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.

"Exactly, Willa! I knew we were on the same

a glance,

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

him, they'll lock us up?" Maddox

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

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

"That

looking past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do

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

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

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

she?" Maddox was puzzled. After

she's blindly

her mother speak of her deep feelings for

Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as

Perez family exchanged looks of

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

glare was warning enough. "Try

no, I never said we'd

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

not long

granddaughter well. She was

interest to her, yet her

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

on the battlefield, not forgetting her and Karen, were

turned

now that many issues

direct response to Jasper's

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