Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie Hoven )
Chapter 924

Chapter 924 Elias and Ashley's Side Story: A Child

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

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.

It was already past ten by the time they got home. After taking a shower, they climbed into bed.

Elias hadn't planned on doing anything that night. But as soon as the lights went out, Ashley rolled over and straddled him.

In the darkness, his eyes widened in surprise.

Ashley rarely took the initiative in these matters. Now that she had, his body immediately tensed.

"Honey..." Elias called out.

Ashley started unbuttoning his pajama shirt without a word. Elias could already feel his body reacting.

Before Ashley even did anything, Elias was already excited, like a dog eyeing a bone.

Elias quickly moved to pull off her silk nightgown before tossing it onto the floor. He moved his hands eagerly over her body.

"Ash, what's gotten into you tonight?"

Instead of answering, Ashley kissed him deeply. Elias gripped the back of her head, almost devouring her before rolling her beneath him. Then, he reached out to the drawer for protection.

However, Ashley stopped his hand.

"Not tonight."

Before Elias could think, Ashley took hold of him, and he lost all sense of control. With that, they went on for over four hours, only ending as the first light of dawn crept in.

Since Ashley was exhausted, Elias carried her to the bathroom to clean up. It was only then, as he washed her off, that a realization dawned on him.

Had she skipped using protection because she wanted a baby?

Of course she was thinking about it.

Elias let out a sigh. He preferred to tackle things head-on. If Ashley was starting to consider having a child, then it was time to address it openly.

Elias sat on the edge of the tub and traced patterns in the water with his fingers.

"Ash, are you thinking of having a baby?"

Ashley was soaking in the warm water, her eyelids drooping from exhaustion.

"I don't know. I can't tell if I truly want a child or if I'm just still mourning the one I'd lost. Maybe it's just a need

to fill that void. I guess I won't know for sure until happens.I guess I won't know the answer until I have one."

Elias wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he deflected by teasing her.

"Am I not enough of a baby for you?"

"Shut up..." she muttered.

Despite the joke, her intention of having a child was clear. She wanted to try for a child, and Elias was determined

to make it happen.

His life goal now was to ensure that Ashley had no regrets.

The next day at noon, he arranged for a doctor's appointment and picked Ashley up from her law firm to go to the hospital. Both of them underwent thorough tests.

After all, having both partners being physically healthy was the first step to having a baby.

A senior doctor, with the rank of deputy chief, was in charge of their checkup. He spent half an hour reviewing the reports, and he then delivered his assessment.

"Based on the results, Mr. Undvike, your sperm count and quality are perfectly fine. They are healthy and very active. As for Ms. Thornton, while she did have a miscarriage years ago, she's been recovering well. Her uterus

seems to have healed properly. There's no major issue now."

Elias was thrilled, and he immediately asked, "So, does that mean we can have a baby?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, there's a good chance of conceiving." Ashley asked, "What about age? Could that be a problem?"