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.

Willa! I knew we were on the same page. They were all for it, but I said no. We're

a

paternal claim over Vivienne sparked a debate. "Arthur is Vivienne's father. It's not up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated

they'll lock us

glared at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us day

"That would

cousins to Vivienne,

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

"I've already said I won't acknowledge

added, "Uncle, you're wrong about one thing. If my

she?" Maddox was puzzled.

she's blindly in

mother speak of her deep feelings for

sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but

Perez family exchanged looks of

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

warning enough. "Try

no, I never said we'd accept

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

not long acquainted,

She was not one to indulge

yet her involvement in this

Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't the

forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to his

turned

time for a change now that many issues were being handled by

to Jasper's observation, simply stated,

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