Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Was It Wrong To Love Oneself?

"Hehe, it’s a secret," Ashley replied playfully, sticking her tongue out at him. "What if someone finds out and steals the job from me before I even get hired?"

The serious atmosphere inside the office instantly lightened a little because of her teasing tone.

Then, as though she had not just shaken Apollo’s understanding of her completely, Ashley calmly lowered her head and continued eating.

Even so, she could still feel Apollo’s gaze lingering heavily on her the entire time.

Truthfully, Ashley had originally planned to hide her abilities from her newly found brothers for as long as possible. Staying unnoticed would have been safer and far less troublesome.

But now she realized something important.

If she continued hiding everything, she would never have the opportunity to rebuild her own strength and influence again.

After all, even a gladiator needed an arena to fight in.

And for Ashley, the Gildenvale Corporation could become that arena.

If she merely relied on spending the money connected to the Black Dragon Card Apollo had given her, then every movement she made could easily be traced. Apollo would eventually know where she went, what she bought, who she contacted, and what she was trying to do.

That was too passive.

Instead, if she worked under Apollo openly, his company could become the perfect shield for her while she quietly rebuilt herself from the shadows. At the same time, she could earn her own money, regain her footing, and slowly establish a new network using her identity as the newly found Gildenvale heiress.

More importantly, by showing her capabilities directly, people would naturally begin approaching her on their own. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Because in their world, true ability was more valuable than beauty, status, or money alone.

If others saw her worth, they would willingly seek connections, alliances, friendships, and cooperation with her without needing to be forced.

And those kinds of relationships...

Were things money alone could never truly buy.

Step by step, Ashley intended to use this opportunity to stand on her own once again.

After hearing her out and silently weighing every word she had spoken, Apollo finally put down his utensils and leaned back against the sofa, his sharp gaze settling fully on Ashley once more.

Meanwhile, Ashley still stubbornly avoided looking directly at him, though inside, her heart was practically lodged in her throat from nervous anticipation.

"Alright then," Apollo finally said calmly. "Show me what you’ve got."

Ashley instantly froze.

"And even if you fail," he continued steadily, "as long as you show me enough determination, I’ll allow you to continue working as an intern. That’s the furthest special consideration I’m willing to give you."

Only then did Ashley slowly lift her eyes toward him.

"But," Apollo added seriously, "I won’t give you special treatment simply because you’re my sister."

There was no harshness in his tone, only calm firmness.

"In fact, I think it’s better if you start from the grassroots level and slowly work your way upward yourself." Apollo folded his arms lightly as he spoke. "That way, no one will be able to look down on you or accuse you of relying solely on your background to get where you are."

His eyes softened ever so slightly afterward.

"And more importantly... people won’t easily dare to bully you."

Those words came not only from Apollo’s position as CEO, but from personal experience.

Everything he said was wisdom carved from the countless pressures, criticisms, and mistakes he himself had endured while climbing to where he stood now. He understood better than anyone how suffocating it was to carry enormous expectations and endless scrutiny from the very beginning.

Sometimes, being placed too high too quickly only caused people to fall harder.

Every gaze watching, every mistake magnified, every success doubted.

Apollo did not want Ashley to experience that kind of pressure unnecessarily.

Starting from the bottom and proving herself step by step might seem slower, but in the long run, it would build a far stronger foundation, one nobody could easily question or take away from her later.

After all, Apollo understood very clearly that the moment Ashley’s identity as a Gildenvale heiress became public knowledge, every single thing she did inside or outside the company would instantly be magnified under countless scrutinizing eyes.

And contrary to what outsiders often imagined, having a powerful background did not automatically make life easier in a competitive workplace like theirs.

It could just as easily become a burden.

People would watch her more critically than others, question her every achievement, doubt every success, and assume she only advanced because of family influence rather than genuine capability. If Ashley lacked enough grit, strength, or ability to support herself, then instead of respecting her, others would quietly look down on her behind her back.

The corporate world was not as simple as using status to suppress everyone into obedience.

Especially not inside the Gildenvale Corporation.

Only those with real ability could truly stand firmly there.

But Apollo chose not to say those harsher truths aloud just yet.

He worried Ashley might misunderstand his intentions and think he was merely making excuses because he didn’t want to openly acknowledge her as his sister or support her properly. And considering how sensitive her situation already was after everything she had gone through, Apollo did not want to accidentally hurt her pride or make her overthink unnecessarily.

"Alright, Brother. Let’s do it your way," Ashley replied with a wide grin, her eyes sparkling brightly as she looked at him.

Truthfully, she understood exactly what Apollo was trying to tell her, even without him saying everything outright.

Because she had already experienced that kind of pressure firsthand before.

As the former daughter of an Alpha and someone who rose to a high-ranking position within werewolf society, Ashley had spent most of her life beneath the weight of countless expectations. People constantly looked up to her, demanded excellence from her, relied on her, and silently expected her to succeed in everything she touched.

The pressure from that kind of environment was suffocating.

For many people, it would have been enough to completely crush them mentally.

Luckily, Ashley had always been competitive by nature, and her talent allowed her to survive beneath those crushing expectations rather than collapse under them. Instead of being buried by pressure, she kept forcing herself to work harder, improve more, and exceed what others expected from her.

But perhaps that was also where the problem began.

Because she consistently gave more than what was required, people slowly began taking her efforts for granted. Her hard work became "expected," her sacrifices became "normal," and the moment she failed to meet those impossible standards even once, all her previous efforts seemed to lose their value in everyone else’s eyes.

But this time, Ashley wanted to make a different choice.

She would still work hard. She would still climb back to the position she once stood at. She would still build power, influence, and a place where no one could easily trample over her again.

But unlike before, she would no longer blindly devote everything she had to the people around her.

This time... she wanted to prioritize herself first.

Perhaps others would call her selfish for thinking that way.

But was it truly wrong to love herself before loving everyone else?