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.

"Exactly, Willa! I knew we were on the same page. They were

gave him a

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

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

at

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

over this, but they'll surely try

"That would

her cousins to Vivienne,

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

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

you're wrong about one

was puzzled. After being

she's

heard her mother speak of her deep feelings for

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

Perez family exchanged

"So what now? Do we actually

warning enough. "Try

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

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

long acquainted,

was not

of no interest to her, yet her involvement in this discussion

down, she knew Arthur wasn't the villain she portrayed

the battlefield, not forgetting her

turned

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

response to Jasper's observation, simply

let's leave