The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

By the tVivienne stepped back into the house, Logan had finished up his tasks. He listened attentively as she briefed him on precautions.

"Let's head to the next place," Vivienne declared.

At her words, Logan nodded, and they proceeded to their next destination.

Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by a garden full of vegetables, reminiscent of what Vivienne had seen earlier. Was it merely a coincidence? Before she could ponder further, she followed Logan inside. The villagers' poisoning wasn't severe; a few casual injections from Vivienne usually did the trick.

However, their primary goal was to verify the whereabouts of the missing women, so their search was thorough and time- consuming.

As Vivienne ascended the stairs for a closer inspection, someone insisted on accompanying her under the guise of showing her around, clearly keeping an eye on her instead.

She could feel the cold gaze of someone lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.

Intrigued by their scrutiny, she casually inspected her surroundings, eventually stopping by the sink. The moment she pulled out a silver needle, she sensed a sudden surge of hostility from a hidden observer.

Without panic, she dipped the needle into the water. Like before, it turned black after a short while.

"The water's contaminated. Avoid using it and inform the town mayor to purchase bottled water for emergencies," Vivienne advised, securing the needle before heading downstairs.

Passing the staircase, she caught the eye of the person hiding in the shadows. Before they could react, she had vanished from their sight, leaving them with a lingering sense of mockery.

Once Vivienne rejoined Logan, he promptly concluded his treatments.

Despite their morning efforts, they found no trace of the hidden individuals in the village, though the suspicious vegetable gardens in each household raised questions, especially since they were swiftly deterred from nearing them, as if something was being concealed.

Approaching noon, Vivienne and Logan accepted an invitation to dine with one of the families.

Surprisingly, despite an apparent lack of kitchenware, the food served was rich in flavor and aroma.

Logan exchanged a wary glance with Vivienne, reluctant to proceed without her approval, aware of his inability to detect certain toxins.

In front of everyone, Vivienne tested the food with her needle. After several minutes without any change in the needle's color, she reassured Logan.

"Master, it's safe to eat," she declared.

Logan, momentarily unsettled by her address, nodded awkwardly.

Vivienne, having already determined the food's safety, was merely testing their hosts, who managed to maintain their composure, revealing a commendable level of restraint.

After their meal, Vivienne and Logan left, noting this family's vegetable garden remained unchecked, unlike the others, suggesting something amiss.

Vivienne discreetly marked the location, planning to return alone for further investigation.

As they approached the next household, she could still feel the intense scrutiny from before.

Entering, they found only a young girl suffering from poisoning, appearing roughly Vivienne's age. The fleeting glimpse of hope in the girl's eyes didn't escape Vivienne.

Before they could leave, the girl urgently stopped Vivienne.

"Please, you must leave this place and call the police when you're safe. They need to surround Luck Village," the girl pleaded.

As Logan secured the door, Vivienne used her inner energy to cut off any external communication.

"What's happening?" Vivienne asked, letting the girl grasp her hand, which was unnervingly cold.

"Mayor Thompson and his wife have gone mad. They're planning a massacre. Everyone here will die!" the girl exclaimed.

"Why are you telling us this?" Vivienne's skepticism visibly pained the girl, who suddenly released her grip.

"I know it's hard to believe, but you're our only hope," the girl, Carly, tearfully confessed, unveiling the village's dark secrets.

Twenty-one years ago, Carly was born in Luck Village, living alone 1.ne from an early age due to her parents' untimely deaths. The village, once peaceful, changed tically about ten years ago following the arrival of a woman in red. Mayor Thompson and his wife becmalevolent, cultivating poisonous crops and fostering a sinister atmosphere. Content belongs to en.kikistoriesCarly recounted years of abductions and attempts at resistance, which mysteriously ended with the dissidents joining the oppressors She wept as she spoke of the relentless nightmare, set her, the helpless suffering of the victims, and her own powerlessness to intervene. Content belongs to en.kikistoriesThe memory that haunted Carly the most was the tshe accidentally witnessed Mayor Thompson committing murder. The girl, just moments from death, had her eyes wide open, pleading for help. Carly could do nothing but cover her mouth and hide, silent and terrified.

Even after Mayor Thompson coldly ended the girl's life and left with her heart's blood, the girl's eyes remained open, her expression frozen in a silent scream.

That incident tormented Carly deeply, robbing her of peaceful sleep for weeks.

าวเ "I can't keep living like this. This place is too dangerous. Continuing to work for Mayor Thompson will only end with us being his next victims We should escape and go to the police. We need to expose him and put an end to this madness," Carly pleaded, her eyes locked on Vivienne's, filled with urgency and fear. Content belongs to en.kikistories.com