The Million-Dollar Heart

Maddox's eyes lit up the moment he saw Willa returning home.

He hurried over to her, barely containing his excitement. "Willa, you're back?"

He was so close that his warm breath tickled her face, stirring something unfamiliar within her.

She coughed lightly, pushing him away with a finger. "Back off! You reek of sweat!"

"Huh?" Maddox sniffed himself. "Do I? But I just showered this morning!"

The summer heat made sweating inevitable, prompting him to adopt a twice-daily shower routine.

Willa, uninterested in engaging further, walked straight to Jasper. "Dad, I'm home."

Jasper nodded. "Good to have you back. Sit down. We were just discussing whether Vivienne should acknowledge her father. You should weigh in!"

Willa had barely approached her chair when she paused, confused. "Vivienne's father?"

"Yes," Yuri chimed in. "Today, Vivienne's biological father showed up. DNA tests confirm it's Arthur. He's planning to marry Sasha and wants to officially recognize Vivienne."

As soon as Yuri finished, Willa's expression darkened. "No way!"

Vivienne sent Willa a smile of admiration.

Jasper and the others were taken aback but soon Jasper said, "We were leaning towards refusal too, but after thinking it over, he is Vivienne's father, after all. It seems wrong not to acknowledge him."

Willa scoffed. "Some father! Where was he all this time? Now he decides to show up like he's picking out a bargain at a flea market!"

Willa was known for her aloofness, rarely swearing.

Her outburst left the Perez family speechless for a moment.

were on the same page. They were all for it, but

him a

interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities

acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?" Maddox rolled

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us day

"That

looking past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do you

hearings and dealings with

"I've already said I

"Uncle, you're wrong about one thing. If my mom wakes up, she'd

Maddox was

sighed, "Because she's blindly

heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur, though

Arthur, it made sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but

exchanged looks

what now? Do we

warning enough. "Try

I never said we'd accept

looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually want to acknowledge him, don't

long acquainted,

well. She was not one to indulge

of no interest to her, yet her involvement in this discussion spoke

Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't

the battlefield, not forgetting her and Karen,

conversation turned

for a change now that many issues were being handled by Vivienne and

avoiding a direct response to Jasper's observation, simply

"Alright, let's leave the