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.

knew we were on the same page.

gave him a

"Remember, he's a decorated war hero. If the authorities find out he has a daughter

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

at him. "Be

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

"The authorities won't imprison us over this, but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you

admitted, "That

Vivienne, asked, "What do you think,

up in court hearings and dealings with the Grimshaw

by Willa, she immediately said, "I've

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

she?" Maddox was puzzled.

"Because she's

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

Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not as a

exchanged looks of

we actually have to accept this guy as part of the

glare was warning enough. "Try it and

I

reached. Finally, Jasper looked meaningfully at

long

his granddaughter well. She was not one to indulge

to her, yet her involvement in this discussion spoke

heart beneath her tough exterior. Deep down,

battlefield, 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

a direct response to Jasper's observation,

let's leave the decision to