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.

Willa! I knew we were on the same page. They were all for it,

him a glance,

us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a

so if we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?" Maddox

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

authorities won't imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you

admitted, "That would

her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What

and dealings

immediately said, "I've already said

Maddox, she added, "Uncle, you're wrong about one thing.

was

she's blindly in

often heard her mother speak of her deep

made sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but

Perez family exchanged looks

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

enough. "Try it and

no, I

Jasper looked meaningfully

not long

well. She was not

to her, yet her involvement in this discussion spoke

Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't the villain she portrayed him

forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to

conversation turned

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

Jasper's

press further. "Alright, let's leave the decision