Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1268

But Emma was in a real bind. She didn't have enough cash to make ends meet.

She had a keen interest in learning makeup, but the costs were a total buzzkill. A decent foundation could easily set her back hundreds of dollars.

After her last stream, Emma tried diving into makeup tutorials. She even bought a ten-dollar foundation, but the results were laughable, like she had smeared plaster all over her face.

The comments section of those tutorials was filled with advice against cheap makeup, warning that it could ruin your skin and look awful.

So, she gave up on that idea.

Between her and Peyton, they had barely a couple hundred bucks left, not nearly enough for makeup, let alone a new wardrobe.

Emma wanted to dress up as her fans suggested, but her financial situation made it impossible.

However, seeing her follower count hit six hundred brought a bit of joy. It seemed her lost followers were trickling back, eager for her transformation.

If only she had some fabric, Emma thought she could try sewing a couple of outfits herself.

But living in a house provided by Stellar Stage Entertainment meant she had almost nothing to work with just a few bed sheets.

This so-called transformation seemed doomed from the start.

Feeling disappointed and not wanting to let down her genuine fans, Emma couldn't help but feel lost.

Peyton noticed her daughter's mood and asked, "Emma, is something bothering you?"

After Emma shared her concerns about clothes and makeup, she waved it off, "But it's alright, Mom. Once we get through this streaming period, we should have some money coming in."

But deep down, she had no idea how much they would earn, suspecting most donations came from people just wanting a laugh. Peyton, having never dabbled in skincare or cosmetics, cherished gold as the ultimate asset, her rural upbringing valuing it above all.

Thinking it over, she decided to part with a gold bracelet she had kept for years. It was a gift from her

husband bought with half a year's wages when gold was cheap. She had no idea of its current value but hoped it would fetch a good price now that Emma needed the money.

Emma was unaware of the bracelet's existence, a relic from her parents' courtship days, long before she was born.

Peyton tucked the bracelet into her pocket, wary of attracting attention that could lead to theft, and left without telling Emma, only leaving a note that she was going out for a walk.

After a previous encounter with a bully, Peyton was wary but determined to sell the bracelet.

In Beaconsfield, she flagged down a taxi, but the driver, sensing she wasn't a local from her accent, quoted an exorbitant fare to the gold buyer.

"Three hundred bucks, take it or leave it," he said, pointing to a far-off location.

The price shocked Peyton. Was Beaconsfield really that expensive?

The driver sneered at her hesitation, "Three hundred's a bargain. Others would charge you five hundred. I'm cutting you a deal because you're older." With only a bit of money to her name, Peyton was torn. The round trip could consume all her cash.

Just as she was about to agree, a voice intervened.

"Three hundred? That's robbery. Ma'am, don't believe him. The meter will run once you're in the cab. Anyone asking for a flat rate upfront is scamming you."