Gage carefully helped her into her seat before stepping back.
"Thank you, Brother," Ashley said with a smile.
"I'm glad Miss Ashley finds this place worthwhile," Mr. Lowe said as he took his seat at the head of the table, a position that allowed him to keep all of his guests within his line of sight.
Gage settled into the chair on Ashley's left, while Gideon casually claimed the seat on her right.
The moment Gideon sat down, he flashed Mr. Lowe a smug smile.
Mr. Lowe's eyelid twitched slightly, but he chose to ignore him. There was little he could do about Gideon's presence now. After all, allowing Gideon to participate had been part of their agreement in exchange for what he needed.
For the time being, he could only tolerate the man's infuriating grin.
"Your arrival is impeccable. Let's enjoy dinner first before discussing business," Mr. Lowe said.
With a subtle gesture, he signaled the servers to begin presenting the appetizers.
