The Million-Dollar Heart Novel Episode
Chapter 289

From the moment Richard saw her, a wide grin spread across his face. Any discomfort he'd felt seemed to evaporate instantly. "Seeing you, my dear girl, seems to chase away all my aches and pain. My dear girl, you just performed a procedure on me yesterday, and here you are checking in on me again. Your thoughtfulness and kindness are unmatched. I'm truly blessed to have you as my granddaughter in-law."

The old man couldn't help but sing Vivienne's praises, making Ryan, who was standing off to the side, visibly uncomfortable. Yet he kept his mouth shut.

Thanks to Vivienne, he was now stuck working as a security guard at the Ellington Group, a job he found as enjoyable as a root canal.

"Isn't that the truth?" Cecilia chuckled as she took Vivienne's hand with a sense of pride that bordered on boastful. "Percival truly hit the jackpot with you. I have no idea where his good luck comes from." Percival, who had been lingering in the crowd, cast his eyes toward Aaron, who was trailing behind Vivienne like a lost puppy.

Ever since the reunion banquet, Aaron had been practically glued to Vivienne's side. How could he let a man follow his fiancée from the Brooks Mansion to the hospital?!

"Vivienne." Percival called out as he strode toward her. With a dramatic sigh, he pulled her into his embrace. "I'm so tired."

With a sly smile, Vivienne replied, "I'll feed you something later as a reward."

Percival's fatigue seemed to instantly evaporate.

"Enough!" Baron interjected, casting a scowl at Percival. "This isn't the place for public displays of affection. Vivienne hasn't even officially become your wife yet!"

Despite having recently undergone surgery, Richard was still full of energy. He quickly jumped to their defense. "Baron, what are you implying?! Are you trying to upset me?! Vivienne is already a part of our family. That's a fact that no one can change. If you insist on objecting, I'm ready to fight you on this!"

Richard looked as though he were about to leap out of bed, so Cecilia quickly reached out to calm him. "Dad, you need to take it easy. You're still recovering from your surgery."

Richard didn't look like someone who had just been operated on. He was livelier than men half his age.

"Grandpa." Vivienne soothed him in an attempt to steer the conversation back on track. "We've apprehended the person who attacked you. He ingested poison, but I've given him an antidote. He should regain consciousness soon."

Percival lifted his gaze, adding, "Once he's awake, we'll know who ordered the attack."

While Percival didn't explicitly say that he was actually the target, Richard had already pieced together the clues.

"No! They weren't trying to kill me! They were after you!" Richard's eyes swept over the gathered crowd. "I was just unfortunate enough to be in your car."

Richard turned his gaze to Vivienne. "The person who wanted to harm Percival... it was someone from the Ellington family, wasn't it?"

Although they had not yet determined who was responsible, all signs pointed to someone from the Ellington family as the likely culprit. Vivienne nodded. "Possibly."

The room fell silent. Fiona, standing in the crowd, looked away to hide her panic.

"Vivienne! What are you implying?" Cathy snapped and crossed her arms in agitation. "Are you suggesting someone among us wanted to harm Richard?"

It was clear that Cathy's anger was not solely directed at Vivienne but also at Percival, who had supported her.

"No one wanted anything bad to happen to Percival. We might not have been waiting on him hand and foot when he was in his wheelchair, but we all hoped he would recover soon. Don't you dare stir up trouble and pit us against each other!"

Scott frowned at Cathy's harsh demeanor. "Vivienne was only stating that they've caught the person responsible for Richard's attack. She didn't say that you were the mastermind. There's no need for you to get so worked up."

Cathy, realizing his implications, angrily turned away.

Vivienne observed the exchange, taking note of everyone's reactions.

"Alright." Richard waved his hand dismissively and lay back down. "Leave the interrogation to Vivienne and Percival. The rest of you don't need to stress over this. I trust Vivienne and Percival to bring me satisfactory answers. I'm tired and want some rest now. You all should go home."

He paused, grabbing Vivienne's hand before anyone could move. "Vivienne, stay with me. I could use some company."

Richard's favoritism was clear as day, and it visibly irked the other members of the Ellington family. But there was nothing they could do about it.

As everyone reluctantly left the room, Vivienne stepped out into the hallway to answer a phone call.

"How are things going?"

Matthew, on the other end of the call, shook his head in frustration. "Nothing. They're fearless. Each one of them ingests poison the moment they're caught, leaving no leads behind."

"Keep looking." Vivienne ordered, her voice ice-cold. "Don't overlook any detail."

"Yes, ma'am." Matthew responded.

"And the one in the basement?" Vivienne asked.

"His vital signs are stable." Matthew replied.

After ingesting Vivienne's life-saving pill, the man's condition improved, though he remained unconscious.

"Good. Keep me updated." Vivienne ended the call, but her expression remained unreadable.

In the hospital's pharmacology department, Calista was chatting with a doctor she knew. She had originally come to the hospital on other business, but upon hearing about Richard's situation, she decided to pay him a visit with a fruit basket in hand.

"You wouldn't believe the surgeon who operated on Richard. I've been in the medical field for over two decades, and I've never seen someone sew up an incision so flawlessly!"

"Her hands were incredibly steady. She made incisions right next to the heart! It was absolutely breathtaking! There are few who could pull off such a surgery!"

Calista, overhearing their excited discussion about Richard's surgery, couldn't help but feel intrigued. "Who is this surgeon you're talking about? Do I know her?"

The crowd all shook their heads. "She isn't on the staff at our hospital. It seems like she was specially brought in from somewhere else."

"Her capabilities are extraordinary. She is definitely better than you, Calista. It's a shame you missed that surgery; it would have been a great opportunity to learn."

Calista could tolerate many things, but she couldn't accept someone saying her surgical skills were inadequate.

She was second to none in her medical proficiency. No one could surpass her, especially considering her prestigious lineage.

Making an excuse, Calista stood up and took her fruit basket, heading towards Richard's hospital room.

She bumped into Percival right at the doorway, and a smile quickly spread across her face. "Mr. Ellington, so you're here too." Afraid that he might not remember her, Calista added, "I'm Calista, the head of the TIC Research Institute."

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