Emma was speechless. "Why would you test me?"What value did she have that made him want to test her?“Think about it,” Landon began, “if I wanted to start a relationship with you, I would test whether you were worth my sincere commitment.”Emma frowned and thought for a moment. "I hadn’t really thought about it. Some people might find that uncomfortable. But I guess I did not think much of it,” Emma admitted. “Besides, it’s not like you could guarantee that you would win. And even if you lost, I don’t think you’d be defeated by it.“If we both work hard, we can still live a good life.”Landon agreed with Emma. "Yes, we can live a good life together. No matter what we face in the future, we can face it together."Emma felt a jolt in her heart. She looked up and stared at Landon.His words touched her.She imagined the two of them facing up to everything together.It was the kind of family she had always wanted.“Why are you crying?” Landon’s voice brought Emma back to reali
Emma needed to check the situation online first to ensure that everything was alright so that Asher would not encounter any trouble at kindergarten.To Emma’s surprise, the online narrative had completely shifted overnight.Landon had released a slew of evidence, exposing the actions of Leopold and the Normans within Stirling Group, as well as proof of their embezzlement.After Landon’s parents’ accident years ago, The Norman family had quickly taken advantage of their collaboration with Stirling Group, only to sever all ties with the company soon after.For years, the Norman family had had no connection with Landon or Stirling Group.Now, with the family’s business facing a severe financial crisis and in desperate need of an influx of funds, it only highlighted their greed and shamelessness.Even those who had testified in favor of Leopold and the Norman family were exposed for receiving suspicious sums of money.If that was not bribery, then what was it?Moreover, the account
Emma had a good conversation with Asher about what had happened online, using the situation as a teaching moment. The event had indirectly impacted Asher, so he could relate to it on a personal level.Though his understanding was limited, Emma tried to teach him as much as she could. She did not expect Asher to reach great heights in life but hoped he would grow up to be a responsible, optimistic, and cheerful person.After lunch, Emma had just lulled Asher to sleep when she received a call from Landon. "…Okay, I understand. I’ll look for it."Emma quickly headed to Landon’s suite and searched the spot he had mentioned. "I see it. It’s a blue folder… Should I open it? Alright.“The first page says something about cultural projects… Is that it?” Emma read only the large letters at the top, not bothering with the rest.Since it was a Stirling Group document, she was careful not to pry into any confidential information.“Okay, I’ll bring it to you right away.” After confirming it
Emma had carefully chosen a sealed plastic case that was both waterproof and designed to keep the documents secure. Even if something unexpected happened, the documents in the folder would remain intact.She felt quite clever for thinking of that.Suddenly, she stumbled as Landon pulled her forward.“What are you doing?” Emma lightly tapped Landon, barely managing to keep her balance. If she had not, she would have ended up in Landon’s arms.The entrance of the company was bustling with people. What would it look like to them?“Come with me to the office infirmary,” Landon said. “You need to get that wound treated.”Landon’s gaze fixed intently on the abrasions on Emma’s palm, where blood and dirt had mingled, making the sight particularly distressing. His concern for her was palpable.Emma glanced at her hand and smiled, casually brushing it off. “It’s fine. I’ll just wash it when I get home, and then…”Landon’s face darkened immediately. Without a word, he pulled Emma along
Landon’s private elevator arrived, and he guided Emma inside. He was so careful to avoid touching her injured area that it only made Emma’s tears flow uncontrollably.Her reaction deeply unsettled Landon. He saw the injury on her palm and noticed that her pants were covered in dirt, but he had no idea how badly she might be hurt under her clothes.He released her hand and reached for her neck and knees.Emma jumped. “What are you doing?”‘Is he trying to carry me?’ she wondered to herself.“Are you injured anywhere else?” Landon’s brows furrowed in concern. “We need to get you to the infirmary right away. I’ll call an ambulance.”Emma was at a loss for words.Landon, oh Landon. She did not know how to respond, so she ended up laughing instead.Her laughter confused Landon even more. His puzzled expression only made Emma laugh harder.For such a serious man to appear so endearingly concerned was heartwarming. She felt incredibly happy and content, though she was not quite s
Dr. Chase was eager to assure Landon that he was a capable employee.“Treat the injury,” Landon instructed Dr. Chase. “And be gentle,” he added.Dr. Chase immediately understood that the patient in front of him was of significant importance to Landon.As Emma sat down, she turned to Landon and assured him, “I’ll be fine. Go ahead and attend your meeting.”Landon remained still and silent.Emma looked at his tense, handsome face and felt a mix of affection and amusement. Sometimes, he was as stubborn as Asher.“Be good now…” Emma drawled softly, trying to persuade him.The method worked well with Asher, and she was curious to see if it would work on Landon too.After all, Asher never could resist whenever she pouted at him.Without realizing it, she had used the same tone with Landon. Then it dawned on her that it may have been slightly inappropriate.Emma was about to find a way to recover, but to her surprise, she noticed a faint blush creep up Landon’s ears. Then he c
Emma had no idea of the impact she had left on Dr. Chase. After delivering the documents, she felt lighthearted as she headed home. In the afternoon she received a call and, after a while, responded with a smile, “Yes, I understand.”As she hung up the phone, Emma saw Asher gazing up at her. She smiled and patted his cheek, “Daddy said he’ll get dinner tonight, so we don’t have to cook. How about we play some games instead?”Asher’s eyes lit up instantly, “Yes!”Emma laughed and then patted Asher’s arm, “Go get your toys.”Asher eagerly dashed off to fetch his toys, ready to play with Emma. They spent the next half-hour playing energetically. They were on a thick play mat, so even with all the noise, it did not disturb anyone downstairs.No matter how they played, they made sure not to inconvenience anyone else.“Did you have fun?” Emma asked, laughing as she wiped the sweat off Asher's forehead with a towel. “Here, dry yourself off so you don’t catch a cold.”“So much fun
Landon’s smile vanished when he heard the washing machine. Emma was confused. She did not understand why doing the laundry was an issue.“Do you have clothes to wash too?” Emma asked, puzzled.Landon narrowed his eyes at Emma and said, “Come here. I need to talk to you.”Turning to Asher with a smile, Landon said, “Asher, go wash your hands. We’ll eat soon.”“Okay,” Asher said, cheerfully unaware of the tension between Emma and Landon.Emma followed Landon to his suite, still confused. Once inside, Landon’s expression darkened. He was noticeably irritated. “Why are you doing the laundry? Aren’t you injured? You should not have any contact with water.“I bought dinner so you wouldn’t have to do anything,” Landon continued, growing more frustrated. How could she be so careless about her own well-being?Emma looked at Landon’s scowling face and smiled. His concern made her feel unreasonably happy. “Are you worried about me?”Landon huffed in annoyance, refusing to respond.
“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.