Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1522

She opened her mouth as if to speak, then thought better of it and pressed her lips together. After getting everything packed, she started giving instructions to the village leaders. Over the past year, she'd taken on the task of cultivating medicinal herbs here, and by now,

her efforts had really started to pay off. The villagers who worked alongside her should be able to recognize the herbs they'd been growing.

"If you ever have any questions, just snap a picture and send it my way. I'll help you out remotely," she assured them.

Emma had made such a huge impact on the village over the past year. Every home had been renovated, incomes had skyrocketed, and tourists were coming just for the herbal picking experience. They could even start developing tourism!

The whole village came out to send off Emma and her family at the village entrance, with promises to take care of the shared courtyard and to eagerly await her return. Emma never imagined she'd become so important to this community. On the drive back, Dustin was extra careful. The accident the day before was a reminder of how tricky those winding country roads could be. Once they reached Beaconsfield safely, he quickly let Brielle know.

Brielle, hearing they'd made it back, rushed over with gifts. But Dustin mentioned he was heading back to North America soon.

Seeing Brielle, Jaime and Heather couldn't contain their excitement. "Auntie, we missed you!" they shouted. "Auntie, love you!" Their sweetness was off the charts.

Brielle gave each of them a kiss. "Don't worry, Auntie will come visit you in North America."

Jaime and Heather beamed with joy, their smiles lighting up the room. Dustin arranged their flight back to North America for a week later, keeping his parents in the loop.

With Emma spending the year in the countryside, every time Dustin called home, his father Raymond would grumble about him being an "ungrateful son." But the moment Jaime or Heather got on the phone, his tone would change completely. "Oh, my dear grandson."

"Oh, my dear granddaughter, grandpa misses you so much."

Now, hearing that Dustin was bringing Emma back, Raymond could hardly contain his happiness. "Great! The villas you bought can be your family home. Just the four of you living there, and we'll visit sometimes. If you and Emma want to travel, just leave the kids with us." Dustin felt a wave of emotion wash over him.

That night, after Emma bathed, she

spent some time playing with

Heather in bed. While Dustin was

sin

eline

the shower, both kids fell asleep. When he came out, he gently scooped Emma into his arms planning to take her to the next room.

Emma, taken by surprise, tried to resist, but Dustin laid her softly on the guest bed, switched off the lights, and guided her hand to him. "If I hold back any longer, I might just break," he murmured.

Emma was mortified, wishing she could just detach her hands. But his pleading tone made her relent.

They'd only been intimate once

before, so Emma felt a bit out of her

league. But there was no denying

it-Dustin had a knack for making her feel good, and despite her initial nerves, she ended up enjoying

herself.

In the days leading up to their departure for North America, Dustin couldn't seem to get enough of her.

On the plane, Emma stared out at the sky, lost in thought. Dustin took her hand. "If you ever miss our countryside retreat, we can always go back." Emma smiled, looking at the peacefully sleeping Jaime and Heather. "Once a year sounds good, but I want to be there for the kids."

After missing out for a whole year, she wanted to focus on being with them.

Dustin wrapped an arm around her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Emma, thank you."

He was so grateful for their reconciliation; without it, he wouldn't have known what to do. Emma held all the cards; Dustin was simply along for the ride.

He'd made mistakes, and he'd been paying the price. Emma's decision to give him another chance was something he hadn't dared to hope for.

Thinking back to that moment when Emma, crying on a dusty country road, had stormed back into his heart like a force of nature, he felt as though she'd left an indelible mark on his soul.

If he could wish for anything, it would be that time would always be good to Emma and to the Lynch family.