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.

I knew we were on the same

him a glance, her

It's not up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities find

him, they'll lock us up?"

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

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

admitted, "That

cousins to Vivienne, asked,

hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had

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

you're wrong about one thing. If

she?" Maddox was puzzled. After

sighed, "Because she's

of her deep feelings

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

exchanged

of his surprise, asked, "So what now? Do we actually

glare was warning enough. "Try it and

backtracked. "No, no, I never

no consensus was reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually want

long acquainted,

She was

of no interest to her, yet her involvement in this discussion spoke

tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't

not forgetting her and Karen, were

conversation turned to

time for a change now that many issues were

Jasper's observation, simply stated, "Grandpa, I'm

let's leave the decision to Vivienne. For