Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Meeting Again So Soon

Soon, the once lively hotel lobby gradually fell into an uneasy silence.

"Hello, Miss Ashley... we meet again."

Gideon spoke in his usual calm and cold tone, his expression remaining unreadable. Yet the way he looked at Ashley carried a strangely meaningful depth beneath that indifferent face, as though only the two of them understood the hidden implication behind those simple words.

And unfortunately...

Ashley understood it perfectly.

The moment her eyes met his, the memory of what happened inside the ladies’ room that day instantly resurfaced in her mind with terrifying clarity. She could almost feel the ghost of his warm lips lingering against hers once again, causing her heartbeat to falter uncontrollably for a split second. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Without realizing it, Ashley unconsciously held her breath.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag while she struggled to maintain the calm expression on her face, though inwardly, her thoughts had already turned into complete chaos.

And then there was his scent.

That dangerously intoxicating scent drifting from his body felt almost bewitching, as though it was silently luring her closer and tempting her to breathe him in even more deeply. The closer he stood, the more overwhelming it became, causing Ashley’s stomach to tighten into restless knots.

Combined with the way Gideon was looking at her, Ashley suddenly felt unbearably exposed.

It was as though he understood perfectly what his presence was doing to her, how his scent, his gaze, and the oppressive masculinity surrounding him were affecting her body and mind. That realization alone made heat rush uncontrollably through her, leaving her feeling increasingly flustered and uncomfortable.

Her knees even began to weaken slightly beneath his stare, turning embarrassingly soft as though they could give out at any moment. Yet despite all of it, Gideon continued standing there with that same calm and unreadable expression, making Ashley feel even more helpless under his gaze.

"Ehem!"

Gage suddenly cleared his throat loudly, instantly shattering the strange atmosphere between Ashley and Gideon.

Truthfully, he did not like the direction the tension between the two seemed to be heading at all. The air around them felt oddly heated and sensual, as though they were silently undressing each other with nothing but their eyes right in front of him.

And as Ashley’s brother, what kind of man would calmly appreciate seeing that sort of tension involving his own sister?

Absolutely none.

Without hesitation, Gage immediately stepped forward and positioned his broad frame directly in front of Ashley, subtly blocking Gideon’s line of sight toward her.

"I didn’t know Mr. Walker was acquainted with my sister," Gage said calmly, though the faint sharpness hidden beneath his polite tone was impossible to miss.

Behind him, Ashley finally snapped out of her dazed state as though waking from a trance, secretly letting out a shaky breath she did not even realize she had been holding.

After Gage stepped protectively in front of Ashley, Gideon’s intense gaze slowly lifted and met Gage’s blazing stare head-on. The inquiry and displeasure hidden within Gage’s eyes were unmistakable, as though silently demanding to know why Gideon had been looking at his sister that way in the first place.

Only then did Gideon finally regain a clearer sense of awareness himself.

However, not a single trace of that emotional shift appeared on his face. His expression remained calm and unreadable as though nothing unusual had happened moments ago.

"We just happened to meet while I was inspecting the mall," Gideon explained evenly. "She was shopping with your butler at the time."

Yet despite how composed his words sounded, his voice carried a low raspiness that made it dangerously magnetic and unbearably alluring.

Behind Gage, Ashley could not even see Gideon’s expression anymore, yet merely hearing his voice caused her ears to tingle faintly. A shiver immediately traveled from the sensitive shell of her ears down her neck, slid along her spine, and reached all the way to her tailbone.

The sensation was so overwhelming that she almost let out an embarrassing moan right there on the spot.

Fortunately, with the last bit of awareness she still possessed, Ashley quickly bit down on her lower lip to suppress it.

At this moment, she genuinely did not understand why she seemed to lose control so easily whenever she faced Gideon. It felt as though she was being instinctively drawn toward the man standing before her, unable to resist his presence no matter how much she tried.

But at the same time...

She could also understand why.

After all, Gideon truly resembled a walking aphrodisiac. Every inch of him radiated overwhelming masculine charm and sensuality. Combined with his godlike face, powerful physique, and dangerously captivating aura, it was almost impossible not to be affected by him.

Perhaps she had simply become one of the many women unable to resist that attraction.

At least, that was the only explanation Ashley could think of right now.

For a brief moment, Gage and Gideon silently faced each other, and the atmosphere around them instantly dropped to a terrifying degree. Although neither of them was the talkative type, the tension between the two men was so intense that it felt as though invisible sparks were flying wildly in the air.

Instead of words, they used their presence, their aura, and their gazes to confront one another.

Only then did Ashley finally snap completely out of her chaotic thoughts and realize just how suffocatingly hostile the surrounding atmosphere had become. Even the people several meters away were visibly affected.

Some unconsciously slowed their breathing while others quietly moved farther away, feeling as though an invisible hand was tightening around their throats as the two men clashed silently.

Feeling alarmed, Ashley instinctively reached out and grabbed Gage’s arm.

The moment he felt her hand touching him, Gage immediately lowered his gaze toward her. Almost instantly, the hostility around him eased as he instinctively backed down, obediently following Ashley’s silent request like a well-trained German Shepherd calming down at its owner’s touch.

However, Gideon’s expression darkened slightly the moment he saw Ashley holding onto Gage’s arm.

A strange and unprecedented possessiveness suddenly surged violently inside his chest, making him instinctively dislike the sight of Ashley touching another man. Even worse, he could hear his wolf snarling restlessly inside his mind, growing increasingly agitated.

The reaction startled Gideon himself.

He did not understand where this overwhelming possessiveness was even coming from, nor why it affected him this strongly. All he could do was forcibly suppress the unfamiliar emotions and maintain the calm exterior on his face as though nothing was wrong.

"Are you going somewhere?" Gideon suddenly asked, deliberately shifting Ashley’s attention back toward him.

And deep down, a selfish part of him silently hoped she would remove her hand from Gage’s arm.

Even if he knew they were siblings, Gage was still a man.

That thought alone made the restless feeling inside Gideon grow increasingly uncomfortable. His chest tightened while his wolf became more irritable by the second. If he did not regain control soon, he knew his wolf might forcibly take over instead, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen right now.

Perhaps his wolf had simply taken a liking to the girl standing before him.