Emma quietly observed as the company executives presented their reports. Though she could not grasp the complex data, she focused intently on Landon's expressions, hoping to glean some insight. However, after watching for quite some time, she noticed that his expression barely changed at all.Throughout the meeting, Landon spoke sparingly, but whenever he did, everyone in the room turned their attention to him, listening intently. His words, though few, always struck at the heart of the matter, making the person responsible for that particular issue tense and uneasy.The meeting dragged on for over an hour before it finally concluded. As soon as it ended, Landon stood up, and the other executives quickly followed suit. This time, Landon walked over to Emma, standing away from everyone, and gently took her hand instead of leaving the room as usual.To their surprise, Landon, who had maintained a cold demeanor throughout the meeting, was now smiling with extraordinary warmth.E
"Do you mostly order takeout at the office?" Emma asked.Landon nodded. "Going to a restaurant can be a hassle. With takeout, I can handle some work while waiting, or I can take a bit more time to rest."Emma sighed. "Bosses are always busier than they look, huh? In TV shows, it always seems like the bosses have plenty of time to take vacations. They're on yachts or beaches, sipping red wine and basking in the sun, looking so relaxed and carefree."Landon thought for a moment and replied, "There’s time for that too, but it’s rare."Everyone has different priorities. Often, work comes first. When there’s too much to do, there isn’t even time to sleep, let alone go on vacation."Landon shook his head with a smile. "Right now, I don’t have the luxury of time. I need to focus on getting the work done, saving up some free time so that when Asher's summer or winter break comes around, we can take him on a trip."Emma paused, then laughed.He was already thinking of Asher and her as a
Landon's words made Emma laugh. "You think everything about me is perfect, don't you?"Without hesitation, Landon nodded. "Absolutely."Amused, Emma served Landon a few dishes as she shook her head with a soft sigh. "That's the charm of being in love."During the honeymoon phase, all the flaws disappear, and you only see each other's strengths." Emma raised an eyebrow playfully at Landon. "So, after the honeymoon, many couples who get married suddenly realize that the person they're with isn't the same as the one they dated."She sighed dramatically. "So, do you think I should start worrying?"Landon looked at Emma, exasperated but still smiling. "Honey, we've already tied the knot. It's official."Emma blinked, then nodded. "Oh, that's true.""So, we don't have to worry about post-honeymoon issues. We're already in the 'after' phase." Landon asked, "Since you haven't noticed my flaws yet, I guess there's no problem."Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you really think you h
Emma watched as Landon let Asher ride on his shoulders to see the animals in the enclosures. Her heart melted at the sight of it.How had she gotten so lucky to have met such a wonderful person?Emma’s mood remained cheerful when she arrived on set. She was determined to work hard and improve herself, so she could contribute more to her family.Upon reaching the set, Emma distinctly felt an unfriendly gaze. She turned to look around but could not identify the source."What’s wrong, Emma?" Penny asked curiously."I felt like someone was watching me but not in a nice way," she replied softly.Emma was not so foolish to completely ignore her instincts. She preferred to be overly cautious rather than take unnecessary risks.After all, she had a family to think about and could not afford to be reckless."I’ll have someone look into it," Penny said seriously. "You should go meet the director, Tim Roth.""Okay," Emma nodded in agreement.Tim was visibly pleased to see Emma. "Great
Emma nodded happily. "So, as soon as I sensed something was off, I had Penny investigate. I also had the bodyguards follow me before updating you."She felt delighted because Landon had not scolded or dismissed her concerns as an overreaction or paranoia.When she was younger, if she sensed something was wrong and told her mother, she would be met with harsh reprimands and a scolding.Her mother had always complained that Emma was making a fuss over nothing, saying there was no need to bring up every little issue.Then when something did go wrong, Emma would still be the one to blame. No matter what, it seemed she was always at fault.As a result, Emma had grown accustomed to keeping her opinions to herself and was hesitant to speak up.But with Landon, she did not need to hold back at all. Even though it was just a feeling, both Penny and the bodyguards took it very seriously.They were professionals after all and it was their job to be diligent. Emma had informed Landon, and i
Landon shared the results of the investigation with Kingsley. After listening, Kingsley fell silent. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” The depth of the investigation, including scrutinizing people’s financial transactions, was a massive undertaking. Just how many resources had Landon invested in this?What struck Kingsley was that Landon had undertaken all this because of a mere hunch from Emma. He felt that agreeing to help Landon and managing artists again had been a wise decision. With Emma, there was no chance of a misstep.“It’s still not enough,” Landon said with a sigh. “There are areas that haven’t been thoroughly investigated yet; we’ve only done a preliminary check.“I’m especially concerned about impulsive actions within the crew. Such things are the hardest to guard against,” Landon explained.Kingsley understood Landon’s concern. After all, jealousy and malice were prevalent everywhere, and sudden, unplanned issues were often the most troublesome.“I’ll k
Tim glanced at Emma and asked, "What’s the issue?"Emma held up the script and said, "I think there's something unrealistic about this part of the script."Tim took the script and scanned the relevant section. "What seems to be the problem?""The scene shows the heroine, after a long, exhausting day, encountering someone who is looking for trouble. She responds with righteous indignation and silences them with her rebuttal. It’s supposed to be a powerful moment, right?" she asked.Tim had certainly felt that the scene was indeed stirring. He had imagined how the heroine who had worked hard all day had seemed both inspiring and motivational as she stood her ground with a passionate rebuttal, against the mockery she faced."But..." Emma continued, "...this scene doesn’t quite fit."Tim looked at her in confusion. "Why not?"Emma explained with a smile, "According to the script, the heroine is utterly exhausted and hasn’t even had dinner. In that state, she wouldn’t have the ener
Emma's day on set went smoothly. Though it was her first time as the lead, she handled it with ease, thanks to her experience from working on other sets. However, since filming had run late, she did not return to the hotel until after ten.Emma sent Landon a quick message: [I'm back at the hotel.]Soon after, a video call request popped up.Emma answered with a smile. "You’re still awake?""It’s not midnight yet. I told you, you can message me anytime. If it’s urgent, you can even call. I’m always available before twelve," Landon replied.Emma knew that as long as she was back before midnight, Landon would be free to chat with her."I accomplished something big today," Emma said with a grin as she opened a bottle of mineral water."I spotted an inconsistency in the script and suggested a change to Tim, who agreed to it," Emma added proudly."Oh? What was the scene?" Landon asked with genuine curiosity, which made Emma feel even more satisfied.Emma carefully described the scen
“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.