[Damien praised me for making progress and improving.] Emma texted with a smile.Almost immediately, Landon replied. [I knew you were amazing, but I didn’t realize just how much. It seems I need to step up my game or I'll be left behind.]Emma’s lips curled into a grin as she quickly typed back a message on her phone. They went back and forth with messages, enjoying their chat.Penny watched the time tick by and finally interrupted, “Emma, you need to take care of that injury and eat something. You barely ate anything for lunch because of the rigging. You’ll make yourself sick if you keep this up. It’s already almost three in the afternoon.”“Okay, okay,” Emma replied, reluctantly putting her phone down after giving Landon a heads-up.As she set her phone aside, Penny teased, “Chatting with your husband, huh?”“Yeah,” Emma said with a shy smile. “Damien complimented me, so I wanted to share it with him.”Penny laughed. “You two are like a pair of lovesick teenagers, even though
Penny brought over some ice packs for Emma and tended to her other injuries.Noticing that Emma seemed lost in thought, Penny asked, "What’s on your mind?""I think I can change how I deliver my next line," Emma murmured, then fell back into her thoughts.Penny paused for a moment before smiling. She found Emma truly dedicated.After Penny treated Emma’s wounds, the food arrived. Penny encouraged Emma to eat first and think about her performance later.Things were pretty calm on Emma's side, but over at Landon’s office, he set his phone down and looked up. He said, "Let's continue."Immediately, the executives refocused on the discussion, but their minds were divided. Half of them were absorbed in the meeting, while the other half wondered about the person who had made their boss so animated.Landon had paused the meeting to respond to a message, and it seemed he had spent quite a while typing. One thing was for certain: they could tell from his smile that it was not a work-
"Huh?" Asher looked up and touched his head. "I’m growing up?"Then, he grinned widely. "When I grow up, I can protect Mommy and Daddy."Landon smiled warmly. It was nice to see Asher thinking about protecting them, even at his young age."That's right. When you grow up, you’ll protect me and Mommy, okay?" Landon said with a smile. "What would you like to eat today?"They had planned to go out for a meal that morning. Landon could not cook, so he had brought their old chef back to help out while Emma was away. Ever since Emma had been taking acting classes, the chef had been preparing their meals.However, Landon had no objections to Asher wanting to eat out, and Emma felt the same way. Eating out occasionally was fine as long as it was not too frequent."Barbecue!" Asher exclaimed, raising his little arm with excitement."Alright, barbecue it is!" Landon laughed. "Let’s go have some barbecue."Landon took Asher to a high-quality restaurant, one that matched his usual dining st
Asher’s big, round eyes darted around the shelves as he looked up at Landon and asked, “Can I get lots and lots of these?”“Lots and lots?” Landon bent down and asked with a smile.Asher nodded vigorously, stretching his little arms wide to show just how much he wanted. “Lots of it!”“Well, of course, you can,” Landon replied with a chuckle. “If you like them, you can have as many as you want.”Asher’s face lit up with a wide smile, and he excitedly pointed at several bags of snacks on the shelf. “Daddy! Daddy, I want this one, this one, and that one too…”Landon grabbed the snacks Asher pointed to, which only totaled six bags.“Do you want anything else?” Landon asked.Asher shook his head. “No, that’s enough.”Landon laughed at how easily satisfied the little guy was. However, he also picked up some fruit and other items, planning to make fresh juice for Asher at home.As he pushed the shopping cart, Asher held onto Landon’s shirt tightly, not letting go.Landon looked at h
“I’ve never really tried it before… Actually, I don’t have much of a plan about what I can do or what I want to do,” Emma admitted candidly to Landon.“Since I was young, I’ve never known what I wanted. My family always just pushed me to study hard, but I never really understood why,” Emma confessed, not worried about Landon laughing at her.She knew he would not. No matter what she said, he would always be understanding and supportive, always ready to help her figure things out.“Especially when it comes to career plans, I haven’t really thought it through properly. I just followed my mom’s advice to find a job that paid enough to support myself,” Emma said with a sheepish smile. “It’s been pretty aimless. And honestly, I don’t even know what I truly like.”Emma then smiled brightly. "But honestly, I think acting is really fun.”“Then enjoy it. But if you run into any problems, just talk to me. Don’t keep it to yourself,” Landon encouraged.“Make sure to protect yourself if thin
"Why not?" Landon did the math for Emma.He laid out all the investment returns, data, and projections, leaving Emma feeling dizzy with all the figures."And that’s it." Landon took a sip of water, his throat dry from talking. "Now that you've heard it all, don't you think my investment strategy is making a lot of money?""If that's the case, then the money I make in the future will be real cash you can spend. The investments I'm making now will bring even more returns.""Still feel uneasy about it? Now that you understand how I 'spend money,' what do you think?" Landon asked casually, not wanting Emma to feel any burden.Emma nodded. "I have one thought... I’m definitely not cut out for the business world."Landon paused, then heard Emma let out a heavy sigh. "It’s giving me a headache. I can't make sense of it at all."Landon could not help but laugh. "Emma, how can you be so adorable?"Emma did not get Landon's train of thought. "How can you find me cute when I’m being this
Landon shook his head honestly. "I like you just the way you are—speaking your mind."Emma could not help but grin. At first, she tried to hold it in, pressing her lips together, but eventually, she burst out laughing.Seeing her laugh made Landon even happier, and he joined in.After chatting for a while, Landon noticed it was getting late. He gently suggested she get some rest.That night, Emma went to bed with a smile still on her lips. She was genuinely happy.When in a good mood, everything seemed easier. The next day, she arrived on set with her energy through the roof.During her scene with Sydney, they nailed it in just one take—something Emma had never managed before."Great job, Emma," Damien praised her generously.Emma blushed with pride. "It’s all thanks to Sydney. She really helped me get into character."Overhearing Emma’s comment, Sydney began to understand why Damien liked her so much.Emma had backing, that much was clear. Yet, she always kept a humble att
Landon took Emma's hand as they walked toward the parking lot, which Emma accepted much better than the hug from earlier.Noticing how at ease Emma seemed, Landon could not help but chuckle to himself. He knew the art of negotiation well. First, propose something the other party might reject, then step back slightly to achieve the real goal. It was a tactic he had mastered. Especially on Emma, who was straightforward and without any hidden agenda. Though it made him feel a bit guilty, as if he was winning too easily. Still, when it came to winning over his wife, using a few tricks seemed justifiable.Once they got home, Landon suggested Emma rest. She was indeed exhausted. Without even unpacking, she washed up and went straight to bed.When she woke up, it was already dark outside. As soon as she opened the door, the delicious aroma of food hit her. Dinner was ready."Mommy!" Asher came running up and clung to his mother’s leg, looking up at her with an adoring gaze. He
“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.