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.

we were on the same page. They

him a glance, her

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

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

glared at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

won't imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you

"That

looking past her cousins to Vivienne,

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

Willa, she immediately said, "I've already said I won't acknowledge

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

Maddox was

"Because she's blindly in

of her deep feelings

sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a father in

exchanged looks of

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

warning enough. "Try it and

I never

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

long

was

no interest to her, yet her involvement in this discussion

soft heart beneath her tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't

forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to

conversation turned

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

a direct response to Jasper's observation,

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