Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

"No wedding ring, no girlfriend, like I mentioned last time. His sister is that kind-hearted woman you talked about, Mr. Haywood from Stellar Stage Entertainment." Peyton felt a jolt in her chest and grabbed Emma's arm.

"Emma, I know his sister's a gem, but who knows what the parents are thinking? We're just regular folks, better not to get too carried away. Remember, you taught me not to rely too much on men. Now, as your mom, I'm passing that advice back to you. Don't get too wrapped up with him. My daughter deserves the best, and I'm worried you might feel out of place there."

Emma felt a warmth spread through her, genuinely touched by her mom's independent mindset.

"Mom, don't worry, I won't lose myself in this."

But the next morning, while Emma was still sleeping, the doorbell rang, echoing through the living room. Opening the door, she found Dustin standing there with a bunch of groceries, bright and early at 8 a.m. "Emma, have you had breakfast yet?" he asked, switching to a more familiar tone.

Emma's heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head.

Dustin stepped in, slipping on the same shoes he wore yesterday.

"Where's your kitchen?" he asked casually.

Still a bit dazed, Emma pointed towards it.

Peyton was still snoozing, and the kitchen was empty.

Dustin slipped on the apron he brought and said, "I'll cook here. I've got a meeting at noon, so I'll just have it here. Could you grab the laptop from the living room across from mine?"

The whole situation felt oddly intimate, especially with him cooking.

Emma, taken aback, quickly grabbed his sleeve.

"Mr. Lynch, let my mom handle it. I can't have you doing all this."

Dustin just smiled, gently turned her around, and nudged her out.

"Go get the laptop. I changed the room's passcode to your birthday this morning."

Emma blushed and felt a bit flustered.

Arriving at Dustin's place, Emma took a deep breath and entered her birthday as the code.

The door swung open, revealing a space with understated elegance, dignified and tasteful.

She hurried in, grabbed the laptop from the desk, and made her way back.

From the kitchen, the sound of chopping vegetables echoed.

By then, Peyton was up, assuming Emma was cooking, and started to scold.

"Emma, if you're hungry, just wake me up. Why are you in the kitchen?"

Her words caught in her throat when she saw Dustin.

"Good morning, ma'am," Dustin greeted.

Peyton took a step back, then quickly moved closer when she realized.

"I can handle it. You're a guest, please, just relax."

"It's no trouble. I cook for myself at home."

Peyton noticed the intricate vegetable carvings, her face flushing.

Back

cooking was all about.

throwing things in a pot; nothing like detailed work, which looked both beautiful and appetizing.

belongs to en.kikistoriewontent

Not

thing to embarrass herself,

thinking her cooking might not match his taste, she excused herself

to the living room.

Emma returned with the laptop, noticing her mom seated tensely, hands nervously clasped. "Mom," she called softly.

Peyton instantly gestured for her to look towards the kitchen.

Emma set the laptop down, acknowledging with a nod.

As she approached, Peyton pulled her close to whisper.

"Emma, what do we do? He's

ЭЛ

amazing at cooking, those carvings are stunning. Should we hire a chef? If he visits, will he think my cooking is terrible?"

Emma wasn't even sure if Dustin would visit, "Mom, let's just see how it goes."

Two hours later, Dustin started bringing dishes to the table.

Peyton hurried to help, her eyes widening at the sight of six beautifully presented dishes.

Emma was equally stunned, frozen by the table.

Dustin guided her to a seat.

"Let's dig in."

In a daze, Emma picked up her fork and tasted the food, her eyes lighting up.

Dustin, still wearing his apron, rested his chin on his hand, smiling gently at her. "These are to help with your morning sickness, to make your stomach feel better." Emma quietly took a few more bites, her eyes misting over, "Yeah."