The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

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.

Maddox snapped his fingers. "Exactly, Willa! I knew we were on the same page. They were all for it, but I said no. We're truly family."

gave him a glance,

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

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

at him.

Shrugging, Maddox fell silent.

but they'll surely try to persuade Vivienne. Do you want

admitted, "That

cousins to Vivienne, asked,

hearings and dealings with

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

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

Maddox was

she's blindly in

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

Perfect as a partner, perhaps, but not

exchanged

"So what now? Do we actually have to accept

enough. "Try it and

I

meaningfully

not long

granddaughter well. She was not one

her, yet her involvement

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

the battlefield, not forgetting her and

turned to

change now that many issues were being handled by Vivienne and Percival, and with

a direct response to Jasper's observation, simply stated, "Grandpa, I'm

evasion, Jasper didn't press further. "Alright, let's leave the

was a cause