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.

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

him a glance, her expression

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

acknowledge him, they'll lock us

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us day in, day

admitted, "That

past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do you think,

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

said, "I've

wrong about one thing. If my mom wakes

was puzzled. After being

she's blindly in

had often heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur,

as a partner, perhaps, but not as a

family exchanged

of his surprise, asked, "So what now? Do we actually have

warning enough. "Try

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

Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually want

not long

granddaughter well. She was not

no interest to her, yet her involvement in this

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

her and Karen, were

turned to

hinting it might be time for a change now that many issues were being handled by Vivienne and Percival, and with

a direct response to Jasper's observation, simply stated, "Grandpa, I'm

"Alright, let's leave the decision to Vivienne. For