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.

were on the same page. They were all for it, but I said

him a glance, her

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 acknowledged, they

so if we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

but they'll surely try to persuade

"That would

looking past her cousins to Vivienne, asked, "What

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

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

you're wrong about one thing. If my mom

Maddox was puzzled.

"Because she's

her deep feelings

partner, perhaps, but not as a father in her

family exchanged looks of

out of his surprise, asked, "So what now? Do we actually have to accept this guy as part

was warning enough. "Try it and

no, I

looked meaningfully

not long

She was not one

her, yet her involvement in this discussion

beneath her tough exterior. Deep down, she

battlefield, not forgetting her and

turned to

be time for a change now that many issues were being handled by Vivienne and

response to Jasper's observation,

let's leave the decision to Vivienne.