Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

It was one of those quiet moments, with neither of them saying a word. Dustin had been spending a lot of time with Isaac lately, and seeing how much the kid looked like Max made him a bit envious.

He wondered what his own kids would look like if he ever had any. Staring into his glass of whiskey, Dustin found himself genuinely contemplating whether it was time to find a girlfriend. Otherwise, he'd be stuck in a loop of boozy hangouts, which was starting to feel pretty dull.

Jaired, leaning against the bar, gave Dustin a light nudge on the shoulder. "Hey, Dustin, seriously, don't go falling in love on me. If you do, who am I gonna hit the bars with? I'd be the only single guy left, and you know how awkward that'd be at group dinners." Jaired was counting on Dustin to stay a bachelor, knowing it might be a tall order.

Dustin chuckled and sighed. "I think I've had my share of casual flings. Settling down doesn't sound half bad."

"Don't even think about it! Life's too short to settle for just anyone," Jaired shot back, more for Dustin's sake than his own. After all, he'd already accepted his own solitary fate.

By the time Dustin left the bar, it was already past four. He decided to swing by Stellar Stage Entertainment. He arrived just as Peyton was leaving, and they missed crossing paths by a hair.

As Dustin stepped into the main hall, Donny spotted him and hurried over. "Dustin, Emma's mom has been here waiting for you for hours. Seems like she's got something urgent."

Dustin frowned. Was it something about Emma? They had just sorted things out yesterday, hadn't they?

He quickly called Emma. She had just wrapped up her first live stream and was about to get some lunch when she saw his call.

"Dustin."

"Emma, Donny mentioned your mom's been waiting for me. Is there something going on?"

Emma hesitated. Her mom had told her she was going for a walk in the nearby park; not visiting Stellar Stage Entertainment. It seemed odd-her mom wasn't one to go to the park alone. It looked like she'd gone to confront Dustin.

Clearly, her mom had recognized Dustin yesterday!

Emma, now worried, hung up and was about to dash out when Peyton walked in with groceries.

"Emma, how about some spicy fish for dinner?"

"Mom, how could grocery shopping take you hours? Dustin called, saying you went looking for him at his work. Please, don't do that again."

Peyton's face fell as she set down the groceries, did it for you. I remember his face-you saved him, and now you're left with a child. He should take responsibility. You're pregnant, still working hard, and dealing with all the judgment. It breaks my heart that he's out there not caring. Having a baby isn't something you can do alone."

Emma felt a pang of sadness and gently patted her mom's back. "Mom, I know it's not about his money."

Peyton got more worked up. "Sweetheart, you're making millions. We don't need his money. Who knows if he even makes as much as you? I just wanted to get justice for you."

Emma realized her mom couldn't

grasp Dustin's wealth and status. She gently led her to the couch. "Mom, I won't hide it anymore. That guy from before was Dustin. Blame me if you need to. I chose to be with him. His family is seriously wealthy. Remember Brielle? She's his sister. His wealth could buy several Stellar Stage Entertainments. My salary is pennies compared to his fortune. I get this might be hard to believe, but he's out of our league. I'm tired of being talked about. We can stand on our own."

Hearing her daughter's words, Peyton's eyes glistened with tears.