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 page. They were all for it,

him a glance, her expression

"Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities find out he has a daughter he hasn't acknowledged, they won't just

they'll lock

glared at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

but they'll surely try to

"That would

cousins to Vivienne,

hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family,

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

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

she?" Maddox was

"Because she's blindly

had often heard her mother speak of her deep feelings

it made sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but

family exchanged looks

"So what now? Do we actually have to accept this guy

enough. "Try it and

I never said we'd

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

not long acquainted,

well. She was not one to indulge

interest to her, yet her involvement in this

actions betrayed a soft heart beneath her tough exterior. Deep down, she knew

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

turned to

issues were being handled by Vivienne and Percival,

avoiding a direct response to Jasper's

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