Chapter 109: Chapter 109 The Tension Between Them

But Gage was different.

Her brother would unconsciously scrutinize every single thing she did while committing all of her actions to memory like a walking CCTV camera. Ashley was almost certain that everything he witnessed would eventually be reported back to Apollo without missing a single detail.

Although the bodyguards would likely do the same, the feeling was still completely different. Being watched closely by strangers and being observed by family carried entirely different kinds of pressure.

Besides, if it were the bodyguards, she could always threaten, intimidate, or use other methods to keep their mouths shut if necessary. But could she really be that ruthless toward her own brother? Of course not.

That was why she could only establish rules between them in advance, hoping to minimize trouble later on. This way, she could freely do whatever she needed to while Gage quietly followed behind her like a tail. And if he had questions, then he could wait until everything was over before asking them.

Hearing Ashley’s so-called ground rules, Gage could immediately tell that his sister was deliberately trying to stop him from asking too many questions or speaking about certain matters. In other words, she was clearly trying to hide her actions and keep something secret from them.

But why?

Gage could not help but feel suspicious, yet Ashley herself also had her own difficulties.

What could she possibly say? She was carrying far too many secrets. Revealing even one truth could easily lead to another question, then another after that, until she would eventually be forced to explain things she absolutely could not afford to expose.

And if she chose to lie instead, then she would only need to create even more lies to support the first one. One falsehood would inevitably lead to another until the entire situation became an uncontrollable mess.

Rather than digging herself into that kind of situation, Ashley would much rather avoid questions altogether.

Besides, in everyone’s eyes, she was still supposed to be an amnesiac. The less she explained, the safer it was for her.

Besides, even if Gage ended up having questions later, by the time he was finally allowed to ask them, Ashley would already have enough time to think of excuses to brush aside his suspicions.

More importantly, he would have no way to verify whether her explanations were true or not. She could simply claim that she had been relying on her instincts the entire time. After all, she genuinely did not prepare any detailed plan before coming here, so technically, saying she was merely reacting according to the situation would not even be a lie.

In fact, acting too prepared would only create even more problems for her. How could an amnesiac possibly possess such detailed knowledge and carefully crafted strategies? That alone would immediately raise suspicion.

However, if she pretended to stumble across opportunities by coincidence, then she could easily attribute everything to blind luck and sharp instincts. And if she accidentally revealed abilities or reactions that were far too experienced for someone in her condition, she could simply explain them away as a survival instinct or muscle memory resurfacing subconsciously.

None of those explanations were entirely false either.

This was precisely the real reason why Ashley appeared so casual and unprepared from the start. A proper plan would only expose more loopholes in her identity. Ironically, the less organized she appeared, the easier it was to maintain the image of a confused amnesiac merely struggling through unfamiliar situations.

Thinking about it, Ashley could only laugh inwardly at the absurdity of it all.

Opportunities in Maple Leaf City would be abundant sooner or later, and Ashley was confident that it would not take long before she found the perfect chance to make her move.

As long as Gage agreed not to ask too many questions and simply followed her lead quietly, then everything would naturally progress according to her simple yet flexible plans. She did not need him to fully understand what she was doing right now, she only needed his cooperation and silence.

That was precisely why Ashley was so determined to make him agree to her ground rules first. Only after securing his promise could she finally relax and move freely without constantly worrying about him interrupting her actions or cornering her with difficult questions she could not properly answer.

Gage stared seriously at Ashley’s face, his sharp gaze seemingly trying to see through her thoughts completely. Under his scrutiny, Ashley almost broke out into a cold sweat, but despite the nervousness creeping into her heart, she still managed to maintain a calm and composed expression on the surface.

For a moment, silence stretched between them.

Then, without saying a single word, Gage simply gave a small nod and quietly waited for Ashley to make her next move.

Seeing her brother silently agree to her conditions, Ashley secretly let out a breath of relief. She immediately stood up from the sofa, grabbed her bag, and flashed a faint smile before walking toward the door of the hotel room. Naturally, Gage followed behind her without complaint.

Because of their earlier agreement, neither of them spoke another word as they made their way through the hallway and toward the elevator. Even after entering it, the atmosphere remained strangely quiet. Gage merely stood one step behind Ashley the entire time, silently observing her actions while honoring the rules she had set.

Ding!

The elevator doors slowly slid open as they finally reached the ground floor , and Ashley was just about to step out when she suddenly came face-to-face with a familiar person standing outside.

The moment her eyes landed on that face, Ashley froze completely.

Her body stiffened as though rooted to the ground, her thoughts blanking out for a split second from sheer surprise. Even the foot she had lifted to step forward halted awkwardly in mid-motion before slowly retreating back inside the elevator.

For a brief moment, Ashley genuinely did not know whether she should continue stepping out or simply stay where she was.

"Ash, what’s wrong?"

Gage finally broke the strange silence as he stepped slightly closer behind Ashley. His gaze soon shifted toward the man standing outside the elevator, and his brows slowly furrowed.

"Mr. Walker..." he acknowledged calmly.

However, aside from that simple greeting, Gage made no further move.

Even he could sense that something was off between Ashley and Gideon. There was an unusual tension hanging heavily in the air between the two of them, yet he could not quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Both of them simply stood there motionless like statues.

Gideon, meanwhile, wore his usual cold poker face that already looked intimidating enough to ordinary people. But now that he was standing directly across from Gage, who carried an equally sharp and oppressive presence, the atmosphere around them became even more suffocating.

It felt as though an invisible vacuum had formed between the two men, creating a pressure so intense that no one nearby dared approach them casually.

The other hotel guests waiting around the lobby immediately sensed the strange tension as well.

Several people who were originally planning to board the same elevator instinctively took a step back before silently deciding to use another elevator instead. They moved away so quickly that it almost looked as though something terrifying was chasing after them and ready to bite at their heels.