Emma nodded. "Things seem pretty tricky, huh?"Landon paused for a moment, then laughed. "How did you figure that out?""You don't look so great." Emma leaned closer to her phone's screen, inspecting his face carefully before confirming, "Yeah, you definitely don’t look too good.""Don’t stress over it. If something is going on at work, solve it if you can; if you can't, just let it go. Why stress yourself over it?" Emma smiled and added, "We’ve got more than enough money to live on."It’s no big deal. I’m earning now too. I can take care of you!"Landon chuckled at that. "Alright, so I’m being taken care of now? I guess life’s about to get easier for me.""Of course it is." Emma grinned. "If something's bothering you, just talk to me. Don’t bottle it up. It’s not worth it.""Yeah." Landon let out a heavy sigh. "Some people are playing dirty behind my back… It’s infuriating!"Emma pursed her lips and nodded. "Yeah, that’s pretty low, but let’s think about it another way. The fa
Otherwise… the consequences would have been unimaginable.Emma was not aware of what had been going on behind the scenes. She slept peacefully through the night, woke up refreshed, and spent the day browsing local shops, picking up a few souvenirs before heading to the airport for her flight home.As soon as she stepped off the plane and walked to the exit, she spotted a familiar figure right away. It was hard to miss Landon, standing there with his tall frame.Before Emma could even lift her hand to wave, Landon had started striding toward her with his long legs, closing the distance quickly.Penny grinned and teased, "Emma, it looks like your husband’s here to pick you up! I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it."Emma, in a great mood, smiled and nodded. With a quick wave goodbye, Penny darted off, leaving Emma and Landon together.As soon as Landon reached her, he pulled her into a hug. Emma had not seen him in a while, so she hugged him back tightly. That firm embrace made her fe
"That’s awesome!" Asher clapped his hands excitedly.It had been a long time since the three of them had sat down for a meal together. During dinner, they talked about all sorts of things, making up for lost time. Luckily, the food stayed warm in the oven, so they did not have to worry about it getting cold.Asher was so thrilled and chatty that by the time dinner was over and he had played for a bit, he could not help but start yawning.Emma chuckled and took her little boy for a bath before tucking him into bed, smelling fresh and cozy. With his mother by his side, Asher quickly fell asleep. Even as he drifted off, he was still clutching her hand. He must have missed his mother a lot.After a good night’s rest, Emma headed off to check in with Kingsley, ready to continue her training. She still had a lot to learn. Acting was not just about delivering the lines; movement and diction were equally important. If her speech was unclear, or her delivery lacked power, her performance
John had never been treated like that by his older brother before. Frustrated, he complained, "Harry, this guy bullied me!"Harry did not say a word. Instead, he stood up and slapped John hard across the face.The slap left John stunned. His brother had never hit him like that. What was going on?After striking his brother, Harry straightened his jacket and smiled at Landon. "Mr. Landon, what exactly did my useless brother do to offend you?"With a smirk on his face, Landon replied, "You should ask your brother what he was planning before my bodyguards caught him."Harry turned to his brother, his voice filled with anger. "What were you doing?"Still in shock, John stammered, "I wasn’t doing anything!""Tell me what you were doing!" Harry was losing his patience with his clueless sibling.Landon was not the type to take action without a reason. Sure, Landon’s methods in business could be ruthless, but he never made a move without provocation. For him to go after his brother,
“What’s the deal with Mr. Landon? Is he some kind of big shot we should be afraid of?” John’s pain drove him to fury. “If he keeps talking, I’ll take him down!”In response, Harry delivered a brutal slap. It was so hard that John spun around and, unable to steady himself, crashed hard onto the floor.As the stars faded from his vision, John tasted the faint metallic tang of blood in his mouth.“Harry, what are you doing?” he protested, feeling utterly wronged. “I didn’t do anything. Why are you hitting me?”“What do you mean, why?” Harry was trembling with rage. “Are you out of your mind trying to mess with Landon’s wife?”John’s eyes widened in realization. “Landon? The Landon you’re talking about is Landon Stirling?”“Now you’re getting it?” Harry was almost grinding his teeth in frustration.He never expected that his brother would cause such a massive problem while he was working tirelessly at the office. He knew his brother liked to have fun, but when did he start forcing p
Harry was so furious he almost lost his breath. “Keep talking!”Seeing his brother's dark expression, John realized he was in deep trouble. He hurriedly explained everything that had happened.Harry’s face remained grim as he asked, “Are you sure this is all true?”“I swear, I swear it’s true!” John quickly raised his hand, pledging his honesty.Harry said sternly, "I understand."While Harry was dealing with his brother, Landon was not concerned with the details—he only cared about the outcome.In the training room, Emma had just finished her last move. The instructor clapped and smiled. “Well done, Emma. You’ve made great progress!”“Thanks to a great teacher,” Emma said, her face glowing with happiness. She was drenched in sweat and exhausted, but she felt fantastic. She could really feel herself improving.The instructor gave Emma a few pointers and then left for the day. Emma went to freshen up, and when she came out, she spotted someone familiar.Her eyes lit up inst
Asher nodded seriously. “Okay. If you want it, let’s go for it.” “Ash, you’re so sweet and thoughtful,” Emma said, planting a kiss on her son’s cheek. “If you want to eat something, just let Daddy and me know. We’ll go get whatever you want, alright?”“Alright!” Asher grinned from ear to ear.Landon, glancing in the rearview mirror, could not help but smile.Soon, they arrived at the restaurant, and the family of three began discussing their orders.“Can you eat this? It’s a little spicy,” Emma asked.Ash blinked and said wisely, “You can have it, and I’ll just have a tiny bite.”He demonstrated with his chubby fingers, showing just a small amount. “Just a tiny bite.”Emma laughed. “Okay, just a tiny bite.”Landon looked at the clever little guy and said with a chuckle, “Ash, you’re really smart, knowing to get your mother to try something you can’t handle.”Ash nodded earnestly. “I’ll just try a little.”“Yep, you’re really clever.” Landon laughed. “Emma, our son is a natu
Landon said nothing. All he did was gaze steadily at Emma.Under his intense scrutiny, Emma’s gaze began to waver, unable to meet his eyes."Emma, Ash is my child too," Landon said calmly.He was not agitated; he was just stating a fact in a calm voice."I know you care about Ash." Emma sighed heavily and said earnestly. "But Landon, Stirling Group is your life’s work."I think it would be better if your child took over."Emma was not blind to the genuine affection Landon had for Asher, but she could not be that selfish. She loved Asher dearly but felt it would not be fair to let him inherit Landon’s company."Besides, Ash has been raised well. Even if he doesn’t take over Stirling Group, I believe he will still find his own path.” Emma smiled and asked Landon, "Do you believe in Ash?"Landon sighed softly, his long fingers brushing over Emma’s delicate cheek tenderly. "Emma, you’ve really put a lot of thought into this."I understand that what you’re doing comes from your con
“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.