Throughout their conversation, he had remained completely silent, showing no reaction whatsoever, as though he hadn't heard a single word. He sat motionless in his seat like an unmoving statue, exuding an eerie sense of detachment from everything around him.
Yet Ashley knew better. Beneath that calm and silent exterior, the man had undoubtedly been listening to every word. What drew her attention even more was the empty space surrounding him.
While the other VIPs sat in clusters, accompanied by allies, guards, or associates, not a single person occupied the seats near him. It was as if everyone in the room had unconsciously, or perhaps deliberately, chosen to keep their distance from him.
Ashley fell silent for a moment, appearing to ponder something before a sweet smile curved her lips. Wrapping her arm around Gideon's, she softly cooed, "Honey, why don't we sit over there?" As she spoke, she pointed toward a row of seats not far from the masked man.
