Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie and William) novel Chapter 840

Ashley didn't respond to Beathan's comment.

Beathan removed his glasses and lowered his gaze, wiping them clean. "Ten years ago, we were nobodies. No fame, no money. We rented this place because it was cheap. But back then, I was truly happy."

Ashley didn’t share his sentimentality. "It's not that we didn’t have money. We were just hiding our identities and pretending to be broke."

When they first got together, neither knew the other's true background. It took nearly half a year before their secrets were exposed. It turned out Beathan was the second son of the Collins family, and Ashley was the only daughter of the Thornton family.

Beathan let out a chuckle. "I didn’t mean to keep it from you back then."

Ashley nodded slightly. "Yeah. You told me that your parents cared about your older brother more. And that you were practically invisible to them.

"They didn't care about your career, so you chose the one that was least useful to the family. You became a lawyer and refused to use the Collins name to your advantage. You got into college and studied abroad for your master's, then started your career."

"You did it all entirely on your own," she said.

A whirlwind of emotions flickered across Beathan's gaze. He was surprised that she remembered everything.

"With my brother standing out so much, my parents poured all their energy into him. It's not that they didn't care about me. But if you were to compare the attention we got, the difference is huge."

Ashley added, "I've always had this thought. Over the years, you tried to prove yourself to your brother and your parents. They drove you to become who you are now. You just wanted them to see you. To prove that you were just as capable."

Beathan gave a dry chuckle that was a mix of irony and self-deprecation. "I never thought you would still understand me the best after all these years."

"When you got into trouble this time, what was your family's response?" Her question was tinged with concern.

Beathan smirked coldly. "They told me not to drag them down… As if what happened with the Pierce family was because of me."

"Then you'll just have to save yourself. Do what you've always done. Pick yourself up, face them, and show them that, even without them, you won't fall," Ashley stated calmly.