Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 264: Seems like you were never trusted at all, huh?

“Why did Anna end up at the police station? There’s no way she could’ve done something wrong.”

Ryan, hearing that Anna had been arrested, immediately asked Mia with urgency, not realizing that he himself was the type who wouldn’t normally get into trouble either.

People’s reactions are shaped by external events. If something is outrageous enough, it’s not surprising when a good person is pushed to do something bad.

What really made Ryan feel uneasy was the nagging suspicion that this incident might somehow be connected to him.

Thinking back to when that girl had shown up with a knife to rescue him from Alice, it was hard not to wonder—could this be another one of those situations?

“How would I know? She didn’t explain anything to me.”

Ryan didn’t even realize how much his emotions were fluctuating. He was probably less angry when he himself was framed than he was now.

Mia, her big eyes locked on Ryan, pouted and responded with clear irritation.

The way Anna had sounded on the phone was off. In Mia’s mind, Anna was always a dangerous character, but the kind that seemed harmless until she bit you when you least expected it. At least, on the surface, their relationship had been decent.

But this time, Anna’s voice was ice-cold, so much so that Mia almost felt like she was talking to Alice instead of Anna.

Anna’s words were simple: she told Mia which police station she was at and demanded that Mia get her out—no questions asked.

Anna didn’t even bother asking if Mia could do it. She knew Mia had the power to get her out without breaking a sweat.

Honestly, a fight could be a big deal or a small one, depending on how it was handled. Usually, these things could be settled privately without involving the police.

Of course, that’s assuming the person who got beaten up was still conscious and capable of settling things.

Colin had been sent straight to the hospital by Anna, and it was unlikely he’d be running his mouth again anytime soon.

“If you care about her that much, why don’t you just call her yourself?”

Mia, not realizing how jealous she sounded, didn’t want to dwell on the topic any longer.

The car had come to a stop, and Mia’s gaze shifted outside. They were parked in a suburban residential area, the kind with tall, cramped apartment buildings. It was clear that the people living here weren’t exactly well-off.

“Call her myself…”

Mia’s words snapped Ryan out of his thoughts. For some reason, she didn’t want to talk much about Anna. If he wanted to know what was going on, he’d have to find out himself.

Ryan immediately pulled out his phone, but after about half a minute, his expression turned awkward.

“Uh… Mia, can I borrow your phone for a second?”

Ryan scratched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had been so determined just a moment ago, and now he was already asking her for help. It seemed like no one could escape the irony of life.

“Oh? Why?”

Mia, who had been staring out the window with her arms crossed, turned her attention back to Ryan, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, and her eyes glinted mischievously, like a fox that had just figured something out. She held out her hand toward Ryan.

“Let me see your phone.”

Ryan shrugged and obediently handed over the phone Alice had given him. After getting Anna’s number, he had been worried about losing the slip of paper, so he saved it in his phone. But now, no matter what he did, he couldn’t get through.

Mia glanced at Ryan’s phone and quickly came to a conclusion. She wrinkled her nose in displeasure and snatched the phone from him.

She had thought that Alice, after keeping Ryan so close, would at least try to hide her feelings. But now it seemed like the idea of restraint didn’t even exist in Alice’s mind.

“Your life… it’s like you’re living under house arrest or something.”

Mia recognized the phone. It was the kind of device used by certain criminal organizations to monitor and restrict communication for their key members.

Any calls made from this phone would have their duration and content logged and sent to a central system.

As if to confirm her suspicion, Mia’s slender fingers quickly dialed a number on the screen and hit the call button.

Sure enough, the call didn’t go through.

“House arrest? What do you mean?”

Ryan was confused. Sure, Alice hadn’t let him leave the house at first, but lately, the restrictions had loosened up. Where was this “house arrest” coming from?

“See for yourself. This is my number, and you can’t even call it from your phone.”

Mia waved her phone in front of Ryan’s face. He could clearly sense her growing frustration, as if something had seriously pissed her off.

“Your phone is basically a brick, except when it comes to calling Alice.”

Mia tossed the phone back to Ryan casually. If Alice didn’t trust him this much, she might as well have just locked him up at home. What was the point of letting him out if she was going to monitor him constantly?

Ryan froze for a moment, finally understanding what Mia was saying. He tried calling a few more times before reluctantly accepting her explanation.

Alice still didn’t fully trust him, to the point where she was even listening in on his conversations.

Thinking back, the signs had been there all along. For instance, the phone Alice gave him for this trip was different from the one he used to call Anna before.

So, did that mean the little things he thought he’d gotten away with last time had already been exposed to Alice?

Had she known all along about his calls with Anna, and even their meeting afterward? Was that why she had acted so strangely when he came home that day?

Ryan didn’t dare think any further. He felt as though a strange, suffocating force was wrapping around him, pulling him into a thick fog where he couldn’t see even a glimmer of light ahead.

“Mr. Smith, please step out of the car.”

Mia, arms crossed, watched as Ryan’s face grew paler and paler.

His reaction surprised her. She had thought Ryan was completely devoted to Alice, willing to accept anything from her.

But then again, it made sense. If one day you suddenly realized that someone you trusted was secretly trying to control every aspect of your life—knowing where you were, who you met, and what you said, all being recorded—how could anyone stay calm?

If you made even the slightest wrong move, you’d be in for a world of trouble. Could anyone really handle that?

At Mia’s calm command, the driver, Mr. Smith, nodded respectfully and stepped out of the car.

The vehicle had been specially modified, and the windows were no exception. They were one-way mirrors, providing complete privacy inside. Even if someone pressed their face against the glass, they wouldn’t be able to see what was happening inside.

Ryan, still holding the phone, was in shock. He couldn’t understand what he had done to make Alice so suspicious of him.

Had Alice always been this guarded around him? He had already made up his mind to help her, so finding out about this now was a real blow.

He kept telling himself that Alice’s past and the environment she grew up in had shaped her personality. After she found his journal, it would’ve been strange if she didn’t have some reservations about him.

But still, where was this sense of disappointment coming from?

Ryan sat there, dazed, while Mia stretched her legs forward, placing her small feet on his knees. Then, like a nimble rabbit, she climbed from the back seat into the front passenger seat.

The car was spacious, but it was still a bit cramped for two people in the front.

Annoyed by the limited space, Mia lightly punched the car’s ceiling before shifting her body. She adjusted her position and ended up straddling Ryan, facing him directly.

The scent of Mia’s citrusy perfume—like fizzy orange soda—hit Ryan’s senses, overwhelming him. Her petite frame pressed against his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Ryan’s brain short-circuited. He had no idea how things had escalated to this point. What was Mia trying to do?

“Mia?”

Ryan shook his head hard, trying to snap out of it. He fought against the softness pressing against him, determined not to let himself get lost in the moment. His hands instinctively moved to her waist, ready to push her away.

But her waist was so slender, and the moment his hands touched her, it felt like they were glued there, unable to pull back.

“Stay still.”

Mia, feeling the heat from his hands on her waist, bit her lip and glared at him, swatting his hands away with a sharp slap.

Then, under Ryan’s confused gaze, Mia reached behind his neck. When her hand reappeared, her fingers were holding a small object.

“Ryan, look. Seems like you were never trusted at all, huh?”

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