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, but I

him a glance, her

not up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated

don't acknowledge him, they'll lock us

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

won't imprison us over this, but they'll surely try

admitted, "That would be

her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do you

and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had

immediately said, "I've already said I

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

was puzzled. After being

sighed, "Because she's blindly

often heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur, though

knowing Arthur, it made sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a father in

exchanged looks of

we actually have to accept this guy as part

enough.

quickly backtracked. "No, no, I never said we'd accept

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually

long acquainted,

his granddaughter well. She was

her, yet her involvement in

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

battlefield, not forgetting her and

conversation turned

a change now that many issues were being handled by Vivienne and Percival, and with Sasha's

to Jasper's

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