Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 213: You did very well, and I’m very pleased

“Not leaving?”

Anna and Mia looked stunned. They had thought that giving Ryan the choice would surely make him leave.

In their eyes, Ryan hardly had a choice,who would want to be cooped up forever?

But nobody had anticipated this outcome.

Even Alice, the mastermind behind the event, hadn’t really expected Ryan to stay. Her plan was to completely dash Ryan’s hopes and then keep him locked up in the villa.

But now… it seemed she needed to revise her plan.

Ryan’s words reminded her of the first time he had wanted to leave.

Back then, he seemed to just want to help her, but Alice hadn’t really believed him at the time. Now, reflecting on it, she saw things differently.

Could it be that Ryan genuinely wanted to help her?

If not, he wouldn’t have taken a bullet for her.

Had she been mistrusting Ryan all along?

“Are you really not coming with me, senior?”

“You, staying in a place like this…”

Anna stared blankly at Ryan, her grip on the knife tightening, the pain in her palm not enough to calm her down.

Her muscles were tearing, and she was becoming numb. She desperately wanted to deny everything she was seeing,it couldn’t possibly be real.

The emotional pain was even worse than the physical.

So, in the end, she was the one left behind, abandoned again?

Just like before.

“Uh, Anna, don’t overthink it.”

“I just need to sort some things out, I’ll definitely come back after that.”

Ryan didn’t understand why Anna was so concerned about him,they weren’t that close.

He didn’t know why Anna cared so much,he certainly didn’t deserve such attention.

“Senior…”

Anna forced a smile, but the strained expression only made one feel guilty.

Ryan’s heart raced, but in the end, all he could offer was a bit of comfort. He definitely couldn’t leave Alice.

“Alright, alright, Alice, you win this round.”

“I don’t know what you did to Ryan, but people change, right? Just be careful not to give me a chance next time, or you might not be so lucky.”

Mia seemed resigned as she admitted her defeat and even playfully threatened Alice.

She touched her smooth chin, her eyes scanning Ryan.

Ryan’s reluctance to leave was highly unusual.

She tried to guess what had happened by observing Ryan’s expressions.

Could it be that Alice’s earlier words weren’t just empty threats, and that she and Ryan were really living together now?

But it didn’t seem likely.

Anna was sent away, looking utterly devastated, and Mia stayed an extra hour to observe Ryan before making a quick exit ahead of Alice’s fury.

The dramatic showdown among the women ended with Alice clearly emerging victorious, and Ryan was unwittingly the hero of the day.

He was still clueless, even as the two girls left, not really understanding what they had come for.

It seemed they had come to rescue him…

The outcome was clear,Alice had fended off the two girls and dispelled her long-standing anxieties.

Objectively, it was a win-win situation, with Alice winning twice over.

After dealing with the external threat, Alice forced herself to remain calm and took a sip of coffee. Despite her excitement, as a mob boss, she couldn’t show it.

She really wanted to have a proper talk with Ryan, to explain her previous actions.

Now that Ryan trusted her enough not to leave, maybe she should make some concessions too.

A good relationship is built together, and Alice was ready to take that step.

But first, there were still matters to handle.

“Hannah.”

Alice’s gaze briefly swept over Hannah, who was standing nearby. She hadn’t brought up the issue earlier because of the immediate danger posed by Anna and the others, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten about it.

She hadn’t expected such a significant betrayal from someone close to her, one she couldn’t forgive.

Now, Alice knew that Hannah had orchestrated Anna’s visit, aiming to pry Ryan away from her. How could she forgive that?

“Miss Alice…”

Hannah’s body shook violently, knowing that Alice was about to deal with her. She was painfully aware of the gravity of her mistake. Ryan was important to Alice, yet she had continuously tried to drive a wedge between them.

She even let strangers into the house to get Ryan to leave.

This was a clear violation of Alice’s boundaries, and years of loyalty wouldn’t spare her a harsh fate.

Regrets? She had none, believing she did what was truly needed for Alice.

Ryan’s presence only endangered Miss Alice further, but she had forgotten who had been resolving crisis after crisis for Alice. Was it her? She was in the hospital dealing with a broken arm at the time.

“You’ve done a lot for me over the years, followed me through thick and thin. I won’t deal with you according to the organization’s rules.”

Alice gently blew on her coffee, and Hannah’s face turned pale.

Being maimed or subjected to stricter punishments would have been acceptable to her,after all, her life was Alice’s to command. But… the implication in Alice’s words sent shivers down her spine, the one thing she couldn’t bear.

“Miss Alice!”

“Just leave, that’s it.”

Hannah’s voice was filled with sorrow, but Alice showed no hesitation, simply waving her hand dismissively.

Alice had thought the issues between Ryan and Hannah were minor, but these “minor” issues had almost led to deep regrets.

What if she hadn’t discovered their plans today? Would Ryan have been taken away by those two?

Forgiving this once could lead to a second time, something she would never allow.

Between Hannah and Ryan, Alice clearly knew who was more important to her, hence her decisive action now.

Ryan’s gaze shifted between Alice and Hannah, staying silent.

Even though he knew Hannah had no ill intentions towards Alice and that her actions were meant for Alice’s good, he couldn’t intervene.

Alice’s demeanor brooked no argument, not even from Ryan. She meant business.

After hearing Alice’s words, Hannah’s hands trembled, her mouth opened to speak, but Alice showed no interest in looking at her.

“I’m sorry, Miss Alice.”

She bowed deeply, apologizing while trying to mask her overwhelming sadness, then walked out with her head bowed in shame.

The door closed slowly, silently.

Just like that, Hannah walked out of the room and out of their lives.

“Ryan, what do you think of how I handled this?”

Alice sighed, waiting for the door to close before turning to Ryan.

Ryan could see a hint of regret in Alice’s eyes, and he felt deeply moved.

Mia had told him that Hannah had always been by Miss Alice’s side.

Alice wasn’t good at expressing herself or revealing her emotions, but she definitely had a deep connection with this long-time companion.

Just letting her go like that?

Alice could have covered this up, but she chose to take it seriously. Was it because of him?

“I think you did the right thing. Loyalty has to come first, and personal feelings shouldn’t interfere with the job.”

“Especially given how dangerous your situation is.”

Ryan pondered for a moment before offering a balanced response, which seemed to satisfy Alice.

“You’re right, but if you know my situation is dangerous, then you might get dragged into it too. Why don’t you leave?”

“Now that I’ve sent Hannah away, the only candidate for my assistant is you. Aren’t you scared at all?”

Alice massaged her temples, trying to suppress her feelings about Hannah’s departure, which, in a way, was also beneficial.

The gang had strict rules about “assistants must be elected,” and under normal circumstances, they couldn’t be replaced. She had been worried about this issue before.

Now that Hannah was gone, the assistant position was vacant, and she just needed to secure a few votes of approval.

“Sure, I’m scared, but that’s exactly the point.”

“It’s not like if I’m scared, you won’t have to live this life anymore. So what’s the use of being scared?”

Ryan spoke calmly, his words reflecting his genuine thoughts.

But to Alice, his words held a special significance, shimmering with an unexpected insight.

Why hadn’t she noticed this before?

From the beginning, Ryan had always considered things from her perspective, never assuming he would leave.

Yet she hadn’t listened, always fearing he would leave, even considering locking him up for life. Perhaps she had trusted Ryan too little.

“Let’s consider today’s matter settled then. You did very well, and I’m very pleased.”

Alice said, raising an eyebrow.

She had thwarted Mia and foiled that “junior’s” scheme. Ryan had acted exactly as she had hoped.

Ryan, slightly embarrassed, was rubbing the back of his head when he heard Alice’s tone suddenly turn cold again.

“Now, let’s talk about your situation.”

“That junior of yours, what’s her story, and how do you see her?”

“No lying, or I’ll rip your tongue out.”