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.

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

him a glance, her

not up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities

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

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne.

"That

Vivienne,

caught up in court hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had dozed off

she immediately said, "I've already said I won't

one thing. If my mom

she?" Maddox was puzzled.

"Because she's

deep feelings for Arthur, though she'd never understood the

a partner, perhaps, but not as

Perez family exchanged looks

surprise, asked, "So what now? Do we actually

was warning enough. "Try

quickly backtracked. "No, no, I never said

Jasper looked meaningfully at

long

She was

interest to her, yet her involvement in this discussion spoke

her tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't

forgetting her and Karen,

turned to

be time for a change now that many issues were being

to Jasper's observation,

"Alright, let's leave