The Unpredicted Ascendance Of Ashton Pearce

NEW BEGINNINGS

Ashton sat in the quiet of his living room, the shadows from the evening sun as the sun was beginning it's descent to set made creative long lines across the hardwood floor. He sighed as he sank deeper into the leather chair, his thoughts were swirling from one place to the other. The house, though spacious and elegant, felt more like a museum to his past life—silent and sterile. For years, Ashton knew he had built walls around himself, prioritizing work, reputation, and duty above all else. But now, as he stared out of the large windows that overlooked the city, he realized something fundamental had shifted in him. He could sense it. He could feel it.

He felt guilty, of course. Asking the Coopers for help wasn’t something he had ever imagined doing. Their influence had been instrumental in keeping the wolves at bay. Without their pull, the legal battles, the whispers, the relentless attacks from people like Rebecca would have consumed him entirely. But relying on them, especially El