Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 267: Get lost, don’t ruin my fun

In the chaos, Ryan was being pulled along by Mia as they dashed outside. His mind raced, and it didn’t take long for him to piece together what was happening.

The commotion caused by the bodyguards outside the room had been loud enough that there was no way the people inside hadn’t heard it.

There was only one door to the room, and Ryan had thought he was trapped with no way out. But somehow, he had managed to slip out.

This was the third floor. How could anyone have gotten out? Did they jump?

It seemed impossible, but the serious expressions on the faces of those burly men made it hard not to believe.

“Hurry, Ryan, hurry! Don’t let him die!”

Mia’s urgent tone as she tugged on Ryan’s hand confirmed his suspicions.

Die? That couldn’t happen.

Before they could explain the situation and figure out the next clue, that person couldn’t die. Otherwise, how would Ryan clear his name?

Now that he understood, Ryan didn’t dare waste any more time. He picked up the pace, rushing down the stairs.

But he had forgotten one thing: Mia was notoriously bad at sports.

Their legs were already mismatched in length, and when Ryan suddenly sped up, Mia, who had been urging him on, started to fall behind.

It was only three flights of stairs, but Mia was already looking like she’d run a marathon.

“Ryan… slow down… please,” she gasped.

“I… I can’t keep up…”

Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily.

Mia’s hand clung tightly to his, damp with sweat, and her legs seemed like they were getting tangled up with each other.

Ryan couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing this on purpose—getting winded after just a few steps?

Especially after he caught a playful glint in her eye, it only confirmed his suspicion: Mia was definitely messing with him.

“You can’t keep up? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean… I’m at my limit… I’m about to go…”

Go? Go where?

Ryan slowed down, but he was still anxious.

Seeing Mia looking like she was about to pass out, it was hard not to think of… well, some strange things.

She was panting like a little puppy, her pink tongue hidden inside her mouth, yet somehow drawing attention.

Is there a zodiac sign for succubi? Ryan couldn’t help but feel like Mia had just added another page to the encyclopedia of his otherwise innocent love life.

Better to focus on the task at hand. Mia was always like this, and it wasn’t like they’d just met today. Expecting her to stop playing around before she was satisfied was a lost cause.

Ryan didn’t hesitate any longer. He moved closer to Mia, closing the distance between them so quickly that Mia looked a little confused.

“Ryan… what are you… doing?”

The warmth of his presence filled her senses, like the comforting smell of blankets left out in the sun.

Ryan didn’t say much. He hooked his arm under her knees and, with a slight lift, scooped her up into his arms.

Mia was light, almost weightless. Holding her felt like cradling a carefully dressed-up doll—soft and fragrant.

“Is this how it’s supposed to be? But… it’s so embarrassing ⁄(⁄ ⁄)⁄.”

Mia’s words sounded shy, but her actions betrayed her. She immediately wrapped her arms around Ryan’s neck, nuzzling into him, taking deep breaths as if savoring his scent.

This had been her plan all along, and now that Ryan had fallen into her trap, she was clearly pleased. She flashed him a sweet smile, showing off her little fangs.

She wasn’t exactly behaving herself either. Mia swayed in his arms, her small hands constantly reaching for Ryan’s face.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Behave yourself…”

Mimicking Alice’s cold tone, Ryan tried to sound as stern as possible. But with both hands occupied holding Mia, there wasn’t much he could do to stop her antics. He could only let her have her way.

Once Ryan picked Mia up, their pace quickened significantly. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ryan hurried toward the back of the hallway. Sure enough, there was a pool of blood waiting for them.

That guy really jumped? Was he trying to get himself killed?

Thankfully, there was only blood and no body. If there had been a corpse, things would’ve gotten a lot more complicated for Ryan.

There were still bodyguards downstairs. Being professionally trained, some had gone after the escapee, while others stayed behind to protect Mia. After all, if this was a diversion to lure them away and Mia was the real target, they’d be in serious trouble if anything happened to her. If their boss died, they’d definitely be blamed for failing their duties.

When the bodyguards saw Ryan carrying Mia out, their first instinct was to take her from him. But as soon as one of them reached out, Mia slapped his hand away, glaring at him with a fierce look. Her lips moved silently.

The bodyguard carefully read her lips, and when he understood, he looked incredibly awkward.

Mia had clearly mouthed, “Get lost, don’t ruin my fun.”

“Miss, the guy went that way,” the bodyguard said, bowing respectfully to Mia before leading the way to where the others had gathered.

These guys were part of a gang, and tracking people down was basically their specialty. Debt collection and chasing people were their bread and butter.

To Ryan, the fact that someone had jumped out of a third-story window to escape seemed insane. But to them, it was just another day at the office.

With someone pointing the way, things got a lot easier. Ryan, still carrying Mia, followed the direction the bodyguard indicated. After about two minutes of running, they finally caught up with the rest of the group.

Three or four burly men stood with their arms crossed, forming a circle. Their intimidating presence made it clear they weren’t to be messed with. In the middle of the circle, a man was curled up on the ground, clutching his legs and begging for mercy. It was obvious this was the guy they were after.

When the group saw Mia approaching, they looked a bit surprised. The bodyguard who had been scolded earlier quickly stepped forward, signaling to the others with his eyes.

“Mia, you should get down now,” Ryan said as he reached the group, gently setting Mia down. Even in the last second before leaving his arms, Mia clung tightly to Ryan’s neck, clearly reluctant to let go.

But with so many people watching, staying in his arms didn’t seem appropriate. Mia coughed twice, then hopped to the ground. She immediately pushed her way through the crowd with her small hands, making space for herself.

The bodyguards had already called for a vehicle, and Ryan finally got a good look at the man in the center of the group.

He was a middle-aged man with a bald head and a scar across his forehead. His face was covered in blood—some from the fall, and some from the beating the bodyguards had given him.

It didn’t take much to figure out that anyone desperate enough to jump out of a window was definitely hiding something.

Mia took a couple of steps forward, her small leather shoe landing squarely on the man’s shoulder, flipping him over. She pulled out her phone and carefully compared his face to a picture.

“Please, don’t kill me! I don’t know anything! I’m innocent!” the man cried, desperately pleading for his life. He looked around, hoping for some good Samaritan to intervene, but with these hulking bodyguards standing around, no one dared to get involved.

Not everyone was like Ryan, after all.

Mia scrutinized the man’s face for a moment, then, satisfied, she wrinkled her nose in a smug little gesture. With a dramatic wave of her hand, she turned to leave.

“No doubt about it. This is the guy.”

“Take him away!”

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