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.

we were on the same page.

gave him a glance, her

up to us," Luke interjected. "Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If

we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?" Maddox

glared at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

continued, "The authorities won't imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us day in, day

"That would be

Vivienne,

up early, caught up in court hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw family, and had dozed off amidst

"I've already

about one thing. If my mom wakes up, she'd definitely

she?" Maddox was

she's blindly in

deep feelings

sense. Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a father in her

Perez family exchanged looks of

we actually have to accept this guy

was warning enough. "Try

"No, no, I never said we'd accept

consensus was reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at Vivienne. "You actually want to acknowledge him, don't

not long

well. She was not

yet her involvement in this discussion

down, she knew Arthur

forgetting her and Karen, were testament enough to his

turned

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

a direct response to Jasper's observation,

"Alright, let's leave the decision to