The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne) novel Chapter 1003

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.