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.

on the same page.

him a glance,

to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If

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

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them

"That would be

Vivienne,

up early, caught up in court hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and

"I've

at Maddox, she added, "Uncle, you're wrong about one thing. If my mom

was puzzled. After

she's blindly

heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur, though she'd never understood the

knowing Arthur, it made sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a father

Perez family exchanged looks

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

was warning enough. "Try it

quickly backtracked. "No, no, I never said we'd accept

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

long acquainted,

She was

interest to her, yet her involvement in

betrayed a soft heart beneath her tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't the villain she portrayed

forgetting her and Karen,

conversation turned to

issues were being handled by Vivienne and Percival, and with Sasha's

direct response to Jasper's observation, simply

Jasper didn't press further. "Alright, let's leave the