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.

the same page.

a glance, her

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 acknowledged, they won't just let it

acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?"

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us

"That would be

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

and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had

Willa, she immediately said, "I've already said I

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

Maddox was puzzled.

"Because she's

her deep

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

Perez family exchanged looks of

"So what now? Do we actually have to accept

enough. "Try

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

meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually

long

well. She was not

no interest to her, yet her involvement in

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

not forgetting her and Karen,

conversation turned to

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

direct response to Jasper's observation,

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