Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

The nanny was trying her best to calm Jaime down, but his cries only grew louder, prompting a sigh from her.

"These two little ones just started bawling out of nowhere, and I can't figure out why," she said.

Emma chuckled at the scene, leaning down to plant a playful kiss on Heather's nose, which made the baby burst into giggles.

An hour later, she gently laid Heather down and headed downstairs. Not spotting Peyton, she assumed her mom was catching a nap and didn't bother calling out.noveldrama

Emma noticed the two trees she'd planted and grabbed a watering can to give them some attention. Recently, Peyton had taken a liking to gardening, filling the garden with peonies, claiming their blooms were noble and stunning. Emma had bought Peyton a gardening kit, and she threw herself into the new hobby with enthusiasm.

"Emma, won't it be lovely when they bloom? Spring's just around the corner," Peyton had said, her excitement evident.

"This patch here is for marigolds. By then, do you think Jaime and Heather will be toddling around?"

Neither Emma nor Peyton had ever tried their hand at gardening before. Peyton had spent years bedridden, and even getting up to stretch was a chore. They were too caught up in the daily grind to indulge in such luxuries as gardening. Seeing the dry soil, Emma realized Peyton hadn't watered the plants today. She quickly took care of it, soaking the parched earth.

After wandering around the garden for a bit, she realized it was already afternoon. Turning on the TV, she caught a news report about an accident. The victim was unidentifiable, and authorities hoped family members would come forward to claim the body at the hospital.

The collision with a truck had been so severe that identifying the body was impossible. The TV only showed the victim's shoes, clothes, and the bloodstains on the ground.

Emma couldn't stomach it, worried it would ruin her mood, so she reached to turn it off. But then she saw the shoes and clothes, and her heart sank.

Those were Peyton's shoes-her

first pair costing over a thousand dollars-and she adored them. The clothes, too, were ones Emma had picked out, with Peyton always washing them by hand to avgid damaging the expensive fabric.

Emma felt her world shatter.

"Mom!" she called out, her voice echoing through the house. But Peyton didn't appear from her room.

Heart pounding, Emma rushed to open Peyton's bedroom door, finding it empty. Frantically, she searched for her phone to call Peyton.

But her phone was nowhere to be

found. Desperate, she borrowed the nanny's phone, finally reaching Peyton's number, only to hear a police officer on the other end.

en

"Hello, are you the deceased's daughter? There was a traffic accident, and the victim died instantly The driver is in custody.

You can come to the morgue to net

identify the body, but we

recommend having the hospital send the body directly to the funeral home, as it might be too much for you to handle."

Emma was paralyzed with shock, unable to speak, her throat tight with emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Miss, please accept our condolences," the officer said sincerely, sending her the hospital's address, though his words were little comfort.

Emma's legs felt like jelly, and she couldn't absorb anything. Returning the phone to the nanny, she grabbed a thousand dollars in cash and rushed out the door. Upstairs, the kids began crying again, but Emma had no energy to tend to them. She felt like fate was playing a cruel joke on her, convinced it couldn't be real. Each step felt like walking on pins and needles, pain with every movement. Giving the taxi driver the address, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. When she finally arrived at the hospital, police were already waiting. Emma felt like a ghost, led to the fragmented remains, then to meet the driver. Her mind was blank, barely registering the driver's family pleading for forgiveness, insisting it was an accident and begging for understanding.

At that moment, Emma's world felt utterly surreal. She had just become a mother, and now, she was motherless.