Landon was silent for a couple of seconds. Seeing Asher's worried expression, he smiled and explained, "Mommy won this toy playing a game over there, not from doing anything high up. It's alright."Asher, innocent and trusting, immediately believed him. "Really?""Yes." Landon nodded with a smile. "I went with her yesterday. We just went to look around. When you have a day off this weekend, we'll go together.""Really?" The little guy grinned widely and quickly agreed, "Yes! Yes!"He was excited to have some fun!"What's all this noise about?" Emma, who came out carrying breakfast, heard her son's excited voice and asked with a smile.Asher immediately shared the good news with his mother. "Mommy, Dad said when I have a day off this weekend, we're all going to the amusement park!""That’s great," Emma replied with a smile, looking fairly normal without any hint of anxiety."Come on, Ash. It’s time for breakfast. We need to head to school soon." Emma reminded him to keep an ey
Landon could not help but chuckle, his shoulders shaking with amusement. "How can someone be as silly as you?"Emma's cheeks puffed up with indignation. "I'm serious!" she warned, glaring at Landon. Landon reached out and gently poked Emma's inflated cheek. The soft sensation was exactly as he had imagined. Her adorable demeanor had been tempting him for far too long, and today, he finally had the chance to indulge in this small act of affection.Emma was momentarily stunned by his unexpected action. W-what on earth was he doing?"You're willing to go to such lengths for a friend," Landon remarked with a chuckle. "What if your friend isn't worth it?"Emma did not hesitate in her response. "If they're not worth it, then I'll just stop being friends with them. But as long as they were worth it in the past, that's all that matters."Her open-minded answer struck a chord with Landon, giving him a sudden sense of clarity. That was right. Why should he let his grandfather's attitu
"Hmm," Landon drawled, "What's up?"Calvin was on the verge of losing his mind. "What do you mean, 'what's up'? Where have you been? There's a pile of work waiting for you at the office, and you...""Oh, all that stuff… Go find my grandpa or my uncle," Landon interrupted Calvin, languidly looking at the scenic view outside his window. "They'll be running the company from now on. I'm retiring."Calvin choked on his own saliva. "Cough, cough, cough... You— cough... you, you— Cough— What?""My grandpa plans to bring Leto into the company and have me mentor him," After Landon finished his sentence, Calvin immediately understood."Has the old man gone senile?" As Landon's childhood friend, Calvin knew the Stirlings’ situation best.Would this move by Leopold not hurt Landon’s feelings?"What are you going to do?" Calvin, without hesitation, chose to stand by his childhood friend.Landon chuckled softly. "Let them run the company themselves."Calvin burst out laughing. "Got it. You
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Leopold scoffed. Now Landon knew what fear was."We're family," Leopold began earnestly. "Your uncle has a temper, you know that. He's always been like that. Your parents' accident was a complete tragedy, and your uncle didn't mean for it to happen. You... Hello?"Leopold trailed off, suddenly realizing his phone had been disconnected long ago. Landon had dared to hang up on him?Furious, Leopold was about to call back when he stopped himself, his eyes narrowing in anger.Landon wanted to be tough? He would show him, then. Without the Stirling Group backing him up, what did Landon have to be proud of?Leopold promptly called a meeting, announcing that he would be handling all company matters from now on.The company's board members were stunned and voiced their disapproval. However, Leopold was adamant.The board members, of course, would not agree without Landon's consent. Together with Landon's shares, they could outv
"Oh my, you two are still so affectionate, even with a child so big! It's really enviable," a colleague laughed heartily. "I'm off now. See you tomorrow.""See you tomorrow," Emma greeted her colleague with a smile and rode her bike home.As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by an enticing aroma."Did you order takeout?" Emma asked casually, placing her keys in the entranceway."Mommy!" Asher came over happily. He had his hands behind his back, smiling so wide his mouth could not close. "Daddy bought yummy food! It's so good!"Emma raised an eyebrow, teasing her son, "How do you know it's good? Did you sneak a taste?"Asher, caught red-handed, pursed his lips. "Daddy asked me to try it."Once he finished speaking, he remembered what his mother had said and bravely took responsibility. "I wanted to try it too."He could not blame his dad.Emma smiled, "So, is it good?"Asher stole a glance at his mother's face. Seeing that she was not angry, he quickly said, "You’ll
Emma's voice faltered, a hint of embarrassment coloring her lips as she pursed them. "If it's just for ordinary meals, I should have enough money to cover it.”"But if you want to maintain your previous standard of living... I'm afraid I can't afford that," Emma confessed honestly, unashamed about her modest earnings.Her awkwardness stemmed solely from the stark contrast between her financial situation and Landon's wealth.Suggesting she could support him felt like a presumptuous gesture.Yet, it was her genuine intention.As a successful businessman accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, Landon's sudden unemployment would undoubtedly be a jarring experience.He might even find it difficult to seek help, which was why Emma took the initiative to broach the subject, sparing him the embarrassment."Besides, I believe this unemployment is just temporary. You'll find a new job in no time," Emma encouraged Landon. "You're the best!""You're not working at your old company anymore, so
"Apart from the basic cost of living, the most crucial factor is the risk," Emma explained, pointing to herself. "I have to work hard every day to earn money, and I'm considered fortunate compared to those in worse situations."Rent, food... Even the bare necessities drain us of all our energy. If we're lucky enough to have some savings, we wouldn't risk it all on investments. We can't afford to lose."Emma's smile was serene, yet it struck Landon as strangely poignant. "By keeping our savings untouched, we can use them for emergencies in the future. But if an investment fails, it could ruin our entire livelihood.""We have no safety net." Emma sighed softly.Landon let out a breath, his chest feeling constricted. "You're right. I've been taking things for granted."He had never considered the lives of ordinary people simply because his own life had been anything but ordinary since the day he was born.Emma looked at Landon with surprise, her expression prompting him to ask, "Why
"What?" Emma's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly waved her hands in refusal. "No, no, there's no need for that."Her family situation was a complete mess. She would not even let her own son, let alone an outsider like Landon, get involved in their affairs.She could handle her own suffering. Why drag innocent people into it?"My mother... is just like that," Emma pursed her lips, trying to sound nonchalant. "I can handle it.""Do you want to resolve this once and for all?" Landon asked.Emma's eyes lit up. Of course, she did!However, the question was... how was that possible?They were bound by blood, a tie that could not be severed."It's okay. Don't worry about it," Emma said, her initial excitement replaced by a smile of rejection.After all, it was not like anyone could really solve a family dispute.What could Landon possibly do?These kinds of family matters were always complicated and messy. There was no clean solution."It's not a bother," Landon replied with a
“Of course, marriage is about mutual benefit. You treat me well, and I treat you well in return. You help me shoulder life's pressures, and I offer you support. That’s what fosters a stable marriage,” Emma stated matter-of-factly.“It won’t work if one side keeps giving while the other takes without giving anything in return.“And sometimes, it may seem like one side isn’t contributing, but there are always invisible sacrifices being made.“Otherwise, how could any marriage last?” Landon wrapped his arms around Emma and sighed softly. “You know, what I love most about you is your clear understanding of things.“You give me a sense of security,” Landon said candidly. He knew Emma was not the type to overthink things as she was a very reasonable person.“You see, Asher has grown so optimistic and cheerful because of you. Being with you makes me feel incredibly at ease. That’s something money can’t buy.”Emma thought seriously for a moment. “If you need comfort, I feel like ther
Emma froze, her curiosity piqued. “What did you learn?”She was not surprised that Asher had absorbed her lessons as that was her goal in teaching him. But what had Landon learned? “I learned a lot,” Landon replied with a smile. “For example, your attention to detail and patience, your tolerance for others, and your ability to handle situations calmly—”Emma laughed, breaking his train of thought. “Stop, stop, stop! If you keep going, I might start believing I'm some kind of superhero! I’d be even better than you!” “Then I'd really be lacking in self-awareness if I think that,” Landon said as he wrapped his arms around her. “You genuinely possess many admirable qualities—exactly what I need.”“Alright, alright... what you need,” Emma replied casually.Landon gently tapped her shoulder. “Are you brushing me off?”Emma pouted. “You hit me…”Landon hurriedly rubbed her shoulder. “Did it hurt?”He had not even used enough force to swat a fly but hearing Emma say it made him do
People loved to take advantage of a good deal, and after consulting the owner, the manager anticipated such behavior from the customers when he proposed the solution. Besides, both the owner and the manager possessed a broader vision. They understood that they could not let a small financial loss tarnish their restaurant's reputation.The way they handled the incident turned into a great advertising opportunity. Those diners who experienced the situation firsthand became loyal customers. They now had a favorable impression of the restaurant and would be the first to recommend it for future gatherings or family outings. No amount of traditional advertising could rival the power of genuine recommendations from friends and family.Both the restaurant owner and manager knew how to effectively navigate a business crisis. What could have been a damaging situation had transformed into positive publicity due to their prompt action.“Let Daddy explain the specifics of the business
The restaurant manager politely apologized and thanked them before clearing all the food from the table. Emma smiled. "I really like this restaurant."Landon nodded, recognizing that this was a business that understood customer service. Just then, Emma spotted Asher’s confused expression. "Those dishes we had earlier might have been touched by that lady."If someone used a spoon that others had already used to scoop food for me, would you be pleased by that?" Asher shook his head vigorously. "Not at all!""Exactly! So, the food that might have come into contact with that lady's saliva was removed and destroyed by the restaurant staff," Emma continued. Asher looked concerned at Emma’s words. "That's such a waste!" "It is, but there's no other option," Emma sighed lightly. "If someone were to get sick from eating that food, it would be much worse. That was a terrible mistake that the lady made. "So the restaurant staff wants to make sure that the mistake was dealt with the
Asher nodded energetically. “Yes!”“Exactly! So, making mistakes isn’t scary, and not knowing things isn’t scary either. The key is to admit it boldly,” Emma explained.“When we make a mistake, we correct it. If we don’t know something, and it doesn’t affect others, we don’t have to learn it if we don’t want to.“But if it impacts others, we need to learn from it,” she continued.“Just like that lady earlier, she needed to learn not to use shared tongs to serve food. But for something like not wanting to do someone’s makeup, that’s okay, she doesn’t have to learn that.“Shared tongs are necessary for everyone, and they can’t be replaced. If you don’t want to do someone’s makeup, they can find someone else to help. That service can be substituted.”Asher listened intently and nodded his head. “I understand now, Mommy!”Landon watched the entire exchange and silently marveled at Emma’s approach. She had a knack for using examples from Asher’s own experiences to explain things, m
Asher beamed up at Emma, a sense of pride shining on his face.Emma finally gathered her emotions and turned to Asher. “Mommy makes mistakes too, Ash.”Asher’s smile faltered as confusion washed over him. “Huh?”Emma chuckled softly and ruffled his hair. “It’s not just Mommy who makes mistakes, Daddy does too.”“Really?” Asher exclaimed as he turned to look at Landon. His face was filled with disbelief.Landon smiled, though he was unsure where Emma was going with the conversation. Nevertheless, he cooperated without hesitation. “That’s right. Daddy makes mistakes too.”Asher’s mouth hung open in surprise, clearly shocked to learn that his impressive parents could also err.“Not just your parents,” Emma continued with a smile, “even people who are more capable than us make mistakes.”“Why?” Asher asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. “If everyone makes mistakes, then why do we even learn?”“Because we work hard to make fewer mistakes and try our best not to cause trouble
“What disruption? You’re just bullying your customers because your business is big!” The middle-aged woman exploded in anger. “Don’t think I’m easy to push around. I’m calling the police!”The restaurant manager nodded calmly. “Please do. Since your actions have caused damage to our establishment, we will also hold you accountable for those damages.”“Damages? What damages?” the woman shouted, stomping her feet in frustration.Unfazed, the manager responded evenly, “Because of your actions, we now need to remove and replace all the food at the serving stations. You’ll be responsible for covering those losses.“And if any customers request refunds because of this, we’ll refund them in full. If they ask for compensation, we’ll provide that too. All of these expenses will be your responsibility.”The woman nearly exploded at the manager’s words. “You’re deluded!“Come on, son, we’re leaving!” She yanked her son’s arm, pulling him toward the exit.But the restaurant staff was not ab
Since Asher had decided to eat one piece of cake himself, he chose fewer cakes, worried that he would not be able to finish them.‘Look at that! He’s already learning how to make his own choices,’ Emma thought proudly.Emma followed Asher’s lead, picking up the cakes he wanted. Just as they were about to leave, Asher suddenly grabbed her sleeve.Puzzled, Emma looked down and asked, “What is it, sweetie?”“They’re using tongs to feed each other,” Asher said, frowning in displeasure.Emma glanced over and saw a middle-aged woman holding a pair of tongs, about to feed a cake to her son. The boy, around eight or nine, reached out to take the cake with his hand, but the woman pulled the tongs back and scolded him, “Don’t use your hands! Just open your mouth.”Emma felt her face flush in disbelief. ‘What are they thinking?’ she protested quietly.The woman did not want her son to use his hands, claiming it was dirty, yet she was about to feed him with the tongs that everyone used to
Landon smiled. “I like eating too. Our whole family does. But what I enjoy most is eating with all of you.”Asher quickly agreed, “I’m always happy when I eat with Mommy and Daddy.”The family of three arrived at the buffet. Thankfully, Emma had already reserved a spot using her phone while they were still on the road.They headed straight to a small private room, ordered their food through the app, and waited for the server to bring it.“Mommy…” Asher called as he tugged at Emma’s shirt. “I want some cake.”Emma laughed and put on her sunglasses. “Let’s go get some cake.”Asher beamed with excitement. “Okay!” With one hand he held Emma’s hand tightly, while he swung the other one back and forth enthusiastically. He hurried along, and his wide, gleaming eyes searched eagerly for the cake display ahead.“Mommy, over there!” He spotted the table filled with cakes in an instant.Even though he was thrilled to see the cakes, Asher did not let go of Emma’s hand or rush ahead.