The expected gunshot hadnât immediately occurred, and the man, tackled by his bodyguard, was in a state of panic.
Hiding behind a chair in a frenzy, he hadnât even considered whether the thin back of the chair could actually stop a sniperâs bullet.
âAlice! Wait a second!â
The man yelled out, now realizing that Alice had prepared for emergencies in advance, and he had walked right into it without any clue.
âI didnât mean to kill you! We can still talk!â
The man lost his earlier arrogance as soon as the bodyguard tackled him, realizing his mistake.
Thinking of Alice as a gift to those guys could naturally bring benefits, but only if he lived to enjoy them.
Seeing Alice stand still at a distance, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Where was the sniper? Why hadnât his people noticed anything?
But at this moment, that didnât matter anymore. Alice not ordering to shoot meant he still had a chance,there was still room for negotiation.
Lying on the ground, heart still pounding, he felt like he had just walked through the gates of hell.
âDamn itâ¦â
He knew Alice wouldnât be easy to take down,she was slippery like an eel, always having a backup plan.
Alice, seeing Tony suddenly go from arrogant to pathetic, didnât know exactly what had happened, only feeling a hand grabbing her in the chaos.
Instinctively wanting to break free and maybe put a few bullets in the guyâs foreheadâshe never allowed anyone to touch her.
But upon seeing who the hand belonged to, Aliceâs heart softened, her principles nearly collapsing as she let him pull her along.
âQuick, get the boss out of here! The building across, nineteenth floor, search it now!â the lead bodyguard shouted into his headset, as a group crawled over, pulling Tony back.
The professionalism was impressive,even in such chaos, they managed to organize an effective rescue. Tonyâs money on bodyguards wasnât wasted.
Meanwhile, a few other bodyguards didnât come to help but drew their pistols, the dark muzzles aimed at Ryan and Alice.
Even prepared to back down, they still faced a standoff? Typical of someone who had been in the business world for years, never letting himself be at a disadvantage.
Ryan cursed under his breath, holding Alice close, his gaze icy as he stared down the men in front of them.
The best thing would have been to put Alice behind him to block any bullets from the front.
But with the sniper clearly targeting her from behind, putting her there would be like throwing her into the lionâs den.
Wolves in front, a tiger behind, the situation seemed utterly dire.
âMiss Alice, donât get me wrong, Iâm just trying to protect myself,â the man chuckled nervously, wiping sweat from his forehead, though his eyes already showed signs of retreat.
âMiss Alice, theyâre still within shooting range,â Ryan whispered into Aliceâs ear, their height difference making it seem like he was nibbling at her ear.
He could feel the tremor in the body of the girl in his arms, her earlobes inexplicably reddening, her teeth clenched tight.
The tension seemed no less than during their standoff, Ryan thought it was the pressure getting to Alice.
Seeing no response from her, he raised his voice slightly, repeating into her ear.
âMiss Alice, theyâre still within range.â
âOh⦠right.â
Alice finally caught on, not knowing when she had arranged a sniper on the opposite building.
But since Ryan said so, she felt a weight lift off her chest.
Maybe it was Hannahâs doing,she always meticulously planned every detail of the places she went to, placing a sniper might seem overkill, but it was understandable.
From despair to suddenly holding an ace up her sleeve.
Tonyâs momentum waned, while Aliceâs surged, now confident she could get out of this.
She glanced at Ryan, as if to say, âHow long are you going to hold me?â Before he could react, she had already wriggled out of his embrace.
If not for the onlookers, Alice would have loved to stomp Ryanâs foot into the ground, that would be the consequence of his forwardness.
But even now, no matter how unexpected the events, Alice had to act as if it was all part of her plan.
Alice had already left, but the lingering scent of wintersweet still clung to Ryan, a reminder of her presence.
She strolled through the conference room with the grace of a high-bred Abyssinian cat, seemingly unbothered by the chaos around her.
She glanced indifferently at Tony, who was now groveling on the floor, his earlier arrogance replaced by a desperate attempt to please.
Smooth-talking was his best defense, the skill that had kept him alive all these years.
His face was plastered with a bright smile, but inside, he was seething with rage.
He should have known he was just being used as a pawn by those old foxes.
If they really could have killed Alice, why would they hand him the opportunity?
Now, not only was he unlikely to kill Alice, but he had also made an enemy of her. He regretted it more than he could express.
Alice ignored the guns pointed at her as if they were nothing, but Ryan couldnât afford to.
With every step she took, he followed closely behind, sticking to her like a shadow.
It wasnât that Ryan had any peculiar habits,he was just terrified that if he stepped away, Alice would get her head blown off right in front of him, especially with a sniper still in play.
âMiss Alice, maybe take it a bit easy?â he thought, noticing how casually she walked.
Alice sensed Ryanâs proximity and frowned slightly in displeasure, though she said nothing.
This close, she could feel the scent of him, comforting like a sun-warmed blanket, just like the man himself.
âTony, look at the situation now.â
Ryan dared not touch Alice, fearing the man opposite would notice something amiss.
The people opposite thought the sniper was Aliceâs, and Alice thought the same.
Only Ryan knew the truth and knew they couldnât afford to delay.
âWe, Miss Alice, are genuinely interested in discussing a partnership with you. This behavior of yours is somewhat underhanded.â
Before Alice could speak, Ryan quickly intervened, giving her a look.
Alice didnât understand Ryanâs urgency,to her, this was an excellent opportunity.
Tony was clearly leaning towards their enemies. Even if they didnât eliminate him now, they needed to make him suffer to avoid future threats.
But recalling Ryanâs calm demeanor earlier, she sensed he had his own plans.
Well⦠listening wouldnât hurt.
So, Aliceâs expression turned icy, as if the previous displeasure had soured her mood, leaving Ryan to speak on her behalf.
[Alice Mood Level +10, Current 25/100 (Slightly Relieved)]
Ryanâs lips twitched. Miss Aliceâs mood had improved slightly.
But if he told her the sniper wasnât aiming at Tony but at her, would her mood completely collapse?
Ryan paused, adopting what he thought might be Aliceâs typical speaking style, and didnât rush to speak, just looked at Tony calmly.
The silence put the pressure on Tony.
After just half a minute, Tony couldnât take it anymore.
âYes⦠it was underhanded, but I wasnât the mastermind, as you know. Iâm just a legitimate businessman.â
Tony rubbed his hands, his smile forced as he slowly stood up.
His bodyguard had whispered to him that as long as they were on this floor, they couldnât escape the sniperâs range.
The conference room, unlike other rooms, had no load-bearing walls. If a bullet came, nothing short of a human shield would stop it.
So, other than bowing to Alice, he had no other choice.
Tony stood up, grabbing a bodyguard to half-shield himself, the bodyguardâs face a picture of reluctance.
He wasnât ready to die for someone else.
âYes, yes, I was confused. Iâve always admired Miss Alice.â
âMy admiration for Miss Alice is like the endless riverâ¦â
The man started to ramble again. Aliceâs expression didnât improve,she just turned and glared at Ryan.
She didnât understand why Ryan was giving this man a chance. Wasnât he just providing an easy way out?
âThenâ¦â
Ryan pretended not to see Aliceâs glare, and she gritted her teeth in frustration.
It wasnât that she necessarily wanted to deal with Tony here and now, but Ryan had been ignoring her all morning, and it was really getting on her nerves.
âHow about we both step back?â
Tony, with a sheepish grin, noticed the misunderstanding between Ryan and Alice. Since Alice hadnât intervened, it meant Ryanâs words were more or less in line with her thoughts.
At this stage, they understood the value of peace better than most. Unless they were absolutely sure they could completely eliminate the opposition, it was better to keep things civil.
After all, no one knew if the other party would hold a grudge and bite back.
âSo, Tony, your sincerity?â
âOh, yes, yes, of course, I was wrong. I should apologize to Miss Alice first.â
âLetâs both step back. Iâll step back first.â