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.

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

gave him a

sparked a 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

if we don't acknowledge him, they'll

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

us over this, but they'll surely try to

"That would

her cousins to Vivienne, asked,

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

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

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

would she?" Maddox was puzzled.

sighed, "Because she's blindly in

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

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

family exchanged looks

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

was warning enough. "Try it

no, I never said

no consensus was reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually

not long acquainted,

his granddaughter well. She was not one to indulge

no interest to her, yet her involvement in this

beneath her tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't the villain she portrayed him to

on the battlefield, not forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to his

conversation turned to

it might be time for a change now that many issues were being

response to Jasper's

"Alright, let's leave the