Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 190: I'm fine, thanks for asking, my esteemed master!

Chapter 190: I’m fine, thanks for asking, my esteemed master!

“Ryan, are you serious?”

“Bringing that traitor here now won’t change the outcome,they’ll definitely side with him.”

“Once he starts spouting nonsense again, things will really get messy.”

Alice looked into Ryan’s eyes, sighed deeply, and spoke with earnest concern.

She worried that Ryan didn’t fully grasp the stakes involved and even patiently explained it to him again.

“Right, big bro, isn’t calling Travis over just asking for trouble for Alice? It’s like you want her gone faster.”

“Shh—wait, are you actually the real mole?” Mia covered her mouth in shock as she stared at Ryan, who, visibly annoyed, roughly tousled her hair.

“Ow! That hurts!”

Mia clutched Ryan’s hand, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, while Alice, standing nearby, stared blankly at his hand, lost in thought.

“I can’t easily explain my reasons, but I do have some confidence.”

Ryan wasn’t completely sure, though. While the system’s rewards and gadgets were real, he had never actually used them properly before.

It was a gamble, and Ryan was betting that the system was reliable and the drugs were safe.

If it failed, he’d be out of options.

“So, how confident are you, really?”

Mia, touching her chin, scrutinized Ryan. She had already prepared to drag Marco Bellini into this mess.

Marco had always wanted to set her up as the new mob boss, using her all along. Now, she wanted to use this situation to keep Marco in check.

If she threatened to completely break with Marco, he’d have no choice but to get involved and wade into these murky waters.

Though it wasn’t great for her own situation, as she said, she was doing her best to protect Ryan.

“About 50%,” Ryan admitted. Assuming the drugs worked, there were still other issues, like how he was going to administer them to Travis in front of so many people.

Travis would surely be well-guarded, especially as a witness, making it hard for Ryan to get close.

That meant he’d have to make his move somewhere outside this conference room.

“Just 50%! You realize, if anything happens, Miss Alice will be fine, but you’re the one who’s going to get chopped.”

Mia immediately objected, waving her hands and about to share her plan.

But Alice glanced at her and nodded first.

“50% is enough. Go ahead.”

“I don’t know what your plan is, and I won’t ask, but if it fails, I’ll make sure you’re protected.”

Alice remembered how Ryan had protected her before, spotting a hidden sniper and leading her safely away.

Ryan had his secrets, and while Alice was curious, she decided to trust him without asking too many questions.

Her decision was final, no matter how much Mia protested.

Ryan took a deep breath. Alice’s trust and promise felt overwhelmingly heavy, more than he felt he could handle right now.

“Miss Alice, have you all decided? Can I call him over now?”

Rocco had jumped in, eager to push things along by Dante’s side.

“Miss Alice, it’s just bringing someone over. Are you really that worried?”

Dante was anxious, unable to shake off the image of the third photograph from his mind.

He had started to suspect Lorenzo’s plot, but seeing Alice’s hesitation made him unsure again.

Overall, he was extremely agitated.

Alice clicked her tongue in annoyance, more convinced than ever that only Ryan truly had her best interests at heart, while everyone else just wished she’d hurry up and meet her end.

Before Alice could speak, Ryan stepped forward, locking eyes with Dante.

“Of course, Mr. Russo, Miss Alice has decided to bring the person over.”

“But clearly, this person is a traitor to our side and will only spout nonsense.”

“Mr. Russo, what you should really care about is your granddaughter. If we bring someone here to cause a scene, and you end up having to deal with me, you still won’t have any news about your granddaughter. But do you really think this is the best way to handle things?”

Dante had indeed drawn his gun earlier, and facing such a ruthless man, Ryan, though still somewhat trembling inside, managed to keep his cool.

He had clearly spoken out of turn, but it was the only way to possibly gain some leverage.

Dante squinted at Ryan, and Alice immediately stepped forward, pulling Ryan behind her protectively.

Dante couldn’t help but admire Ryan’s eloquence. The fierce tug-of-war between Miss Alice’s and Rocco’s factions had nothing to do with him,he just wanted to ensure his granddaughter’s safety as soon as possible.

“Is this also Miss Alice’s wish?” Dante asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair. Alice nodded in response.

“So, what do you propose?”

“It’s simple. Let me bring him in. I might even be able to turn him around.”

Ryan’s statement made Dante frown, but Ryan’s next words seemed to alleviate his concerns.

“Mr. Russo, if you’re worried, have someone follow me. I can’t exactly kill Travis on the way, can I?” Ryan said with a harmless smile.

This gave everyone a chance to really look at Ryan. Dressed in casual clothes, tall but somewhat slender, he didn’t compare to the others present.

Indeed, Ryan didn’t look like a mobster at all. He’d probably struggle to kill a chicken, let alone a person.

Dante nodded slightly,this arrangement wasn’t too bad.

Whether Travis was swayed by Ryan’s words didn’t really matter. If he was convinced, then Dante would just eliminate Lorenzo.

And if not, it would probably convince Miss Alice to give up on him.

Either way, it would save some trouble, at least preventing a drawn-out dispute in front of him.

With Dante’s nod, Rocco, though hesitant, had no choice but to agree.

Lorenzo, hearing what Ryan had said, also looked up at him.

His lips curled slightly, his eyes filled with mockery and hatred, scoffing at Ryan’s overconfidence.

Travis’s most important family members were in his hands,how could he possibly turn back just because of a few words from Ryan?

Moreover, Travis had already made significant mistakes. If he were smart, he’d know that retribution from Miss Alice was inevitable.

If he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to stick with Lorenzo. He was already tied to Lorenzo’s fate.

Everyone agreed, clearly seeing Ryan as a weakling. A small pebble trying to make waves in the ocean?

Mia, unable to persuade Ryan, stomped her foot in frustration and then stepped aside, pretending to wash her hands of Ryan’s fate. However, her big, watchful eyes betrayed her real concerns.

Decisions made, Alice wasted no time and called Hannah to locate Travis’s current whereabouts.

Travis wasn’t hiding,as a pawn, he would likely show up even if Alice didn’t seek him out.

Within two minutes, they had his location. Dante signaled briefly, and three sharply dressed mob members stood up, their attire indicating their high rank within the organization.

They looked at Ryan with a hint of disdain,to them, this was just an extra errand.

As they were about to part ways, Mia, still hesitant, finally huffed and approached Ryan.

She tugged gently at Ryan’s sleeve, worried that his efforts were in vain and even more that Dante might kill him en route.

“Be careful, okay?”

Though still a bit angry, Mia’s eyes were watery as she blinked up at Ryan, her unspoken words hanging in the air.

Ryan had been her first kiss, and dying now would be too easy for him.

Ryan nodded slightly, appreciating Mia’s concern. He knew to be cautious,he couldn’t afford to die before his real revival.

Ryan then whispered something to Alice, instructing the bodyguards to stay close to her and Mia on the couch until his return.

He hadn’t forgotten the presence of assassins. Though they hadn’t shown themselves yet, the unseen gun was the most threatening.

Before leaving, Ryan was frisked in front of everyone, a precaution to prevent him from harming Travis directly.

Of course, they found nothing on him,what Ryan needed wasn’t something he’d carry on his person.

As Ryan walked away, Alice watched his retreating figure, lips pressed tightly together, silently wishing him luck with his plan.

“Alice, do you really trust him that much?”

Mia ground her teeth as she watched Ryan walk away. In her opinion, if they had followed her plan, Ryan would definitely be safe.

She couldn’t fathom what was going through Ryan’s head, defending Alice when she was the one being falsely accused.

If this didn’t prove that Alice and Ryan had a special relationship, then Mia wouldn’t believe it at all.

“Of course, who should I trust if not him? You?”

Alice’s tone was frosty as she scoffed and walked towards the sofa, leaving Mia momentarily speechless before she stomped her foot in frustration.

…

Meanwhile, Ryan was escorted out of the meeting room and shoved into a black luxury car. The lead man in black was stern, while the other two seemed more indifferent.

They didn’t see Ryan as much of a threat,even if he tried anything, they could easily handle him in minutes.

“You better be smart about this, you hear? Even if you’re Miss Alice’s guy, if you mess up, I’ll break your arm just the same,” the man in black warned, glaring at Ryan, who didn’t seem too bothered and just nodded nonchalantly.

Ryan was well-behaved in the car, quietly observing the scenery outside the window.

The tailing men found him uninteresting after a couple of minutes and stopped paying him much attention.

The car doors were locked,he was trapped. They wondered why Mr. Russo was even giving him a chance.

Could he really pull it off?

After another five minutes, the man sitting next to Ryan flared his nostrils and frowned, asking the driver, “Did you spray perfume in here today? Or did you have a woman in the car?”

“How could I? It’s the boss’s car. I wouldn’t dare have sex with a woman in here.”

The driver retorted angrily, even slamming the car horn, clearly a hot-headed guy.

Ryan quietly observed the three men’s reactions without saying a word.

He waited until the scent had fully spread inside the car, forcing the man next to him to roll down the window for air. Then, he tentatively spoke up.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking, my esteemed master!”