Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie and William) novel Chapter 924

Emelie had just welcomed her youngest daughter, Wilhelmina. Aside from their immediate family, Ashley adored the child the most.

After the birth, Emelie stayed in Alderbrook—a small town an hour away from the city—to recover. Despite Ashley's hectic schedule, she visited them every three days.

While Ashley visited Emelie, her attention would mostly be on Wilhelmina. She would also always buy something for Wilhelmina when she went.

Last time, Ashley gifted her a pair of silver bracelets with tiny bells, claiming that it would ward off evil spirits. This time, she brought a tiger-head hat, saying that she had bought it on a shopping trip because it was too adorable.

Noticing that Wilhelmina had grown a little, Ashley had already begun planning what clothes to buy for her.

Meanwhile, Emelie couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation. Maybe Ashley could become Wilhelmina's godmother.

Elias always accompanied Ashley whenever she went to Alderbrook. However, his visits had nothing to do with seeing Wilhelmina. He was simply there for Ashley. He had never even held Wilhelmina.

Elias was the least affectionate toward Wilhelmina, and even William noticed that.

"Do you have something against my daughter?" William asked.

Elias replied blandly, "Not at all. I just don't care much for kids in general."

"Oh, really? But you were over the moon when Ms. Thornton was pregnant…"

Before William could finish speaking, Elias clamped a hand over his mouth. Elias shot a nervous glance toward Ashley to make sure that she hadn't heard anything. Once he was reassured, he leaned in and whispered warningly, "Don't mention that child in front of my wife!"

William looked at him thoughtfully.

"So, it's not that you don't like kids or that you have anything against Willie. You're just worried that if you show any interest, Ms. Thornton might think that you're sad about not having one of your own?"

William had hit the nail on the head. Best friends really did know each other best, as that was exactly how Elias felt.

Ashley was 35 that year, and she had been in good health since waking up from her coma. She did aerobics and yoga regularly. Despite that, pregnancy was still considered high-risk for her, by medical standards. Having a child wouldn't be easy for her.

Ashley had lost her first child in a tragic accident, and doctors had warned that her uterus had been damaged. Conceiving again could prove difficult, if not impossible.

In other words, Ashley and Elias might never be able to have children of their own.

That was why Elias was particularly sensitive when it came to children. He feared that any hint of interest in kids might cause Ashley to overthink and dwell on what could never be.

Elias had always been mindful of Ashley's feelings. After having dinner in Alderbrook, they finally headed home.

Elias had finally returned to work at Undvike Group. As usual, he drove while venting to Ashley about the group of old-timers at his company.

Rowan had been reluctant to accept Elias. Despite that, he admitted that Elias was the most capable out of his three sons. The vast Undvike Group could only flourish under Elias' leadership.

Although Rowan had once banished Elias, he eventually swallowed his pride and worked to repair their relationship.

Elias, however, had set two conditions. First, he wanted some shares in the company—an amount which surpassed the ones held by his two half-brothers. Second, he demanded a seat on the board.

That way, he could firmly control the Undvike Group. Even if Rowan went off the deep end and had more children, they wouldn't pose a threat to Elias' position.

Elias' current amusement came from making sweeping reforms at Undvike Group. Whenever the people at the office had objections, he would complain to Ashley, treating them as jokes.

But that night, Ashley wasn't laughing along like she usually did. Her mood was subdued.

Elias slowed the car and asked carefully, "Ash, is something wrong?"

He feared that she might be upset over their inability to have children.

Ashley said, "I'm just thinking. I took on an assault case where an old man claimed that he was possessed by a ghost today. He said that was why he beat up his wife so badly."

"You believe that nonsense?"

"Of course not. But he had security cameras around the house, and his behavior on the footage was strange. There's a chance that he has a mental illness.

"But if that's the case, my client might not get the ruling they want. Ugh, it's annoying. I need to figure out what to do. Don't disturb me."

Elias stole a few cautious glances at Ashley. He felt a sense of relief as he realized that she wasn't brooding over the issue of children.