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.

knew we were on the same page. They were all

gave him a glance, her expression

he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities find out he has a daughter he hasn't

we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock us

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

surely try to persuade

"That

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

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

immediately said, "I've already said I won't

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

was puzzled. After being

"Because she's blindly in

her deep feelings for Arthur,

Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not

family exchanged looks

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

was warning enough. "Try

I never said

meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually want to acknowledge him,

long acquainted,

She was

her, yet her involvement in

down, she knew Arthur wasn't

her and Karen, were testament enough to

turned to

many issues were

Jasper's observation,

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