Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Emma shot a furious glance at Emma, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"You little snake! Just you wait!"

Emma didn't react, simply settling back into her chair with a calm demeanor. The others around them were stealing glances, but she didn't mind. Instead, she focused on comforting Peyton.

"Mom, please eat. You've been bedridden recently; your body needs the nourishment."

Peyton tried to discreetly wipe away her tears, her sleeves growing damp.

"Emma, maybe we should just go back. The town was nice, and nobody there pointed fingers or hurled insults at us. Being a doctor there was respectable, too. That girl from earlier doesn't seem like she's going to leave us alone. This might just be the beginning of more trouble."

"Mom, don't worry about what she said. We don't owe her anything."novelbin

The first time Emma had arrived in Beaconsfield, the price of a beef sandwich at $35 had shocked her for a long time. After all, she had grown up in a rural area, eating simple bread and foraged greens, with meat being a once-a-week luxury that barely cost $10 a pound. It had been a shock and, initially, a source of embarrassment.

But after attending numerous classes with her teachers, she gradually came to terms with it.

There was no shame in it, as long as you lived an honest life, regardless of where you were.

Seeing Peyton unconvinced, she silently started eating, tears streaming down her face as she did. After the meal, Emma walked her back.

"I have classes tonight, and some folks from the company are going to drop off the computers we'll be using. I've cleaned up the remaining space in the bedroom; just have them set up the streaming computer there." Peyton, worried she might forget, made a point to check the bedroom again.

"Okay, Emma. Focus on your classes."

Emma saw the anxiety on Peyton's face. She knew her mother was under a lot of psychological pressure, especially since she still felt uneasy about going to the cafeteria alone. Holding her hand, Emma spoke reassuringly.

"Mom, in a month, the top performer

in this competition will get a house

from the company, about 750 square feet, worth over a million dollars. I'm going to give it my all, so don't worry. Just keep on eating and drinking as usual. And even if I don't make it big, we can always move back to the countryside."

Over a million dollars?!

Shock filled Peyton's eyes; she had never seen that much money in her life, not even in her wildest dreams.

"Mom, just making it to the top three means becoming a featured broadcaster. I've looked into it, and even that position can make good money, Even if I don't win first place, I'll fight for a spot in the top three. That salary will be more than enough to support us both."

Peyton's hands trembled, her lips turning pale.

After a long pause, she finally clasped Emma's hand.

"I know it's no use saying anything

now; we've come this far. Sigh, Emma, as long as you know what you're doing, that's enough. You don't like my nagging, you have your own ideas, and I seem to upset you within minutes of opening my mouth. I don't even know what I did wrong. So, you don't have to report everything to me. Just go and do what you need to."

Tears welled up in Emma's eyes. This was what she had always hoped her mother would understand - not to confine her with those old village norms, telling her she should find a man and settle down.

Like how a woman should stay home, take care of the kids, serve the man, respect her mother-in-law, and dutifully be a housekeeper.

That's how the older generation lived. Peyton did the same, with men earning the money while she stayed home, tending to pigs, doing household chores, and waiting for someone to come home. So, when Emma wanted to break these rules, Peyton wasn't thrilled but rather fearful.

How could a girl have so many ideas?

After all, no matter how much education a girl received, wasn't she meant to marry eventually? No matter how successful she might become outside, she would still need a man, or what would people think?

But after hearing Emma's constant reassurances, Peyton's mindset had started to shift, albeit only slightly. Deep down, she still longed to return to the town.

However, she also understood that she couldn't leave her daughter behind. Now, her daughter was her only kin and the person she would have to rely on in the future.