Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

Emma had been out cold for two days straight, unable to keep any food down. Every time she tried to eat, it just came right back up.

After giving birth to two kids, it felt like she'd lost half her life force. She'd just started to look a bit healthier when she suddenly dropped twenty pounds, losing that vibrant glow she once had. She looked so frail, like she could pass out at any moment. She refused to eat, and Dustin couldn't force it on her, so they had to hook her up to an IV to get some nutrients in her.

Meanwhile, he was overwhelmed, juggling everything else and taking care of their two kids. Even though Emma wasn't eating, Dustin still cooked every day, hoping she might change her mind.

Three days later, Brielle finally stopped by. Seeing Dustin alone in the kitchen, busy as ever, she couldn't help but ask, "Hey, where's Emma?"

Dustin was chopping veggies. "Upstairs with the kids."

Brielle hurried upstairs, finding Emma in the kids' room, sitting there with a vacant look, holding one of the babies. The window was open, letting in a draft.

Brielle quickly shut it. "Emma, you doing okay?"

Emma snapped back to reality, offering Brielle a weak smile after a long pause. "Yeah, thanks for asking, Mr. Haywood."

Seeing how much weight Emma had lost made Brielle's heart ache. But what could she say to ease her pain? This was about losing someone close.

"Emma, just focus on resting for now. Forget about the livestream and all that," Brielle suggested.

Emma's mind was a mess, barely registering what Brielle was saying. Dustin would talk to her every day, but sometimes it was like she couldn't hear a word, just watching their lips move. "Yeah, thanks, Mr. Haywood."

Brielle strolled over to the baby's crib and gently rocked it. That seemed to snap Emma out of her daze. She stood up quickly and rushed over, picking up the sleeping baby. "It's okay, it's okay, don't cry."

Brielle just stood there, unsure of what to say. Emma was so focused on the baby, reacting to every little sound, thinking it might be the baby crying. Maybe she was hoping for a cry, just to feel alive. Brielle was at a loss for words and just gave Emma a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then, she headed downstairs, finding Dustin still busy in the kitchen.

"Did they figure out what caused Peyton's accident? It happened so far from here, and she was always so cautious. How did she end up there alone?"

Dustin stiffened, putting down his knife. "Driver fatigue. The driver hadn't slept properly in three days. And Peyton wasn't paying attention either. Both were at fault."

"I saw the news coverage of the

accident. The media's pointing fingers at Emma, saying Peyton

went onto the expressway by

innocent and that it's only benet

herself. They claim the driver wonet

of Emma's fame that there's talk of compensation. Emma should steer clear of the internet for a while; it'll break her."

Dustin stopped everything, his shoulders slumping. "Brielle, I honestly don't know what to do."

Brielle rubbed her temples, "If I were Emma, I'd be falling apart. Just like when Max was lost in that fire. I couldn't see or hear anything,

world was just chaos. Emma et

already been through so much with the childbirth, and now this. We should just be there for her, talk to her."

Brielle's eyes were sharp, "But I need to check Peyton's surveillance footage. It doesn't add up that she'd go there for no reason."

Dustin dished up the food he'd been cooking, a humorless smile on his face. "Look into it. But no matter what we find, Emma's mom isn't coming back."

True to her word, Brielle dove into the investigation. She found footage of Peyton leaving her house, looking upset and constantly checking her phone. She even tracked down the driver, who remembered where Peyton wanted to go.

It was another property of Dustin's in

Beaconsfield Brielle got her hands on the key surveillance footage, showingPeyton arriving at Dustin's place, But who was the woman who answered the door? All she could tell was that the woman was stunning.

From the distant footage, it seemed like they had a calm conversation, with no signs of an argument. Peyton left heading left, which was odd because she should've gone back the way she came to get a cab. The footage revealed no clear issues. Brielle was puzzled and called Dustin. "Dustin, who's the woman at the Beaconsfield place? Peyton met her an hour before the accident."