The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)

Vivienne snorted with laughter, clearly amused by the absurdity of the situation.

Mayor Thompson, infuriated by her reaction, pointed a trembling finger at Vivienne. "What's so funny?"

His shaky finger waved uncomfortably in front of her, making the whole scene rather unpleasant.

Vivienne casually waved her hand in front of Mayor Thompson, and the next moment, as if by magic, he found himself kneeling on the ground.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared at Vivienne, utterly baffled by the turn of events.

Was the apprentice of the famed Thousand-Hands Healer really this powerful?

Just when the villagers were starting to suspect Vivienne, Logan, with just a glance from her, stood up.

"Pick on someone under my protection, and you're asking for trouble!" Logan declared, his presence commanding enough to instill fear in many.

Vivienne's lips curled up slightly as she turned her attention to Mrs. Thompson, the mayor's wife. Her calm demeanor at this stage suggested she was no ordinary woman.

Sure enough, Mrs. Thompson approached them gracefully. "What is the meaning of this? A healer is expected to show compassion. Surely, this is not the way, Thousand-Hands Healer?"

"All these people have been poisoned, and we've been tirelessly searching for a cure in our yard. Where would we find the time to poison them?" Logan retorted with a scoff. "You accuse us first and then dare to harm my apprentice. Isn't that a slap in my face?"

Mrs. Thompson, caught off guard by Logan's point, quickly changed her tune. "Oh, we're just concerned about everyone's well-being. Luck Village has been peaceful for years, and now suddenly, we're seeing mass poisoning cases after your arrival. It's only natural to have suspicions. We hope you understand."

Logan was about to respond when Vivienne signaled him, leading him to change his argument. "Such widespread poisoning is likely due to everyday living conditions."

Mrs. Thompson, seeing Logan's insight, quickly seized the opportunity. "Since you two seem capable of curing this poison, why not do us a favor and check on the others too? It would clear any suspicions against you."

After exchanging a glance with Vivienne, Logan made his stance clear. "Our help doesn't come for free."

"Oh? And what might you want?" Mrs. Thompson inquired.

"Fifty million," Vivienne spoke up.

The Thompson couple's faces registered shock. They were actually demanding fifty million?

Sebastian, watching from a distance, smiled subtly.

Vivienne's gaze remained cool as she locked eyes with Mrs. Thompson, her reflection mirrored in the latter's eyes.

"Final offer, no bargaining."

After a moment of silence, it was clear that Logan and Vivienne were not going to budge. The Thompsons exchanged glances, realizing they had no choice but to discuss it further.

"Fifty million is a lot for a small village like ours. We'll need to discuss it and get back to you tomorrow, if that's alright?"

Vivienne gave Logan a look.

"In that case, take your time to think it over. It's getting late, we'll be on our way," Logan said, catching Vivienne's signal, and then led her away from the parlor.

Once they were back in their makeshift lab, their team immediately resumed their positions, monitoring the situation. It was as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred since they had arrived.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Logan closed the door and lowered his voice, "Ms. Vivienne, do you think they'll actually pay us? Mayor Thompson doesn't seem like a man of his word. Perhaps these people's lives don't mean much to him?" "No," Vivienne replied simply.

"Then why bother helping them?" Logan asked, puzzled.

Vivienne's lips formed a sly smile. "It's no fun if the fish don't bite."

Meanwhile, back in the monitoring room.

Mrs. Thompson frowned at the screens. "They don't seem like outsiders. Today's events were unexpected; none of our people saw them leave alone. Could we have been wrong?" Mayor Thompson couldn't shake off his unease, especially about Vivienne. "Fifty million is nothing if it solves this problem for us."

Finally, persuaded by Mrs. Thompson, Mayor Thompson agreed. "Let's send someone to tell them to start treating the villagers for poisoning tomorrow. And keep a close watch on them!" No sooner had Vivienne spoken than a messenger from Mayor Thompson arrived, knocking on their door.

"Mayor Thompson requests that you begin treating the village's people for poisoning starting tomorrow morning. The fifty million will be transferred to you as soon as possible."

"We'll start the treatment when the money hits our account. We've already given a free demonstration today; Mayor Thompson should know that's my limit."

Logan's words had Mayor

Thompson fuming. If it weren't for

the fact that these folks still had some value to him, he would've wiped them off the face of the earth by now. How else could they still be prancing around causing trouble?

The messenger, visibly trembling under the mayor's intense gaze, quickly agreed to pass along the message. "Alright, I'll let them know."

As Mayor Thompson stepped out of the yard, his expression was stormy, a clear sign that dealing with this master and student was going to be a thorn in his side.

He shook off his aides and, after much hesitation, dialed the only number saved in his contacts.

"What's up?" came the voice over the phone, making Mayor Thompson's spine tingle. The words he had rehearsed tangled up in his throat.

He could tell the man was smiling,

but it was the kind of smile that sent shivers down his spine, the kind that hinted at danger lurking behind the warmth, never knowing when the axe might fall.

"It's about the Thousand-Hands Healer, sir. There's been a complication."

There was a pause on the other end, as if the man was trying to grasp the gravity of the situation before replying, "Clarify."

Swallowing hard, Mayor Thompson spilled the details.

"Sebastian's situation has been agreed upon, but now many of the villagers are poisoned. They're asking for fifty million for the cure. What do you think?" After a moment of silence that had Mayor Thompson checking if the call had dropped, the man's voice came through, calm and collected.

"Fifty million is nothing. Have you been with me so long that you can't handle such a trivial matter without my approval?"

Mayor Thompson felt like collapsing on the spot. The thought had crossed his mind, but he'd never dare act on it without permission.

"I was just seeking your input, sir."

Clearly, the man was running out of patience. "Give them the money. It could serve to muddy the waters around our operations. Get it done quickly."

Just as Mayor Thompson was

about to respond, he was cut offe with a stern warning, "I've given you plenty of time for this. If you mess up at the last minute, you know the consequences."

A cold sweat broke out on Mayor Thompson's forehead. "Yes, I won't let you down." Before he could gather his thoughts, the call was abruptly ended.