Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 234: I think it was…

Ryan looked down at the man clinging to his leg, tears and snot streaming down his face. The sight made Ryan shudder, and he quickly stepped back, trying to put some distance between them.

Whoever this guy was, Ryan had never seen him before in his life.

“Uh… could you, like, back off a bit?”

Ryan fumbled for his phone, intending to call Alice. He needed to let her know that some weirdo had shown up on her turf.

As Ryan tried to move away, the man—Dave, apparently—persisted, sticking close but at least giving Ryan a little more space. Still, it was way too close for comfort.

“Who are you, man? And where’s Miss Alice?”

The question seemed to hit a nerve. Dave winced, sucking in a sharp breath, and his fists clenched.

“Assistant, I’m not some old man. I’m only a few years older than you.”

Dave’s words didn’t seem to convince Ryan, who eyed him skeptically. Dave’s posture slumped, making him look even more like an old man.

Dave looked like he was in his mid-forties, his face weathered from years of working on construction sites. No one would guess he’d only graduated a few years ago.

Some people are born with a silver spoon, while others are born to toil. If he had another chance, Dave would never have chosen civil engineering—what a dead-end field.

After a brief moment of reflection, Ryan decided not to press the issue. He didn’t believe Dave, but it wasn’t worth arguing about.

“I’m the project manager here. Miss Alice sent me to pick you up.”

Dave wiped his sweaty hands on his pants before pulling out a business card from his pocket and handing it to Ryan. The ingratiating smile on Dave’s face hadn’t wavered since they started talking.

Ryan didn’t see why Dave was trying so hard to please him,he just found the man’s smile unsettling.

After a quick glance at the card, Ryan decided to believe Dave. More importantly, Alice wasn’t fully recovered yet, and he couldn’t afford to waste time outside. He needed to get back to her as soon as possible.

Dave seemed to pick up on Ryan’s urgency and didn’t dare delay. He quickly led Ryan toward the construction site.

As they walked, they passed by the front gate, where a group of people were causing a commotion. Dave wiped the sweat from his forehead and gestured for Ryan to follow him through the back entrance.

Ryan’s attention was drawn to the noise, and he glanced over, intending to just take a quick look.

But then his gaze locked onto a familiar figure in the crowd, and his eyes narrowed.

Mia? What’s she doing here?

Ryan rubbed his eyes and looked again, confirming that he wasn’t mistaken. Standing in the crowd was a small girl, crying her eyes out, while the people around her looked on with pity.

“Boohoo… that’s how it is.”

“But you guys don’t need to stand up for me. You can’t win against them.”

Mia’s words stirred the crowd, and the man who had been claiming his father was dead became even more agitated, shouting slogans to rally the people against the so-called evil forces.

“Wait a minute… what’s she up to?”

Ryan frowned as he watched Mia. On one hand, he was confused about why she was here,on the other, he was puzzled by what she was saying.

She was telling people not to stand up for her, but with how pitiful she looked, anyone who heard her would be furious on her behalf.

Whatever she was doing, Ryan knew he had to get her out of there. At the very least, he couldn’t let her keep stirring things up.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ryan broke away from the group and headed toward the front gate.

Luckily, Dave was quick to react, or Ryan would have already reached the crowd.

“Assistant! Calm down!”

Dave grabbed Ryan’s arm, nearly in tears himself.

He was already in hot water. If it weren’t for Ryan, Miss Alice might have sent him off to some remote village to dig potatoes by now.

He was hoping Ryan could help him out a bit more—maybe if Miss Alice was in a good mood, she’d let him off the hook.

But even without that, there was no way he could let Ryan go over there. He knew firsthand how dangerous the situation was.

The workers were furious, and they wouldn’t hesitate to throw punches. If something happened to Ryan before he could get him back to Miss Alice, Dave’s troubles would only multiply.

“It’s fine, I’m just going over to listen to what they’re saying,” Ryan said, trying to reassure Dave. “If anyone’s getting hit, it’ll be me. Why are you so worked up?”

Ryan patted Dave’s hand, but Dave’s face froze, his expression turning even more bitter.

Does this guy not understand the situation? Dave thought. If things really go south, I’d have to jump in and take the punches for him. Doesn’t he realize how much he means to Miss Alice?

Dave was caught in a dilemma. He couldn’t just let Ryan go, but he also didn’t know how to convince him to stay. All he could do was cling to Ryan’s sleeve, refusing to let him move.

Ryan looked at Dave, exasperated. If this guy didn’t look so rugged, Ryan might have started wondering if he was into men.

Alice had only given Ryan a brief rundown over the phone. All he knew was that there had been an accident at the construction site, and now the victim’s family was causing trouble.

Initially, Ryan didn’t think much of it. But seeing Mia there made him realize something was off.

His recent experience with Mia on the rooftop was still fresh in his mind, and he had a pretty good sense of her character by now. Whenever Mia showed up, someone was bound to get played.

So, Ryan decided he needed to see what was really going on for himself.

If this were just a routine day, Ryan wouldn’t care so much. But helping Alice meant helping himself, and that gave him plenty of motivation.

“But…” Dave started to protest.

“No buts. Why are you dragging this out? Whatever happens, I’ll take responsibility,” Ryan said, his eyes scanning the crowd. Mia had already moved back into the center, hidden by the people around her.

“Just… be careful, okay?” Dave said, his voice trembling. All his hopes were pinned on Ryan now, and he could only pray that the young man knew what he was doing.

Ryan’s decision to check things out himself actually made sense given the situation. Miss Alice’s earlier negotiations with the workers had ended badly. The workers had said something that really pissed her off, and when she left without resolving the issue, tensions only escalated.

If Ryan went in with bodyguards, acting as Miss Alice’s representative, that would be truly dangerous.

“Sir…” Dave called out, his voice full of humility. It was a strange experience to be addressed so respectfully by such a weathered man, but Ryan didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Dave sent someone back to report to Miss Alice, while he stayed at a distance, ready to rush in if anything went wrong.

Ryan quickly assessed the situation. Instead of walking through the front gate, he slipped along the wall, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him.

The crowd was large and noisy, and the closer Ryan got, the more he could hear their heated discussions.

“That Alice is pure evil. Mia and her brother were so close, and she tore them apart.”

Ryan hadn’t even fully approached when he heard people badmouthing Miss Alice. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Miss Alice really was in a tough spot. In the eyes of these people, she was already seen as a villain.

Ryan perked up his ears and moved a little closer, focusing on two women who were deep in conversation.

“It’s just awful. Poor Mia. My kid back in the countryside is probably about the same age as her.”

“We have to help Mia. We need to find her brother.”

“Do you remember the name Mia mentioned earlier?”

“I think it was… Ryan?”