The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Vivienne steadied herself, gently easing Percival’s hand away.

Approaching Jasper again, she listened to his strained breathing, her expression growing more serious by the moment.

Taking a deep breath, Vivienne raised the needle in her hand and aimed for Jasper’s pressure point.

Bang! Vivienne was sent flying, her speed so swift that even Percival could not intercept her in time, barely managing to grasp her hand.

“Vivienne!” Percival half-knelt on the ground, cradling the fallen Vivienne in his arms and propping her against his leg.

A gush of dark blood surged from Vivienne’s lips, her complexion turning deathly pale.

Yuri hurried over, pressing down on the heel of Vivienne’s hand with vigor.

“Vivienne, feeling any better?” Yuri asked with concern.

Vivienne nodded, standing up with the support of Percival’s hand, a flash of disbelief in her eyes.

She had failed to administer the needle? What could possibly be the reason? What on earth was hiding inside Jasper’s body? “I'll try again.” Vivienne was determined; her skills would not fail her now! Percival, Yuri, and Zelda all tried to dissuade her, worried for her safety. “Vivienne, don’t try again.” “Yeah, Vivienne, letfigure something out. If it happefEhgain, your meridians could shatter.” “Vivienne, take a seat and rest. Drink this; it will help balance your energy pathways.” Zelda handed her a cup filled with blue water.

Recognizing the extremely rare Blue Infusion, Vivienne took the cup and drank it down, saying, “Don’t worry, I'll take care of myself. Grandpa is more important.” With that, Vivienne stepped forward once more. Yuri tried to stop her, but Percival raised a hand.

He shook his head at Yuri and said, “Let Vivienne do what she’s decided; no one should interfere.” As he spoke, he stood behind Vivienne, arms outstretched in a protective stance.

If Vivienne were to be repelled again, he would be there to cushion the blow and reduce the impact.

Vivienne focused intently on the final pressure point, channeling all her energy into the tip of the needle and thrusting it down forcefully.

An invisible barrier halted the needle in Vivienne’s hand. Despite exerting all her strength, she could not penetrate it.

Seeing this, Yuri placed a hand on Vivienne’s wrist, lending his strength to assist her.

The barrier seemed to resist with greater force. Sweat beaded on Vivienne’s forehead, and even Yuri began to wobble.

Vivienne exhaled deeply, releasing all her tension.

Another loud bang.

Both Vivienne and Yuri were repelled, Yuri dropping to his knees, the hand that had touched Vivienne’s wrist throbbing with pain as if a thousand needles were piercing it.

Thanks to Percival’s support and the effects of the Blue Infusion, Vivienne did not suffer shattered meridians, but she nearly passed out.

The gold needle in her hand shattered into several pieces, scattering on the floor.

Even Percival, who had absorbed sof the impact, coughed up blood, feeling as if his internal organs had been displaced.

Zelda helped them up, giving each a cup of Blue Infusion, which offered a slight reprieve.

“What's going on? What happened? Vivienne, are you alright?” Zelda's eyes were red with worry.

Jasper’s breathing on the sickbed grew more labored, and with Vivienne and the others in such a state, Zelda felt helpless, her only recourse being tears and anxiety.

Vivienne reached out and took Zelda's hand. “I'm fine. Ill heal Uncle Yuri’s hand in a bit, don’t worry. Could you please brew another pot of Blue Infusion? Grandpa might need it later.” Zelda nodded vigorously, wiping away her tears. “Vivienne, don’t exert yourself anymore. I'll go make the Blue Infusion right now.” Zelda rushed to the kitchen, and the facade of ease vanished from Vivienne's face.

“Uncle Yuri, how are you holding up?” She asked.

Yuri gripped his right arm. “I'll survive, it's nothing.” “Mr. Wolf?” “All good,” Percival said, steadying his heartbeat and calming his breath.

Vivienne wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to stand but found herself completely drained. Sitting back down, she pulled out her phone and dialed Finnian’s number.

Finnian’s number had not changed; now that his staged death had been exposed, he would not ignore or reject Vivienne’s calls.

He answered quickly, and his voice had a hint of mischief, “Little girl, we agreed your fiancé would cover that 80 million debt. You can’t just...” Vivienne coughed, clutching the fresh blood in her palm, “The Perez Mansion.” Finnian’s tone shifted to seriousness upon hearing Vivienne’s breath, “What's going on?” “My grandpa collapsed, but | can’t penetrate his heart with a needle. Something is blocking me.” Vivienne had encountered such situations before, but they were always easily resolved. However, this time, even her needle had snapped!Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

This was the first tsince she had mastered her medical skills that she faced a situation where she could not administer treatment.

Finnian glanced at the man opposite him. “Alright, we're on our way.” After hanging up, Finnian told the man, “Seems like it's tfor you to cout of retirement.” The man nodded in agreement. It was clear that if Vivienne could not handle the situation, it was tfor him to step in.

Ten minutes later, Finnian arrived at the Perez Mansion with the man in tow.

Vivienne's gaze fell on the stranger following Finnian, and for sreason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She clutched at her chest, her eyes brimming with tears.

Why did her heart ache so fiercely? The man approached and slipped a pill onto Vivienne’s tongue, then gently tapped the crown of her head. “Sit down and meditate for ten minutes,” he instructed.

Without questioning him, Vivienne complied. As the pill dissolved in her mouth, she knew this man possessed skills far beyond her own.

He then glanced at Percival and flicked his forehead as effortlessly as one might snap their fingers.

Percival felt a surge of energy tighten at his brow, clearing his energy pathways more effectively than ten pots of Blue Infusion.

“Next time, don’t overdo it,” the man said softly.

Percival rubbed his temples, puzzled. There was something about the man’s tone, casual manner, and very presence that felt eerily familiar.

The man turned to look at Yuri, pausing ever so slightly before stepping forward and inserting a needle into his right arm.

“In ten minutes, let Vi... let the young lady take it out. She'll know what to do,” he said.

Yuri offered his thanks. “Sir, regarding my father...” “Withhere, it'll be fine,” the man assured him with a smile, then carried his medical bag into the room.

Finnian stood guard at the door. “He prefers to work in private. Please be patient; it won't be long.”