Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Emma slipped into her clothes and handed her baby to the nanny next door, looking relaxed as ever.

"Mr. Lynch, what brings you here so early?" she asked with a curious smile.

Dustin suddenly felt like he'd lost his voice, as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. Right then, his phone buzzed. Clare was calling to report a break-in from the previous night.

A frown creased Dustin's forehead. The neighborhood was known for its tight security; a burglary seemed unbelievable.noveldrama

"I'm actually at the police station right now. They've caught the burglar," Clare informed him.

Emma, who knew exactly who was on the phone, noticed the change in Dustin's demeanor and asked if anyone was hurt.

Clare let out a sigh of relief. "No one got hurt, but the thief is a kid from the neighborhood. It's a bit of a tricky situation."

"I'll head over shortly," Dustin assured.

Hanging up, he turned to Emma. "I'll come back and make lunch."

"Really, Mr. Lynch, there's no need," Emma replied with a warm smile. "My mom's cooking is just perfect for me. I've been enjoying it for years."

Dustin knelt beside her, gently clasping her hands. "Emma."

She pulled her hands back gently, "If you've got stuff to handle, Mr. Lynch, you should get to it."

The thought of Clare and her situation, his responsibility in it, and her isolation in Beaconsfield nagged at him. He rubbed his temples briefly. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he left. Emma took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the smiling babies in the stroller. Her heart melted, prompting her to buy two saplings from the local nursery, planting them as symbols of life and growth in the garden.

Yet, she was still stuck on what to name them. Should they have the last name Moll or Lynch? The decision seemed impossible.

Peyton, noticing her struggle, chimed in decisively. "Let's give the boy the Lynch surname and the girl Moll. There, problem solved." Emma's eyes lit up. She named her son Jaime and her daughter Heather, then went to get their names officially registered.

Meanwhile, Dustin's visit to Clare

was longer than expected. He discovered the thief was indeed a neighborhood kid, known for sticky fingers who had given Clare quite a scare by breaking in during the night.

BUMS

"I'll get a few people to help you out, keep you company," he decided, making arrangements before Clare could respond. Clare discreetly snapped a picture of him making a call by the window and sent it to Emma. "Sorry, he's here again."

Emma, usually bold and unafraid to

stand up to online trolls, found

herself at a loss when dealing with a rival for Dustin's affection. This was uncharted territory for her, and she was unsure how to respond, especially since Clare had recently lost a child-a loss that seemed

ave

partly due to Dustin's decisions.

This realization made her wary of Dustin, but she knew she wasn't personally involved in their drama. As long as she didn't expect anything from Dustin, she wouldn't be disappointed.

Clare's texts kept coming. "Can you really accept him for who he is? He still keeps in touch with all his exes."

Emma, feeling overwhelmed by the constant messages, had no idea how to respond, her mood growing darker by the minute.

Peyton, coming downstairs for dinner and seeing Emma's troubled face, offered some comfort. "Emma, after dinner, get some good rest. You don't seem like yourself."

Emma nodded, heading upstairs for some sleep after dinner.

After cleaning up, Peyton noticed Emma's phone on the table. Remembering her recent fixation on it and knowing her passcode, Peyton decided to take a peek. The screen was still on Clare's messages.

Peyton, able to piece together the gist of the messages, felt anger bubbling up sometimes at Dustin, sometimes at Clare. Emma had just had a baby, and during their hospital stay, Peyton had learned how emotionally vulnerable new mothers can be. And here was Clare, continually provoking her.