Ashley imdiately shrank closer to Gideon, rubbing her nose lightly against his arm as she put on the perfect act of a pampered young woman seeking protection from her man.
The mont she moved closer, Gideon’s eyes flashed.
How could he possibly let such an opportunity slip away?
Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her firmly against his side. The movent was natural enough to fit their roles, yet his hold was possessive enough to make it clear that Ashley belonged under his protection.
Internally, Gideon was thoroughly pleased with himself.
After all, even if he held Ashley a little longer than necessary or kept her a little closer than their act required, nobody could call him out on it.
Everything could simply be explained away as part of the performance.
The thought alone made him inwardly smug.
Outwardly, however, none of those emotions showed on his face.
Instead, his expression darkened.
His brows drew together as he looked at the two gatekeepers, appearing every bit like an offended young master whose lover had just been frightened.
"How dare you!"
His voice was calm, yet the authority behind it caused the temperature in the corridor to seemingly drop several degrees.
"We ca here rely to take a look around."
As the words left his mouth, an overwhelming pressure spread from his body.
It wasn’t sothing visible, yet everyone present could feel it.
The domineering aura that Gideon had carefully restrained until now flooded the corridor like a rising tide. The two gatekeepers, who monts ago had been acting aggressively, suddenly felt as though a mountain had been placed upon their shoulders.
Their expressions changed instantly.
For the first ti since Ashley’s group had arrived, uncertainty flickered in their eyes.
This was no ordinary wealthy tourist.
The man standing before them possessed the bearing of soone accustod to commanding others and having his every word obeyed.
"L-Like I said, not just anyone can enter. T-Tell who invited you and the access code."
The gatekeeper stamred as he spoke, his face noticeably pale. His knees felt so weak that they threatened to buckle beneath him at any mont. During his years on duty, he had encountered countless influential figures, ruthless bosses, and dangerous individuals whose re presence could intimidate ordinary people. Yet none of them ca close to the man standing before him.
The man was like a grim reaper in human form, exuding an overwhelming aura that made it difficult to breathe. His cold gaze alone was enough to send chills racing down the gatekeeper’s spine and awaken every survival instinct in his body. Fear gripped his heart so tightly that sweat began to form on his forehead despite the cool air.
Even so, he refused to step aside.
Rules were rules, and protocols existed for a reason. If he allowed unauthorized guests to enter, the punishnt waiting for him afterward would be severe. No matter how terrified he was, he had a job to do.
Swallowing hard, the gatekeeper forced himself to et the man’s gaze and stood his ground, stubbornly blocking the entrance despite the fear threatening to overwhelm him.
"Honey, didn’t you say we were invited by Brother Kane?"
Ashley spoke in a sweet, coquettish tone as she tilted her head slightly toward Gideon. Rembering how other won often acted when trying to appear cute and charming, she subtly shifted her weight and gave a gentle sway of her hips.
The movent was neither deliberate nor provocative; rather, it carried an innocent grace that ca naturally to her. Paired with her bright eyes and soft smile, the gesture made her appear both endearing and captivating, drawing the attention of those around her without her even realizing it.
"Mm. We were invited by Kane," Gideon replied calmly. "And the code given to was, ’The lark fell from the sky, and the shadows swallowed the bone, leaving behind nothing but dirt.’"
The mont the words left his lips, Ashley froze.
Nestled against his arm, she stared up at him in stunned silence, her mind montarily blank. She had been planning to take control of the conversation herself, acting cute from the sidelines while feeding him the password if necessary. After all, she had already overheard the code earlier when another group was granted entry.
With her heightened hearing, catching the conversation had been effortless despite the distance.
The group had been standing more than a dozen feet away, and even then, they had spoken in hushed voices specifically to prevent others from overhearing. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for anyone outside the corridor to catch a single word.
Yet Gideon had recited the code flawlessly.
Ashley couldn’t help but lift her gaze toward him, suspicion and curiosity flickering in her eyes. The more she learned about him, the more mysterious his background seed. No ordinary human should have been able to hear a whispered conversation from that far away, especially one deliberately kept secret.
The feat was so unbelievable that no one would ever suspect the password could be overheard from outside the checkpoint.
And yet, sohow, Gideon knew.
For a brief mont, Ashley found herself wondering once again exactly what kind of man she had attached herself to.
The mont Gideon recited the correct code, the two gatekeepers felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over them. It was as if they had just received a royal pardon monts before their execution.
More importantly, they finally had a legitimate reason to step aside and no longer stand directly in the path of the terrifying man whose oppressive presence had been suffocating them from the very beginning.
Without wasting another second, the two quickly moved aside. One of them hurried forward and respectfully pulled open the heavy doors, allowing Gideon and the others to enter.
The instant the doors swung open, a deafening wave of noise burst from within.
Cheers, whistles, and excited shouts spilled into the corridor like a raging tide. Amid the uproar, the booming voice of an emcee echoed through the air as he enthusiastically announced sothing to the crowd, drawing even louder reactions from the audience inside.
The sudden contrast caught Gideon and the others by surprise.
Just monts ago, while standing outside, they had heard virtually nothing. The building had seed almost eerily quiet despite the number of people entering it throughout the day.
Only now did they realize why.
The entire structure had been ticulously soundproofed.
No matter how loud the crowd beca or what activities were taking place inside, almost none of the noise could escape beyond the walls. Likewise, anyone standing outside would have little chance of overhearing what transpired within. It was a level of privacy that spoke volus about the nature of the establishnt and the importance of the events being held inside.
Even after stepping through the doors, Gideon and the others still couldn’t see the source of the commotion. The deafening cheers, whistles, and excited shouts echoed through the corridor, growing louder with every step they took, yet the spectacle itself remained hidden from view.
Guided by the sounds, they continued deeper into the building, descending a long flight of stairs that led underground. The further they went, the more intense the atmosphere beca until the passage finally opened into a massive subterranean arena.
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