Chapter 105: Chapter 105 Was It Wrong To Be Selfish?

Without a certain degree of selfishness, people would only continue using her kindness, taking advantage of her sacrifices, and stepping over her until she was left broken all over again, just like before.

So as long as she did not intentionally harm innocent people and her conscience remained clear, then being a little selfish was acceptable; others might even call this as setting a boundary.

At least, that was what Ashley kept repeating quietly to herself, trying to suppress the guilt that still occasionally surfaced within her heart. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Because she had already learned her lesson the hardest way possible.

As for her newly found brothers... Ashley decided she would simply return whatever treatment they gave her. If they sincerely treated her well, then she would naturally care for them in return. But never again would she give herself away as blindly and completely as she once did.

Otherwise, she would only trap herself inside the same cage all over again.

And this time, Ashley truly didn’t think she could survive another betrayal as devastating as the last one.

The scars left behind by her former family and lover still ran far too deep.

Meanwhile, after the siblings finally reached their agreement, Apollo himself did not think too deeply about it yet. To him, it was simply giving Ashley a fair chance to prove herself.

But on Ashley’s side?

Her mind was already overflowing with plans and possibilities.

Now that Apollo had given his approval, it also meant she finally had a legitimate reason to go to that city personally.

And coincidentally, that city itself was currently undergoing massive reconstruction and expansion due to the government’s ongoing border extension projects over the past few years. Because of that, countless businessmen had begun eyeing the place greedily, hoping to secure a piece of the rapidly growing economic market before it fully developed.

Apollo was no exception.

After all, once a city entered its growth stage, the demand for everything would skyrocket, be it fashion, technology, education, entertainment, infrastructure, modern lifestyle upgrades, and countless other industries.

And from what Ashley learned earlier while staying inside the Sales and Marketing Department, Lily had casually explained much of the company’s history to her. The Gildenvale Corporation already had influence stretching across multiple industries.

But this time, Apollo intended to use technology as the company’s spearhead for entering that city.

Because compared to other major or growing cities, the area’s technological development was still relatively backward. The city relied heavily on manpower due to its overpopulation, making labor the one thing they never lacked.

And that imbalance created opportunity.

The government’s border expansion itself was already proof of that; they were trying to accommodate the rapidly increasing population and transform the city into a modern economic hub.

Which meant whoever managed to establish dominance there first... would eventually control an enormous future market.

That place was formerly known as Maple Leaf Town, but after years of government planning and reconstruction projects, it was finally being upgraded into an official city.

The government had invested enormous effort into transforming the area, hoping to attract more investors, tourists, corporations, and outside businesses to stimulate economic growth and modernize the region.

But the process had never been smooth.

At every turn, the local tyrants and powerful families within the area resisted the changes fiercely.

After all, local snakes were always territorial.

And no matter how small they were, they would instinctively strike at any larger predator attempting to encroach upon their territory and authority.

Still, after years of struggle, the government eventually managed to make a breakthrough and officially push forward the city expansion project. Unfortunately, that success created another major problem instead.

The families who invested the heaviest amount of money into Maple Leaf City’s reconstruction were the influential local clans themselves.

As a result, they gradually tightened their control over the city’s development, putting the government in an awkward position. Since the city urgently needed investment and economic support, the government could only reluctantly step back and compromise for the sake of progress.

But because of that compromise, the local government slowly became little more than toothless tigers, officially holding authority on paper while lacking the actual power to oppose the wishes of the dominant families behind the scenes.

Which was why Ashley immediately understood that the real obstacle Apollo’s company faced was never the government itself.

The true resistance came from the local businessmen, underground mafia groups, and the powerful families controlling the city from the shadows.

Because more than anyone else, the government would naturally welcome outside corporations like Apollo’s company. Any public official with ambition would want the city under their jurisdiction to prosper and modernize. Increased economic movement, rising investments, tourism growth, and technological advancement would all become achievements attached directly to their names and political credentials.

No official wanted to continue being mocked for governing a backward place.

But for the people already holding power within Maple Leaf City, rapid development was not entirely good news.

Because growth also meant new power structures would emerge.

New corporations, new money, new influence, and new alliances would begin entering the city and competing for authority.

And naturally, the people who already sat at the top did not want that change.

Which was why the local tyrants constantly resisted outside forces unless they could first bring those newcomers under their own control.

But Ashley wasn’t worried in the slightest.

After all, she had already spent years navigating the business world herself. The York Corporation had also dabbled in technological research and development before, even if their progress had been relatively modest compared to larger corporations.

Because of that, Ashley already understood how the so-called "big fish" behaved within their own waters.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more excited she became.

This feeling...

It was as though she was finally stepping back into a battlefield she had once dominated.

Back then, however, her greatest obstacle had always been her age. No matter how capable she was, most people sitting across negotiation tables had underestimated her the moment they saw how young she looked. Many didn’t take her seriously at all in the beginning.

But because of that, Ashley had learned countless lessons the hard way.

She learned how to negotiate under pressure, how to read people, how to maneuver through hidden traps, and how to quietly turn situations around in her favor without others noticing until it was already too late.

Those years of experience became her sharpest weapons.

Later on, after proving herself repeatedly and successfully leading company projects one after another, people slowly began changing their attitude toward her. Instead of questioning her, they started currying favor with her instead.

And ironically, that made things less challenging.

Over time, Ashley realized she no longer needed to actively fight for her footing the way she once did, causing many of the sharper tricks and instincts she had painstakingly developed to slowly dull from lack of use.

But now?

Now she finally had a reason to sharpen those claws again.

The thought alone made her almost unable to suppress the grin tugging at her lips, so Ashley quickly lowered her head to hide her expression from Apollo.