Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 310: Conservative treatment...

Chapter 310: Conservative treatment…

Ryan quickly took two steps back, nearly toppling over with his chair.

He looked at Mia with lingering fear. The memory of being caught in a flying armbar outside the construction site was still fresh in his mind.

Getting trapped between those cute legs like that would definitely leave him gasping for air, suffocating to death.

Yep, terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. It was all Mia’s trap.

Seeing Ryan’s sudden wariness, Mia just shrugged, thinking he was a bit late to the realization. Still, this time, her actions were more like going with the flow.

Maybe Ryan hadn’t even noticed it himself, but by now, he was no longer the calm, collected guy he used to be. Slowly but surely, he had changed in many ways.

“Alright, Mia, let’s focus and get to work.”

Ryan tried to sound serious, giving Mia what felt like a final warning, though it was more of a reminder to himself.

Mia pouted but scooted over a bit to make room for him at the computer. That was the only concession she made.

“You…”

The real problem wasn’t the computer—it was the person sitting next to him. Ryan stared at Mia helplessly, but their levels of intensity weren’t even close.

She could play the innocent card, act cute, or, when that didn’t work, just glare at him with a fierce look. Ryan had no defense against any of it and could only give up.

They didn’t have much time, and Ryan didn’t want to leave empty-handed. He forced himself to sit at the desk, trying to calm down and focus.

Thankfully, this time Mia just watched quietly from the side, not causing any more trouble.

“So, Ryan, you still haven’t answered my question. Why did the people behind this choose these specific days?”

Mia knew when to be serious. She hadn’t been trying to seduce Ryan earlier on purpose; it was just that his determined expression made her want to break through it and see what his real reaction would be.

Unfortunately, Ryan was still on guard. It would take a lot more time to break him down.

“These days…”

Ryan couldn’t pretend he hadn’t heard her this time. It was the same question he’d been mulling over ever since he got the intel from Clara.

It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

Mia had her theories about why the people behind this had chosen these particular days, but Ryan was more focused on whether it was even necessary.

Just two weeks ago, Alice had been in the middle of a gang war. If the mastermind behind all this wanted to take her down, that would’ve been the perfect time to strike.

Internal chaos, external threats—Alice would’ve been crushed, even with Ryan’s full support.

So why did the mastermind let Alice survive that, only to make a move now, after she’d regained her strength and consolidated her power?

What was missing two weeks ago that made them wait?

Or maybe… taking down Alice was never the goal in the first place?

One question always leads to another, and the way to solve it isn’t by overthinking but by finding the real evidence.

Ryan couldn’t answer Mia’s question, but she didn’t seem too bothered. She hopped off the desk and started looking through the files on the computer with him.

They were sitting so close their faces were practically touching.

Ryan had gotten somewhat used to it by now. This level of closeness didn’t throw him off too much anymore, though the sweet, citrusy scent of Mia’s perfume still made his heart race.

The system was straightforward. Patient records, payment history, and medical arrangements were all accessible through a simple search. All they had to do was enter a name.

Ryan already knew the girl’s name, so he typed Clara into the system.

The cursor spun for a moment, and then a detailed report appeared on the screen in front of them.

[Patient Name: Clara Evans

Age: 17,

Gender: Female

Diagnosis: Acute late-stage leukemia, with symptoms of bleeding and anemia

Treatment Plan: Conservative treatment

Payment Summary: Surgery, hospitalization, and medical expenses to date: $570,000 (paid in full). Caregiver fees: $10,000 (paid in full). No outstanding balances.]

As Ryan read through the cold, clinical lines of text, it was hard to reconcile them with the living, breathing girl he had just seen in the hospital room.

“Conservative treatment…”

Mia stared at the screen, her usual playful demeanor gone, replaced by a serious expression as she muttered quietly.

“Conservative treatment… does that mean chemo?” Ryan asked, frowning. He wasn’t familiar with medical terms, but the way Mia pointed it out made him feel like something was off.

“It’s not like that…” Mia shook her head.

“Conservative treatment means… there’s no hope. It’s just about making sure nothing goes wrong in the final days. It’s the most cautious, minimal approach.”

“Late-stage acute leukemia… even the most advanced surgeries in the world can’t save her now.”

Mia let out a deep sigh, as if she was mourning the girl’s fate—or maybe something else entirely.

Ryan had never seen Mia this serious before, and for a moment, he was caught off guard, staring at her. That unsettling thought from earlier crept back into his mind.

Most people, when they hear conservative treatment, would think it’s just a less aggressive approach. They wouldn’t immediately associate it with “no hope.” So how did Mia know?

“Hey, Ryan, why are you staring at me? Look at the screen!” Mia’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She seemed a little uncomfortable under his gaze, worried he might figure something out. She quickly reached over and pinched his ear, forcing him to focus back on the computer.

Maybe it was because Mia was usually so energetic and carefree that her current somber mood was even more noticeable. Ryan, with his ear still being tugged, tried to focus on the screen.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t absorb a single word. His mind was a mess, filled with thoughts about Mia.

“Fifty-seven thousand dollars in treatment costs… There’s no way Frank could’ve come up with that kind of money.”

“And I checked the bank records like you asked. Frank’s account only shows regular salary deposits—no large transactions.”

Mia took a deep breath, flashing her usual smile. But if this were any other time, she’d be smugly asking Ryan for a reward after delivering such information.

This time, she didn’t.

Ryan had been preparing himself for this, but he still couldn’t stay calm. Mia was definitely hiding something, and it was probably related to her own health.

What was wrong with her? Why had she mentioned treatment during that phone call? How bad was her condition?

One question after another weighed down on Ryan, making it hard to breathe. He tried to force a smile, but even that was impossible.

With his ear still in Mia’s grip, he couldn’t turn to look at her. He had no idea what expression she was wearing, or what she was feeling right now.

The worst possible scenario had already taken root in Ryan’s mind. Compared to the helplessness he felt with Clara, this situation carried an even deeper sense of dread.

He didn’t know the full truth yet, but Mia’s behavior was already revealing enough. He didn’t want things to go in that direction, but it seemed inevitable.

“Because it was cash. Frank brought over six hundred thousand dollars in cash to the hospital.”

When Ryan finally spoke again, his voice was weak. He clicked on the payment records, and sure enough, there was a special note about Frank bringing cash to cover the medical bills.

“I don’t know what he was thinking… Spending all that money, risking his life, and the hospital still only offers this kind of treatment.”

Mia sighed, her tone filled with a strange mix of sympathy and amusement. Then, as if something funny had crossed her mind, she let out a soft laugh.

“Hey, Ryan, what do you think? If I were the one lying in that hospital bed, what would it be like?”

“Wha—?! Don’t make that face!”

“I’m kidding! It’s just a joke, okay?”