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.

I knew we were on the same page. They were all for it, but I said

him a glance, her

he's a decorated war hero. If

we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock

glared at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

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

admitted, "That would

her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do you

and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had

Willa, she immediately said, "I've already said I

wrong about one thing. If my mom wakes up, she'd definitely marry

she?" Maddox was puzzled.

"Because she's blindly

mother speak of her deep feelings for

sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a

family exchanged looks of

asked, "So what now? Do we actually have to accept this guy as part

was warning enough. "Try it and

quickly backtracked. "No, no, I never

further discussion, no consensus was reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne.

long

granddaughter well. She was not

interest to her, yet her involvement in

tough exterior. Deep down, she

her and

turned to

a change now that many issues were being

to Jasper's observation, simply

let's leave the decision to