Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

No matter how many times she gave him the cold shoulder, Andrew kept showing up. Eventually, she just stopped trying to push him away. Rubbing her temples, she sighed, "Alright, I get it."

She wouldn't tell her agent to stop calling Andrew. After all, Aubree Clements was the CEO of Clements Corporation, and pressuring her agent would only make life harder for the young woman. With that, her agent left to find Emma.

Emma had just gotten back to her tiny rented apartment when she saw her mom, Peyton, struggling to walk in, hand on her lower back. "Mom?"

Peyton had been out job hunting that day and had managed to find a gig doing laundry for others, earning $500 a month. But all the bending had taken a toll on her back, leaving her barely able to stand straight and her face contorted with pain. Emma felt a wave of helplessness, a feeling she knew many kids could relate to. Parents could be selfish at times, but their intentions were always good, even if their actions sometimes hurt.

If Peyton had blown the $5,000 grant they received years ago, Emma would have been devastated. But Peyton hadn't touched a cent of it, saving it all these years.

Back when Emma's dad was still alive, Peyton was always frugal-hesitant to spend on anything unnecessary. Emma thought to herself that if Peyton had been truly heartless, she would have left without a second thought. But Peyton wasn't like that, even if she could be selfish at times. It was a painful dilemma.

"Emma," Peyton called out, her face pale from the pain. "I looked for nanny jobs today, but no one would take me, afraid I'd cause trouble. After begging, they finally agreed to let me do laundry. At least it's close to home, less than a mile away. The family's nice they paid me the $500 upfront. You should take it and buy a chicken tomorrow."

She handed Emma five crisp bills, placing them in her hand.

Emma clenched the money and, noticing Peyton's worn-out shoes revealing a big toe, sighed deeply. "Let's get you a new pair of shoes tomorrow instead."

Peyton's expression instantly turned cold. "Shoes? You think this is back in our hometown where you can get a pair of sandals for a few bucks? Shoes here cost at least a hundred, might as well be robbing us."

Peyton, still holding her back, glanced at Emma's stomach, knowing Emma was adamant about not terminating her pregnancy. She decided not to push further, to avoid damaging their relationship beyond repair.

Emma helped her inside, feeling a

mix of emotions. They still had a few thousand saved up; there was no need to be so frugal, especially since she had her own salary now. But the older generation always believed in saving wherever possible, a mindset hard to change, much like Reyton's traditional views on women. Yet, agreeing to let Emma keep the baby was a significant step forward for Peyton.

As Emma was about to head inside, a voice stopped her. "Excuse me, are you Emma?"

Emma tensed and turned to see Aubree's agent, fearing there was an issue with the autograph she had received. "I didn't sell that autograph."

The agent sized her up: tall, with

long legs, and a unique tan complexion: "I'm from Stellar Stage Entertainment. We're interested in discussing a potential contract with you to become a streamer. Would Ms. Emma be interested?"

Both Peyton and Emma were clueless about what being a streamer entailed, but Emma, having seen the agent before, knew she wasn't a threat. "Can you wait a moment? I'll talk after I've settled my mom for the night."

After a long day, Peyton was visibly exhausted. Once inside, Peyton clutched Emma's hand. "Emma, don't trust people here so easily. We're new in town, and they might think we're easy targets."

"Don't worry, Mom. She's a big celebrity's agent, surrounded by people at the hospital today. I saw her; nothing will happen."

Reassured, Peyton let go and fell asleep almost instantly. After tucking her mother in, Emma stepped outside to talk to the agent, who waited patiently in their cramped living room.

"Ms. Emma, you have a great look and presence. How much do you know about Stellar Stage Entertainment? We're expanding into streaming and looking for new talent."

Emma wasn't easily swayed by pie-in-the-sky offers. "What skills do I need to be a streamer?"

"Just be engaging and chat with viewers. We don't pressure our streamers for gifts from the audience."

The agent pulled up a live stream on her phone, showing a beautiful streamer dancing energetically. Emma cringed at the sight, hastily declining the offer.