leopold, now somewhat calmer, approached Vivienne, guiltily saying, "Vivienne, it's my fault. If I had been more vigilant, they wouldn't have..." Vivienne interrupted him, "These people were after me, not you. Don't blame yourself."

Leopold looked up, tears brimming again.

Despite the ordeal, Vivienne didn't blame him and even defended him.

"But if I hadn't..."

Vivienne frowned, tired of Leopold's tendency to get emotional, and handed him over to Griffin, "Griffin, take care of Leopold for me. We're heading out first." Griffin nodded, taking the reluctant Leopold with him, "Alright, Vivienne."

At the Linklater family home.

Yorick sat in the main hall, his brow relaxing as he saw Vivienne return safely with the children.

"Grandpa!"

Juliette and Isaiah ran to Yorick to reassure him.

Yorick stood, patting their heads with a sigh of relief, "Good to have you back."

He quickly instructed the butler to reheat the meals.

After such an ordeal, the children must be freezing and famished.

Before leaving, Yorick also invited, "Connor, join us."

Connor smiled, waiting for Yorick and the kids to leave before excusing himself to Vivienne, "It's late; I won't stay. Spend some time with the children." Vivienne stopped him, "Thank you for saving Juliette and Isaiah today!"

Connor turned with a smile, "You tasked me with it; how could I let you down? If you really want to thank me, just invite me for dinner sometime."

With that, he left.

After the children had eaten and returned to their rooms, Vivienne waited for Arthur to come back and update her before she went to check on them.

In the room, Juliette had already fallen asleep, but Isaiah was still up, tablet in hand.

Seeing Vivienne, he put it away and called out, "Mommy."

Vivienne responded, sitting beside him on the bed, checking on their well-being.

Isaiah could see the worry etched on his mother's face, so he took it upon himself to break the silence. "Mom, Juliette and I are fine, but there's something that's been bugging me."

Vivienne turned her gaze towards him, her curiosity piqued. "What's that?" Frowning slightly, Isaiah recounted the strange occurrence they encountered in the cave.

Vivienne nodded, her response laced with a hint of mystery. "That's a special ability I've embedded within you both. It's designed to protect

you in times of danger. Don't worry,

it won't harm you in any warry,

QUMS

Isaiah let out a small "oh," but the shadow in his eyes deepened.

He had thought it was something else...

Vivienne, ever observant, prodded gently, "Is something else bothering you?"

A flicker of unease passed through Isaiah's eyes before he quickly shifted the conversation. "Mom, this weekend, Juliette and I would like to invite Mr. Boyd out for dinner. Could you help us extend the invitation?"

Vivienne was taken aback by the sudden request but quickly recovered. "Why the sudden interest in doing this?"

Isaiah pursed his lips, opting for honesty. "We don't want to feel indebted to him."

"If a dinner doesn't square things away, we'll find another way to make it right," he added.

Above all, Isaiah and Juliette didn't want their mom to feel any obligation towards Mr. Boyd.

Nor did they want this gesture to bring them any closer to him than necessary.

Reading the determination in Isaiah's expression, Vivienne couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I'll take care of it."