There was something about him that felt almost unreal, as though he had been shaped with deliberate care, a man favored by the gods themselves, every detail of his appearance refined to perfection.

Aunt Lavinia had only intended a brief exchange, nothing more than a polite acknowledgment before continuing on her way. It was simple courtesy, after all. She expected that after Gideon’s short reply, they would step into the elevator and be done with the encounter.

But just as she moved to proceed, he spoke again.

"This is?"

His voice cut through the moment, deep, magnetic, and with a faint rasp that carried an unmistakable edge of sensuality. It lingered in the air, rich and deliberate. The instant Ashley heard it, a shiver ran down her spine.

Her breath choked in her throat as a lump formed, making it hard for her to breathe, her stomach tightening in a way that felt strangely intoxicating, sending a subtle heat curling through her core.

The sensation caught her off guard, almost overwhelming in its intensity, and she pressed her lips together, biting down lightly to steady herself, to keep any moans from slipping past her lips.

"This is our young lady," Aunt Lavinia replied with composed honesty, her tone measured yet unmistakably proud, "who has just returned to the family after a long separation."

There was no hesitation in her words, no attempt at concealment. She knew it would make little difference either way; Apollo would soon present Ashley to the upper circle himself, and her identity would not remain hidden for long.

After all, she had already accompanied Ashley out for shopping; too many curious eyes had seen them together, and it was only a matter of time before questions turned into whispers. Better to offer the truth now, plainly and with dignity, than allow baseless speculation to twist into rumors that might tarnish the young lady’s reputation later on.

"Oh?" Gideon arched a brow as he dragged this one word, his gaze settling on the girl in the wheelchair. Her head was lowered, but her nervousness betrayed her; he caught the faint flutter of her lashes against her cheeks, the delicate tremble that made them resemble a restless butterfly’s wings, and the soft flush tinting the tips of her ears.

The sight stirred something in him, and the sharp, intimidating edge of his presence eased, his aura softening almost imperceptibly as a faint curve touched his lips.

"Nice meeting you, Miss..." he prompted, his voice gentler now, leaving the rest unspoken as he waited for her to offer her name.

"A-Ashley..."

At the sound of his voice, Ashley lifted her head almost too quickly, caught between the urge to answer him and the need to steady herself. She wanted him to know her name, yet at the same time, the storm of unfamiliar feelings rising within her made her hesitate, afraid she might lose control and embarrass herself right in front of him.

She didn’t even understand what was happening to her anymore. Still, she forced herself to meet his gaze as she spoke.

The moment their eyes locked, her breath faltered. Her vision seemed to sharpen and blur all at once, her watery eyes widening as a sudden, electric sensation surged through her body.

It was overwhelming, yet she couldn’t look away. There was something in his gaze that pulled at her, something that made her feel drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain.

Was this what people called love at first sight?

She didn’t know, and that uncertainty only made her heart race faster.

On the other hand, Gideon revealed none of the obvious disarray that had overtaken Ashley. Years of discipline had taught him to bury instinct beneath control, to conceal every flicker of emotion within the shadows he carried so well.

Yet even he could not deny the sharp, electric current that ran through him the moment their eyes met. It unsettled him, subtle but undeniable. His gaze lingered, unwilling to break away from the girl before him, as recognition slowly surfaced.

He had seen her once, fleetingly, within Alpha Derek’s pack. But this, this revelation that she was the long-lost daughter of the Gildenvale family, struck him like a bolt from the blue. The pieces did not quite align, and yet something deeper stirred beneath the confusion, an instinct he could neither name nor ignore.

"Hello, Ashley... we meet again," he said, his voice low, carrying a deliberate weight as though the words held more meaning than they revealed. "I am Gideon Augustus Walker."

The moment his words settled, the color drained from Ashley’s face. All the fluttering warmth that had stirred in her chest vanished as if it had never been there, replaced by a cold, creeping dread.

Of course, she remembered, how could she not?

His first appearance had carved itself too deeply into her memory to fade. And the fact that he remembered it as well... that alone was enough to unsettle her. It meant he wasn’t ordinary.

Back then, he had been inside Alpha Derek’s territory, inside his office, no less. That wasn’t a place just anyone could enter. Either he was a werewolf himself, perhaps even an Alpha from a powerful pack, or he was a human with enough influence to move freely between worlds that were never meant to overlap.

Those were the only kinds of people who could cross that invisible boundary so effortlessly.

Ashley had believed this city stood outside the domain of any pack, a neutral ground of sorts, or at least, that was what she had come to understand. But seeing Gideon here now, standing so calmly before her as if he belonged anywhere he chose to be, made that belief waver.

And with it, unease began to take root in her chest.

Since Ashley had already chosen to hide behind the guise of amnesia, she had no choice but to continue the act. Tilting her head slightly, she looked up at him with quiet, searching eyes, as if trying to make sense of something just out of reach.

Her expression was flawless, looking soft, uncertain, and utterly convincing, leaving no trace that she recognized him at all.

"Sir... have we met before?" she asked, her voice gentle, touched with just the right amount of hesitation.

At her words, Gideon’s lips pressed into a thin line, his brows drawing together. A faint bitterness settled on his tongue, sharp and unwelcome.

’Did she truly not remember me... or was she deliberately pretending otherwise?’

Neither possibility sat well with him. A slow, simmering irritation began to rise beneath his composed exterior, threatening to surface, until Aunt Lavinia’s voice cut in, breaking the tension before it could fully take shape.

"Sir Gideon, you know our young miss?!" Aunt Lavinia’s voice lifted with a blend of surprise and unmistakable relief. She stepped slightly closer, her composure still intact but her interest clearly piqued.

"She lost her memory due to an accident," she added more quietly, lowering her voice so only the three of them could hear. "If you could tell us where you’ve seen her before, it would be of great help."

Her tone softened at the end, almost imploring.