In negotiations, the first person to fold was often the one forced to make concessions. The moment they showed eagerness, they would lose leverage and be pressured into offering greater benefits until they ended up on the losing side of the deal. Their pride simply would not allow such an outcome.

As a result, the three men found themselves sitting on pins and needles, trapped in an increasingly uncomfortable stalemate.

What frustrated them most was that, despite their earlier confidence, they knew the truth. Among all the investors seeking entry into the city, none possessed wealth and resources comparable to Gideon’s. Losing him would be a far greater blow to them than it would ever be to him.

Meanwhile, Ashley had quietly observed everything from the beginning.

Though she was not deeply involved in business matters in her brother’s company just yet, she could tell that the three men across from them were not trustworthy. Their eyes shifted too often, and their words carried layers of hidden intentions. They struck her as the type of businessmen who cared only about squeezing every possible advantage from others while giving as little as possible in return.

Greedy people were difficult to work with.

And businessmen who lacked honesty were often the least trustworthy of all.

With that conclusion reached, Ashley lost any interest in the negotiation. Since Gideon clearly had no intention of continuing the discussion either, she simply focused on enjoying the exquisite meal in front of her, blissfully unaware that their casual actions were making the three businessmen even more anxious.

"M-Mr. Walker..." the businessman seated on the left finally spoke, unable to endure the suffocating tension hanging heavily in the room any longer. Beads of sweat had begun to form along his brow as anxiety gnawed at him.

Their intention had only been to issue a warning and pressure Gideon into giving them a larger share of the profits, not to completely destroy the relationship between them. After all, burning bridges with a man like Gideon Augustus Walker would bring them far more losses than gains.

As his gaze flickered toward Ashley and the others, he noticed that their meal was already nearing its end. Knowing that this might be his last opportunity to salvage the situation, he gathered his courage and spoke up.

Gideon did not respond.

He did not even spare the man a glance.

Instead, he calmly continued placing more food onto Ashley’s plate, his movements unhurried and meticulous, as though the nervous businessman and the tense atmosphere around him did not exist at all.

Now that he had already spoken, the businessman felt there was no point in holding back. More importantly, Gideon had not shown any visible anger or displeasure. Mistaking the man’s silence for tacit permission, or perhaps an invitation to continue, he steeled himself and pressed on.

"Mr. Walker, it’s not that we don’t want to cooperate," he began carefully. "But as we’ve already explained, the competition in the market is fiercer than ever. In this industry, those who act first secure the largest share of the profits, while those who hesitate are left fighting over the scraps. Since you’ve already invited us here today, why don’t we proceed with the discussion and see if we can reach an agreement that benefits everyone?"

The moment the words left his mouth, a sharp pain shot through his foot.

The businessman nearly sucked in a breath as the man seated in the middle viciously stomped on his foot beneath the table. The warning was so sudden and forceful that he almost lost his composure. He immediately realized his mistake and cursed inwardly. While he had been busy trying to salvage the negotiation, he had completely forgotten who he was speaking to.

Or rather, who he was trying to pressure.

"Fucking idiot! You just ruined everything I’ve been trying to accomplish!"

The businessman seated in the middle hissed the words through clenched teeth, his face dark with fury as he shot a venomous glare at the man beside him. At that moment, he felt as though all his efforts had been swept away by a single reckless sentence.

His original plan had been simple: slowly turn up the pressure, like boiling a frog without it noticing, until Gideon was forced to take a step back and make concessions.

It had required patience, restraint, and careful maneuvering. Yet all of that had been destroyed because of one man’s impatience and greed.

The fool had exposed their true intentions far too early.

Worse still, he had inadvertently revealed the cracks within their alliance. Any competent businessman could now see that the three of them were not acting with a unified purpose.

They each had their own agendas, their own schemes, and their own interests to protect. Rather than presenting a united front, they had exposed themselves as opportunists concerned only with securing the largest benefit for themselves.

And Gideon was many things, but incompetent was certainly not one of them.

The businessman felt his heart sink.

If there had been even the slightest chance of steering the negotiation in their favor before, that possibility had all but vanished now. Looking at Gideon’s indifferent expression, he could not help but feel a wave of helplessness wash over him.

This negotiation...

Perhaps it had already been doomed the moment they walked through the door.

Of course, even their hushed whispers did not escape Gideon’s ears.

A faint chuckle escaped him, but he offered no response. The three businessmen’s frustration, anxiety, and internal conflicts seemed utterly insignificant in his eyes. Instead, his attention shifted elsewhere.

Ashley had finally set down her fork.

A subtle smile tugged at Gideon’s lips as he noticed the gesture. The table was littered with empty plates and half-finished dishes, the majority of which had somehow ended up in Ashley’s stomach.

Between Gideon and Gage constantly adding food to her plate and urging her to eat, she had been fed so much that she felt more like a pampered piglet than a guest. At this point, she could not force down another bite even if she wanted to.

Leaning back slightly in her chair, Ashley’s gaze drifted toward the three businessmen seated across from them.

The longer she observed them, the less favorable her impression became.

Their impatience was written all over their faces, and their actions throughout the meeting had only reinforced her growing distaste. As potential business partners, they failed to meet even the most basic standards she valued.

First, they lacked honesty and integrity. Rather than approaching the negotiation with sincerity, they had hidden their true intentions behind layers of manipulation and half-truths.

Second, they were excessively greedy. Every word they spoke revolved around securing greater profits and larger benefits for themselves, regardless of the impact on others.

And third, they lacked patience and foresight. They were the type of people who chased immediate gains and quick success, unable or unwilling to invest in long-term cooperation and mutual growth.

To Ashley, such people were unreliable.

As she glanced at Gideon, she could not help but arrive at the same conclusion that he too thinks so.

There was nothing left to discuss.

The fact that Gideon had remained silent this entire time spoke volumes. He was not ignoring them because he was considering their proposal. On the contrary, he had already made his decision.