The Million-Dollar Heart

Asher was caught off guard by Vivienne's slick move, momentarily forgetting how to react.
After Thomas fired his shot, the Grimshaw family members went berserk, pulling out all their dirty tricks. But the crew Vivienne
and Percival brought along, either personally trained by Vivienne or battle- hardened with Percival, were top-notch. The
Grimshaws couldn't lay a finger on them.
Soon enough, most of the Grimshaws were captured. Those who weren't nabbed were the ones with special abilities. Thinking
they could use their powers to save their skins, they hesitated upon seeing Asher's lack of reaction, wisely keeping their abilities
under wraps. Without the head honcho's say-so, they dared not unleash their powers recklessly.
Snapping out of his daze, Asher couldn't hold back anymore. He unleashed his power towards Thomas and Leopold. If he
couldn't touch Vivienne and Percival, dealing with these non-powered folks should have been like taking candy from a baby,
right?
But to his shock, his power just vanished into thin air! Vanished-what the heck? Asher's jaw dropped in disbelief. What he
witnessed was beyond anything he could comprehend. Weren't the ancient warriors supposed to be the strongest? Feared even
by nations? Yet, why was his power utterly useless against these people?
Mid-stare, Leopold turned with a smirk, "Your little tricks? They're nothing in front of Vivienne. Before we even stepped foot into
Grimshaw territory, she had us pop Spirit-Dampening Pills."
Asher clenched his teeth in frustration. "Spirit-Dampening Pills? What on earth are those?" He'd never heard of them before.
"Spirit-Dampening Pills, my latest invention," Vivienne chimed in, "designed to suppress ancient warrior abilities."
Leopold was initially clueless about its purpose, especially since he'd just found out about the ancient warriors' powers. This stuff
was usually the fodder of TV shows, wasn't it? But seeing Asher's power fizzle against Vivienne and Percival, leaving them
unfazed, he was utterly in awe of Vivienne. She was always one step ahead! Those pills were like bulletproof vests. Asher's
attacks were as bothersome as a light tickle to them.
Asher was flabbergasted. Was Vivienne even human? She seemed more like a demon!
Vivienne, unfazed, glanced at the time, then at Leopold, "Twenty minutes have passed, Leopold. If we don't wrap this up in five,
you're rewriting the 'Tao Te Ching' 200 times!"

Leopold shuddered at the thought. Rewriting the 'Tao Te Ching' 200 times was a fate worse than manual labor! Percival raised
an eyebrow. Leopold laughed nervously, "Just kidding!"
Not wanting to delay any further, he and Thomas led their teams straight into the Grimshaw compound. However, as soon as
they stepped foot inside, an invisible force struck them, sending their bodies flying out of the compound. Including their
teammates, no one was spared.
Leopold and Thomas spat out blood, feeling as if their bodies were falling apart. Clutching his chest, Leopold, pale as a ghost,
pleaded with Vivienne, "Can we pause the timer? We've hit a snag." He truly didn' want to rewrite the 'Tao Te Ching'.
Vivienne ignored him, her gaze fixed on the figure emerging from the courtyard. Oliver Grimshaw approached with a solemn
expression. Surveying the scene, his gaze landed on Asher, his voice emotionless, "Useless!"
Asher's face flushed with shame, "I'm sorry, Dad! I've failed..." But his apology was cut short upon spotting the person behind
Oliver, his expression turning to one of shock, "Why is he here?"
The man behind Oliver glanced over indifferently, his tone icy, "The Grimshaw heir shouldn't be a failure!"
"Shut up!" Asher roared, "I'm talking
to Dad, not you!" The world only knew of Ethan Grimshaw, the lesser-known son of the family, but not of his illegitimacy. His
mother had used devious means to bear Initially, Oliver
Ethan as Oliver's son.than,
refused to acknowledge Ethan, prioritizing the family's century-old glory over a bastard son.
After testing both sons, Asher was chosen as the heir for his superior qualities in every aspect. Although
Ethan was not as capable as Ashert
his intelligence was undeniable
I.n
Thus, Oliver accepted him, but Ethan was barred from inheriting the

Grimshaw legacy. Asher, already detesting Ethan, had him banished to ensure he never crossed paths. Oliver surprisingly
agreed.
Over the years, Ethan remained mostly out of sight, which probably saved his life from Asher's wrath. But Asher never expected
Ethan to show up now, especially not alongside Oliver. That morning, Oliver had claimed to be away on business.
Oliver glanced at him with a touch of indifference, his voice weathered and devoid of emotion, "From this day forward, Ethan will
be the heir to the Grimshaw estate."
"What?" Asher's eyes widened in disbelief, "Dad, what are you talking about?"
"Smack!" Oliver delivered a virtual slap across the distance, his voice cold, "You've managed the Grimshaw legacy into this state,
and you have the audacity to question me?"
"I..." Asher tried to explain, but Oliver was beyond listening, "We'll settle your accounts later."
With that, Oliver turned his gaze to Vivienne, "I underestimated you. So, you're Jasper Perez's granddaughter after all. No
wonder he's so protective of you."
Vivienne's relationship with Jasper
was known to only a close few; to the outside world, she was just a distant relative. It was only recently that Oliver noticed
Vivienne taking the Abernathy family to court in a highly public manner, which was unusual for her. Vivienne was known for her
decisive and swift actions. The fact that she had solid evidence against the Abernathy family yet didn't proceed with official
channels, choosing instead to engage in a prolonged legal battle, hinted at an ulterior motive beyond just dealing with the
Abernathys. Perhaps, the Grimshaws were also in her sights.
Upon digging deeper, Oliver discovered Vivienne's direct lineage to Jasper. Facing Vivienne, Oliver's tone turned icy, "I had some
respect for Jasper, but by causing trouble for the Grimshaws, you've crossed a line. Today, you'll answer for it."