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.

his fingers. "Exactly, Willa! I knew we were on the same page. They were all for it,

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

so if we don't acknowledge him, they'll lock us up?" Maddox rolled his

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want them pestering us day in,

admitted, "That would be

past her cousins to Vivienne,

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

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

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

was

sighed, "Because she's blindly in

often heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for Arthur,

Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not

exchanged looks

now? Do we

enough. "Try it and

backtracked. "No, no, I never said

no consensus was reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully

not long

well. She was

to her, yet her involvement in this discussion

tough exterior. Deep down, she knew Arthur wasn't the villain she portrayed him to

years on the battlefield, not forgetting her

turned

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

response to Jasper's observation,

further. "Alright, let's leave the decision