Behind them, the others showed a quiet awareness of the situation. Not a word was spoken, yet they instinctively took a few steps back, creating a respectful distance. The subtle retreat granted the trio a small pocket of privacy, enough for the conversation to unfold without interruption, as though the space itself understood the weight of what was being said.

Hearing Aunt Lavinia’s explanation, Gideon arched a brow, the tension in his expression easing as the flare of irritation within him gradually subsided. His presence, once edged with restrained anger, settled back into its usual calm, controlled stillness.

"You have amnesia?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Ashley, sharp and searching as though he could peel back every layer of her expression to uncover the truth beneath.

But Ashley did not panic.

If anything, she appeared almost too convincing, her confusion natural, her hesitation unforced, as though she truly believed in the story herself. And perhaps that was the secret to a flawless lie: to believe it so completely that even doubt could not take root. In that moment, she embodied it perfectly.

Yet beneath the surface, her mind had already begun to clear. The fragile, fluttering feelings from earlier had shattered, replaced by a growing awareness she could not ignore.

Facing Gideon now, she could sense the danger that clung to him like an unseen mist. It prickled along her skin, raising the fine hairs at the nape of her neck, her instincts sounding a quiet, persistent warning to keep her distance.

And yet, maddeningly, that same instinct betrayed her.

Because even as caution urged her to retreat, something else pulled her closer, a subtle, magnetic draw she couldn’t explain. It was a contradiction she couldn’t resolve, a vicious cycle of attraction and wariness that left her unsteady.

Having grown up among werewolves, Ashley’s instincts had been honed to detect danger, especially from those stronger than herself; it was how she had survived. But to feel those same instincts triggered by a man she had only met twice...

It left her with an unfamiliar, unsettling realization.

"I... I guess so?" Ashley answered hesitantly, her voice uncertain, as though she were genuinely trying to reach into a memory that simply wasn’t there. Her brows drew together slightly, a faint crease forming between them as she searched, only to come up empty.

After a moment, she turned her head toward Aunt Lavinia, her gaze softening with quiet reliance, as if seeking reassurance or guidance. It was the most natural reaction for someone like her now, a blank slate with no past to anchor herself to.

And in that small, instinctive gesture, she appeared every bit the part, leaning on Aunt Lavinia as though she were the only certainty she had left.

At the sight of Ashley’s helpless expression, Aunt Lavinia’s shoulders sank, a quiet sorrow softening her composed demeanor. "Sir Gideon," she began, her voice tinged with restrained grief, "as grateful as we are to have found our long-lost young miss... we were still too late."

She paused briefly, steadying herself. "She suffered greatly. There was a moment when she nearly didn’t make it; the doctors said her heart stopped for several seconds. The lack of oxygen caused trauma to her brain... damage that led to her amnesia."

Her gaze flickered toward Ashley, filled with a fragile hope she dared not lose. "We can only hope that, as she recovers, some of her memories will return."

Hearing this, Gideon’s lips pressed into a tighter line, his thoughts turning sharp and deliberate. He knew where Ashley had been before, knew the place she had come from, but whether he should reveal it to the Gildenvale family was another matter entirely.

Even if he did, he doubted they would uncover anything meaningful. That place did not easily yield its secrets.

If anything, the situation only deepened his suspicions.

The Gildenvale family had always been shrouded in quiet exclusivity, their influence undeniable yet their true nature elusive. To the public, they were nothing more than an aristocratic lineage, but Gideon knew better. Aristocracy existed in both worlds. The question was, which one did they truly belong to?

Now, with her memory stripped away, the one person who should have held the answers stood right in front of him, yet she was no longer capable of giving them. Instead, the burden shifted, settling quietly onto his shoulders.

If anyone was in a position to offer even a fragment of truth, it would be him. He alone could provide the Gildenvales with a thread to follow, something to help them piece together where Ashley had been all those years she was missing, and perhaps, in doing so, understand her just a little better. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But telling them what he knew was not in the table, and he too was curious to know what happened to Ashley, which resulted to her current state, but since she can’t remember...

That left only one other source.

The Black Mountain Pack.

The thought alone made his expression darken. He had no intention of stepping foot in that territory again. Not after his last encounter with their Alpha.

The man had tried to bargain with him, no, not even bargain, but take, expecting Gideon to concede without offering anything in return, as though he were someone easily manipulated, as though age alone granted authority. The memory still burned, a quiet insult that had never truly settled.

And Gideon was not a man who tolerated being made a fool of.

Gideon understood exactly where his boundaries lay, and knowing he could offer Aunt Lavinia no answers, at least none he was willing to give, he chose not to linger.

With quiet efficiency, he excused himself, his tone polite, his demeanor as composed as ever. Before Aunt Lavinia could gather her thoughts or voice the questions already forming in her mind, he stepped into the elevator, the executives behind him following in orderly silence.

The doors closed with a soft finality, his departure so smooth it almost felt deliberate, an elegant retreat that left no room for interruption.

Only then did Aunt Lavinia fully collect herself, the questions rising too late.

’Where had Gideon met Ashley before? Did he know where she had been all these years? Could he offer even the smallest lead, something that might guide them toward Ashley’s past, perhaps even to her mother?’

But the opportunity had already slipped through her fingers, leaving behind nothing but unanswered questions and a faint sense that he had avoided them on purpose.

And in truth, he had.

Gideon did not yet know where the Gildenvale family truly stood. Without that certainty, he could not risk speaking carelessly. The knowledge he held was not ordinary; it brushed too closely against the boundary between worlds, a line meant to remain unseen.

To reveal it recklessly could invite consequences far greater than mere curiosity, stirring tensions between the human world and the supernatural one that was meant to remain hidden from all but a select few.

"He’s gone..." Aunt Lavinia murmured under her breath, a hint of regret threading through her voice before she straightened slightly, resolve settling in. "I’ll inform Master Apollo. Perhaps he can arrange a visit to Sir Gideon’s company and inquire further."

With that, she placed the matter aside for the time being and gently pushed Ashley’s wheelchair forward, guiding her back into the flow of their shopping.