The mere possibility of such an opportunity was enough to fill Roman with hope.

At the very least, for the first time in a long while, he felt that a door might finally be opening for him and his brother.

After reaching an agreement, Ashley and Roman exchanged contact information so they could coordinate the next day’s itinerary.

Meanwhile, Gideon left the damaged car in the care of Mr. Lowe’s bodyguards. Roger exchanged numbers with the person in charge to facilitate the vehicle’s repair and eventual handover once the work was completed.

With everything settled, Mr. Lowe’s men escorted Ashley and her group back to their hotel without incident.

By the time they arrived, the sky had already darkened.

The bodyguards accompanied them all the way to the lobby before taking their leave. Ashley, Gage, Gideon, and Roger then headed toward the elevators.

As they stepped inside and the doors began to close, Gideon finally broke the silence.

"Which floor?"

"29th," Ashley replied absentmindedly.

"Just below mine, huh?" Gideon murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his lips before it quickly disappeared.

After pressing the buttons for the 30th and 29th floors, he stood beside Ashley and casually asked, "Since Mr. Lowe has already agreed to lease you a building, why did you still ask someone to guide you around? Thinking of recruiting them for a long-term position?"

Ashley shot him a look. The knowing expression on his face told her he already had the answer.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"If you already know, then why ask?"

Gideon chuckled softly.

"I wanted to know what was going through your mind."

Ashley bit her lip, resisting the urge to ask the question that immediately came to mind.

’Are you trying to flirt with me?’

However, the words never left her mouth. The answer hardly mattered when she could already feel Gage’s oppressive aura filling the elevator.

Her brother glared at Gideon so fiercely that his expression seemed to say:

’Do you think I’m dead? You’re flirting with my sister right in front of me? Have you completely lost your mind?’

"Mr. Walker, it seems you haven’t quite stepped out of the role you played with my sister in the underground arena, have you?" Gage asked through gritted teeth.

He truly disliked how close Gideon was becoming to Ashley.

It wasn’t that he opposed his sister having a love life. On the contrary, he wanted her to find someone she could trust and rely on. The problem was that the man standing before him was Gideon Augustus Walker.

Gage knew exactly how dangerous Gideon was, and more importantly, how dangerous the people around him were. Gideon’s enemies were countless, each one more ruthless than the last. Anyone who stood beside him inevitably became a target.

Ashley had only recently returned to their family. She had lost her memories and was still trying to piece together her past. Although Gage had recently discovered that she could fight and defend herself, he knew that skill alone wasn’t enough to survive the kind of threats that followed Gideon.

He had already lost her once.

The thought of losing her again was something he refused to entertain.

That was why, if he could help it, he would keep as much distance as possible between Ashley and Gideon.

"Well..." Gideon drawled, his gaze lingering on Ashley with unmistakable meaning.

What he really wanted to say was that being close to her was downright intoxicating. Her scent wrapped around his senses, and the memory of her soft body pressed against him was enough to make his self-control waver. But if he actually voiced those thoughts, there was no doubt that Gage would beat him to a pulp on the spot.

It wasn’t that Gideon feared Gage. Far from it. The real reason he held his tongue was Ashley. He didn’t want her to see that darker, more possessive side of him. If she became frightened of him, the distance between them would only grow, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Gage snorted and immediately pulled Ashley to his side, positioning himself between her and Gideon like an immovable wall.

Gideon didn’t push the issue. He knew that impatience could easily ruin his chances. If he wanted Gage to lower his guard around him, he would have to proceed carefully, advancing little by little rather than forcing the matter.

Lost in thought, Gideon barely noticed the elevator ascending. It wasn’t until a soft ding echoed through the cabin that he returned to his senses. The elevator had already arrived on the twenty-ninth floor.

By then, Ashley and Gage had already stepped out. All Gideon could see was Ashley’s retreating figure as she disappeared down the hallway.

Suppressing a sigh, he resigned himself to waiting for another opportunity.

The moment the elevator doors slid shut, the warmth in his expression vanished. He reverted to his usual self, and an oppressive, intimidating aura instantly filled the enclosed space, making the air feel noticeably heavier.

Meanwhile, the moment Ashley returned to her room, she felt her phone vibrate.

Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw a message from Mr. Lowe. Curious, she opened it and found a short text.

"I sent you an email."

Seeing this, Ashley walked further into the room before dropping onto her bed. The events of the day had left her mentally and physically exhausted, but she still opened her email to check its contents.

Ashley couldn’t help but be impressed. She had only recently created that professional email address for work-related matters, yet Mr. Lowe had already managed to obtain it and send the information she needed. His intelligence network was far more efficient and powerful than she had initially imagined.

At that moment, any lingering doubts she had about his capabilities completely disappeared.

Instead, she found herself grateful that she had managed to establish a cooperative relationship with the uncrowned king of the underground world rather than make an enemy of him. A man with such influence and reach was someone few people could afford to offend.

To her surprise, the email contained a detailed list of buildings available for lease, complete with relevant information and contact details. Most of the properties were concentrated in the downtown area, which suited her requirements perfectly.

Even so, she knew she couldn’t make a decision based solely on the information provided. She would need to inspect the properties personally and survey the surrounding areas before making a final choice. Fortunately, Mr. Lowe had included the contact information of a representative on the last page of the document who would assist her in viewing the properties.

After carefully reviewing the list, Ashley took a short break before heading to the bathroom. She filled the bathtub with hot water, intending to soak away the aches and fatigue that had accumulated throughout the day.

While waiting for the tub to fill, she pulled her laptop from her bag and opened the business proposals her eldest brother had sent her earlier.

To her surprise, the proposals were already quite solid. Only a few minor adjustments were needed. Within five minutes, she had finished revising the documents.

Once satisfied with the changes, she sent the updated copies to the same email address Mr. Lowe had used to send her the property listings.