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

him a

debate. "Arthur is Vivienne's father. It's not up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war

acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?"

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want

admitted, "That would

past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do

early, caught up in court hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had dozed off amidst the family's

she immediately said, "I've already said

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

Maddox was

"Because she's blindly

of her deep feelings

partner, perhaps, but not as a father

Perez family exchanged

Do we actually have to accept this guy as

glare was warning enough.

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

Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

long

well. She was not one to

her, yet her

down,

forgetting her and

turned to

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

avoiding a direct response to Jasper's observation,

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