“So you see, having substantial financial resources is crucial,” Emma concluded.Landon sighed and rubbed her head in exasperation. “You just want to get under my skin.”“I’m only speaking the truth,” Emma said with a smile, taking his hand and playfully shaking it. “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you.“You have both money and heart, which is impressive,” Emma said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.Landon laughed despite his irritation. “I’m not Asher, you don’t need to coax me like you do with him.”“Oh you could use some buttering up,” Emma teased as she leaned into his embrace.Now that Emma and Landon were more familiar with each other, the awkwardness had faded to be replaced by a natural ease.“Go ahead and arrange for a bodyguard if you want,” Emma said. Her life was going well, and she wanted to enjoy it peacefully. She did not want any mishaps to spoil her happiness.After chatting with Landon for a while, Emma checked the time and yawned. “I’m going to bed now. I’m s
They were puzzled but did not rush Landon for answers. They knew that he would clarify everything in due time. When the scheduled time arrived, Landon entered the conference room. Ezra had distributed the files to the company's executives. After they opened and reviewed the documents, their expressions turned from confusion to astonishment and eventually to excitement. The meeting lasted nearly two hours. By the time everyone left, they were energized and eager to tackle the new challenges ahead. Calvin was puzzled. “Why the sudden interest in this line of business?” “I think Stirling Group needs to diversify its business,” Landon replied casually. “The timing is perfect. It's a great opportunity for us to make our move.”“It won't be easy to take over that company,” Calvin said, furrowing his brow.Landon took a seat and smiled lightly. “I don’t intend a hostile takeover. My goal is to demonstrate Stirling Group’s strength and persuade them to partner with us.”Calvin pau
Penny frowned and asked, “What do you want with her?”She still remembered the sinister look Ellen had given Emma back at the set. It was unnerving.“Just checking,” Emma said and followed Penny into the car. “Kingsley is impressive, isn’t he? He said that I would not run into Ellen and I really have not.”“You know, that role would have suited Ellen as well,” Penny remarked.In the entertainment industry, there were many actors of similar types, and resources each year were limited. It was entirely normal for many actors to vie for a single role. Moreover, Kingsley was arranging auditions with major productions, not small, unpromising projects. Ellen should not have missed out on the opportunity.“That’s the magic of Kingsley Shacklebolt,” Penny said proudly.When Emma arrived at her lessons, she spotted Kingsley. She informed him about the audition and expressed her gratitude for his help.“Ellen probably won’t have any opportunities to compete for roles against you fo
“Do you seriously not trust Landon?” Kingsley sighed in disbelief at Emma.She was always hanging around Landon yet somehow remained so naive.“What does Landon have to do with this?” Emma was confused.Kingsley explained bluntly, “The trouble behind Ellen's backer? It was your husband who went after him.“You didn’t know?” Kingsley found it hard to believe.Emma shook her head, bewildered. “He didn’t mention anything.”However, something felt off, and she hesitated before asking, “Wait, why would my husband deal with Ellen’s backer? Is everything okay? Did he throw a bunch of money at the problem?“Making money isn’t easy for him! Why would he spend it on this? There are tons of people like Ellen. I could just avoid her, right?” Emma sounded anxious. Kingsley watched as Emma paced nervously, her worry growing with every step. She even fumbled with her phone and dialed Landon’s number.When the call connected, Emma jumped right into it. “I just heard from Kingsley that you de
Kingsley asked directly, “What if he’s just telling you what you want to hear, to make you feel better?”Emma paused for a moment, a look of confusion crossing her face. Then, she smiled and said, “That just means my husband’s really clever.”Kingsley was speechless.“He solved my problem, expanded his company into a new market, and the best part… he made a profit!” Emma’s excitement grew as she spoke. “He’s really something, isn’t he?”He could see now that it was a classic case of being lovestruck. Emma was sharp and smart when it came to most things, but when it involved Landon, everything he did or said was perfect in her eyes.“Alright, forget about all that. Focus on your class,” Kingsley said, not wanting to argue with someone so clearly under the influence of love. As long as it did not interfere with her acting, that was all that mattered to him.Later that evening, Emma came home with a cake to celebrate and was beaming with happiness.Her little boy’s eyes lit up
Only Calvin knew that after acquiring the rival company, the real hard work had just begun. Landon had been incredibly busy lately, mainly because he took advantage of the right opportunity to make his move and seized the moment while the other company was having issues. Of course, he did not think there was anything unethical about it. In the business world, if one wanted to expand, they had to do whatever it took. As long as it was within legal bounds, Landon had no qualms about using every method available.Still, no matter how busy he was, Landon never skipped out on his routine. Like clockwork, he would leave work every day on time to pick up Asher. Emma had joined a film production again, so with her away, Landon made sure to take care of their child, bringing him home to eat and play together. If Emma had a break from shooting, they would do a video call. Afterward, Asher would go off to read while Landon continued working. As Emma often said, Landon was setting a good
Emma was not interested in becoming a celebrity; she just wanted to focus on her acting. Landon did not plan on staying up late, but by the time he scrolled through all the online posts about Emma’s character, it was already past 1 a.m. Thus, he reluctantly put his phone down and closed his eyes for some sleep.The next day at the office, he still felt tired. The morning coffee had not kicked in yet, and it had been a while since he had stayed up that late. He was not used to it anymore. Despite the exhaustion, he was still buzzing with excitement, especially when he thought about Emma’s role from the previous night. She had been so stunning that it took his breath away."That character last night was gorgeous and elegant,” someone commented."Is she new? I don’t think I’ve seen her before," another voice chimed in."Is she really a rookie? She acted so well! That look she gave—it made my heart skip a beat.""But there wasn’t much screen time for her."A few employees were ch
“What’s up?” Landon rubbed his temples. He felt much better after a short nap during lunch. Clearly, staying up too late was not doing his productivity any favors.“I heard something while I was having lunch,” Calvin said while looking at Landon with a complicated expression.Landon stayed silent, giving Calvin a look that said, ‘Just spit it out already.’“One of the employees mentioned that when they got on the elevator this morning, someone was talking about last night’s TV show,” Calvin said.He found the situation so surreal that he had to come over and confirm what he had heard.“That was me.” Landon immediately knew what Calvin was getting at, so he did not make Calvin beat around the bush and simply admitted it. “Emma made her first appearance last night. She did an amazing job. Did you watch it?” Landon asked eagerly, as if Calvin had missed out on a fortune by not watching it.Calvin was at a loss for words. Did Landon think he had nothing better to do than watch TV
“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.