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.

on the same page. They were all for

a glance, her expression

interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities

him, they'll lock us up?"

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do

"That would be

past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What do you think,

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

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

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

Maddox was puzzled.

sighed, "Because she's blindly

heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur, though she'd never understood the

partner, perhaps, but not as a father in

exchanged looks of

asked, "So what now? Do we actually have to

enough. "Try it

"No, no, I never said

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

not long acquainted,

his granddaughter well. She was not one to indulge

no interest to her, yet her

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

not forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to

turned

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

to Jasper's observation, simply

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