Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 187: Now… it seemed some bloodshed was inevitable

Alice’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked at Ryan, who stood protectively in front of her. She couldn’t quite describe the mix of emotions swirling inside her.

Back when her father was alive, she was well-protected, untouched by harm during her time living as an ordinary person.

But after her father passed, leaving her to manage their vast criminal organization alone, she had always strived to remain composed, as if nothing could ever hurt her.

Yet, in that moment, it felt as if her heart was pierced by a thousand arrows, an indescribable agony spreading throughout her body.

She would have rather been the one hurt.

She could have directly stopped Dante, but instead, she thought about how to use his attempt to hurt her as a way to counter him.

As a result, Ryan stepped in and got hurt protecting her.

Instead of feeling touched, Alice was overwhelmed by a profound sense of guilt.

[Alice Darkening level+5, current 15/100]

[Alice Mood Level-10, current 15/100 (Sad)]

To say it didn’t hurt would be a lie,the spot where he was hit was burning with pain.

He touched it,thankfully, it wasn’t a severe injury and there was no bleeding.

Getting hit on the head with a chair was naturally painful, but as a man, he could bear it.

What Ryan couldn’t bear was seeing Miss Alice take a significant step towards her darker side. What was happening to her?

A direct increase of five points was no small matter.

Ryan still hadn’t found a way to reduce the Darkening level, and these points might remain indefinitely.

No one knew exactly what this would affect, but if it got too high, Ryan felt he would definitely regret it.

“Miss Alice?”

Ryan wasn’t sure what to do, rubbing his sore head and awkwardly turning to look at Alice.

Could it be that Alice didn’t like him helping her? After all, she was quite independent.

Turning around, Ryan saw Alice’s current state and seemed to understand something.

Her eyes were red, her lips tightly bitten to the point of bleeding, her fists clenched tightly.

Her gaze fixed on him, her eyes no longer icy mountains but as if raindrops were falling within them.

The young girl looked so wronged, it made one wonder if she was the one who had been hurt.

Alice was under everyone’s watchful eyes, her eyes reddening but forcibly holding back tears, which could fall at any moment if she relaxed.

Could Miss Alice cry?

Seeing Alice so aggrieved, Ryan paused, then quickly stepped forward to pull her into his arms and led her to a nearby sofa.

Why Alice was acting this way was beside the point,she couldn’t be seen like this by others.

Especially not by Lorenzo, who lay on the ground gasping like a dead dog,he would definitely make a big deal out of it.

Dante watched the two leave without stopping them, only ordering the conference room exit to be blocked. There was no way Ryan and Alice could leave.

He pressed his thumb and forefinger hard against his temples, his nerves twitching inside. If Lorenzo wasn’t still useful, he’d have thrown him off the building.

In this situation, Rocco kept talking beside him, making Dante’s expression grow even darker.

His other hand held three photographs, his fingertips pressing so hard they nearly crushed them.

He wanted to deal with both parties involved, but he couldn’t.

Not to mention in the organization, Miss Alice had many followers, and her status alone was troublesome.

Both parties needed to cool down now, or this could lead to a massive gang war, and he didn’t want to be manipulated by Lorenzo.

Dante waved Rocco away, not wanting to hear another word from the old fox, just staring darkly at the photos in his hand.

With Dante like this, everyone else could only return to their seats and wait for the outcome, no one daring to speak at this time.

Alice and Dante were still equals in status, creating a delicate balance. Their subordinates feared getting involved would leave them with nothing left.

Dante’s silence gave Ryan a moment to catch his breath. Alice, looking almost like a puppet, let Ryan lead her by the hand to sit down on the sofa.

“Ryan… I’m sorry.”

Alice’s face was flushed, and it took her a while to squeeze those words out, but Ryan just shook his head, not minding at all.

[Alice Favorability+2, current 62/100 (Trusted Companion)]

The system popped up another message because of Ryan’s generosity, which made his expression darken.

Miss Alice, if you really appreciate me, could you maybe drop your Favorability a bit? That would actually be better for me!

Ryan was screaming inside, but Alice, thinking his grimace was due to his injury, immediately looked even more guilty.

“Come here.”

Alice took a few deep breaths to steady her emotions and then softly spoke to Ryan as she sat on the sofa.

“What’s wrong?”

Ryan was still thinking of a way out, but Alice’s hand had already touched his cheek.

Miss Alice had never initiated physical contact before,this was a first.

Her cool hand initially made Ryan a bit uncomfortable, but seeing Alice’s sad expression, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.

After all, he was now Alice’s “Trusted Companion,” and such gestures should still be within the norm for Miss Alice.

Alice didn’t do anything extra,she just earnestly checked to see if Ryan had any serious injuries. After confirming it was just a minor scrape, she finally relaxed.

“He wouldn’t really hurt me, you know?”

Alice ruffled Ryan’s hair, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

Indeed, there was a possibility that Dante had regained his rationality at the last moment and forcibly held back, but Ryan couldn’t just stand by.

Alice had read the determination in Ryan’s eyes and sighed again, then playfully pinched his cheek.

Alice was very affectionate at the moment and didn’t hide her care for Ryan, who found it quite comforting to be so cared for by a beautiful girl.

However, this probably wasn’t the right time for such things.

Ryan had heard Dante’s words loud and clear. If Miss Alice couldn’t prove her innocence, he was in big trouble.

He was supposed to die by Alice’s hand, not get shot by Dante and talk about resurrection.

Ryan pondered his next move with a gloomy face, while Alice, after touching his face for the first time, gradually became bolder, gently touching the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Why was she like Mia, always so hands-on?

Ryan was slightly puzzled, solidifying his theory that they were sisters in his mind.

Speaking of Mia, she was sitting on the sofa right next to Alice.

She had been there all along, watching the interaction between the two, and was now quite unhappy.

For some reason, seeing Alice touch Ryan made Mia feel a sourness in her heart.

She had already kissed that spot,why was Ryan letting Alice touch it…

“So, have you guys cleared your names yet, getting all cozy like this?”

“That old guy is already steaming mad.”

Mia climbed over the sofa, not mincing her words, and directly removed Alice’s hand from Ryan’s cheek, then positioned herself between them.

Ryan hadn’t forgotten,he was always thinking about what to do.

But they had left in such a hurry, he didn’t even know what was on those photos, let alone how to offend.

And Alice wasn’t particularly nervous.

Dante hadn’t come over in a fury yet, which clearly meant he wasn’t sure either. As long as she denied everything, Dante had no way to proceed.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Nobody can touch you, except for me.” Alice ignored Mia as if she wasn’t there at all, looking directly at Ryan and speaking very seriously.

Alice’s declaration was forceful, but to Ryan, it sounded a bit off.

So, nobody but Alice could touch him? Did that mean Alice could do whatever she wanted with him?

It felt like something straight out of a domineering CEO romance novel, except the roles were reversed.

Ryan looked at Alice, trying to detect a hint of jest in her expression, but her serious demeanor told him this was non-negotiable.

“Hey, hey! What about me?”

Mia jumped up, barely reaching into their line of sight even at the peak of her leap, frantically waving her hands to catch Ryan’s attention.

“Big brother, I’ll protect you too!”

Ryan nodded with a mix of amusement and dread, not daring to look at Alice, whose gaze sharpened noticeably at Mia’s declaration.

It seemed the sisters didn’t have the best relationship.

Bringing Alice here to regroup had only taken about a minute, but she had already fully regained the aura of a mob boss, even more formidable than before.

If Alice had been a mere droplet of water before, now she was a raging river.

Mia narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing that Alice was about to get serious.

Ryan only saw Alice as being pitifully caught up in these affairs, but he hadn’t considered why she was actually able to hold her ground in the gang.

In such a dangerous environment, not just anyone could stand firm. Alice’s methods were every bit as ruthless as Lorenzo’s.

“Let’s go together.”

Alice glanced back at Ryan and then headed straight towards Dante.

The conference room was silent, the sound of Alice’s heels striking the floor echoed loudly.

This was undoubtedly one of Lorenzo’s schemes. Alice had tolerated his previous nuisances, but he had crossed a line by dragging Ryan into this. Now… it seemed some bloodshed was inevitable.

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