In an instant, Brody's mind raced with countless ways to make a break for it, his feet itching to bolt.
Unfortunately for him, in Vivienne's grasp, there was no chance of escape.
"Blowing up my lab now, huh? Living a little too comfortably these days, aren't we?" Vivienne said, her grip firm on Brody's shoulder, patting his head like he was a naughty puppy.
Brody glared at Vivienne and retorted, "Cut me some slack, Specter Healer! I was just experimenting!"
"You've got some nerve!" Vivienne raised her hand, poised to strike again.
A real man knows when to fold. Brody, raising his hands to his ears, shouted, "Okay, okay, I was wrong!"
Only then did Vivienne relax her stance.
On the sidelines, Karen chuckled. "You must be Brody, right?"
Hearing her, Brody shot Karen an impatient look, "Yes, and who might you be? Have we met..."
He took a closer look at Karen and realized something about her face seemed familiar. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition. "It's you! You're Evelyn!"
Vivienne was taken aback, not expecting Brody to know her mother.
Karen just smiled at Brody, her gaze filled with an enigmatic meaning as she stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Still as impolite as ever, huh? Don't you know how to greet your master properly?"
As she finished her words, a sharp pain shot through Brody's shoulder, causing him to buckle under her grip.
Vivienne was even more surprised.
Since when had her mother become Brody's master?
But Brody was wise enough to know when to give in. He wailed, "Master, I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
"You're sorry? Stealing my research papers, running off with lab secrets, do you think a simple apology is enough?" Karen's gaze was fierce, her grip tightening.
Brody's body was nearly doubled over, powerless to resist, like a lamb in the grip of a lioness.
"Mom, since when did he become your disciple?" Vivienne asked with a hint of amusement.
Through his groans, Brody gasped in surprise, "Mom? You two are mother and daughter! No wonder I couldn’t just beat you like that! I knew there must be a reason!"
Karen snorted with laughter. "The boy's got talent. Met him on a mission once, and with a bit of guidance, he was able to unlock some pretty deep medical mysteries. It's just a shame his mind's always on the crooked path."
"No wonder he seemed to have a knack for things that align with my thinking, thanks to your mentoring."
Vivienne sat back, enjoying the show, with no intention of intervening on Brody's behalf.
Brody pleaded with a gloomy expression, "Vivienne, I've got something to tell you. Can you—can your mom... my dear master let go of me?"
Hearing this, Vivienne finally spoke up leisurely. "Mom, let him go. I've got a job for him."
Karen released her grip, having no real intention of harming him.
Brody stood up, rubbing his shoulder. "No wonder this lab looked so familiar. I couldn’t beat you because you're mother and daughter. It's like I'm cursed by you two!"
If it were not for running into Karen here, Brody would never have remembered that before he became 'Brody,' he had interned in a lab just like this one.
Back then, Karen went under the name of Evelyn. She was busy with her own lab while leading a team at Vanguard Agency.
Impressed by Brody's talent, she had given him a few pointers.
Little did she know this gifted young man would one day steal her lab secrets and disappear!
And Brody never imagined that, years later, he would run into the daughter of his nemesis!
"How's the task I gave you coming along?" Vivienne inquired.
Brody caught his breath. "Why don't you ask your mom? Wasn't this what she was researching before?"
Brody's interest in Vivienne's potion stemmed from his experience in Karen's lab, and back then, he lacked the skills to unravel it.
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