Ryanâs system was specifically designed for Alice, and he could only see Aliceâs favorability towards him.
Even though he couldnât see Hannahâs favorability, Ryan could definitely feel her murderous intent at the moment.
Hannahâs favorability towards him must have plummeted into the negatives by now.
âUh, Hannah⦠whatâs wrong?â
Ryan looked at Hannah, whose face was incredibly dark, and spoke hesitantly.
Just a moment ago, Hannah was sharing how Miss Alice dislikes the smell of smoke, so why the sudden change of face?
Hannah didnât speak, just glowered with her right fist cracking ominously.
She had long suspected Ryan had ulterior motives around Miss Alice, but she never imagined that his scheme involved Miss Alice herself.
That was audacious.
And to say those thingsâthat Miss Alice doesnât understand himâdoes that mean Miss Alice has to reciprocate his feelings for things to work out?
âYouâ¦â
Hannah was so shocked she couldnât speak, her right hand pointing at Ryanâs nose while her left arm throbbed painfully.
No wonder Miss Alice was so tolerant of him,it was all Ryanâs trap.
Miss Alice was just being tolerant now, but what if she starts to develop real feelings influenced by his emotions? What then?
No, this canât be happening.
The thought of her Miss Alice being influenced by Ryan and changing was unbearable for Hannah.
Reflecting on Miss Aliceâs past behavior after hearing Ryanâs words, she became even more convinced of her suspicions.
No wonder Miss Alice let him close, allowed him to take over her role as the assistant. Miss Alice might already be nearly conquered.
âYou! Do you actually have designs on Miss Alice?â
Hannah, seething with rage, grabbed Ryan by the collar and demanded.
That cold, ruthless mob boss Miss Alice, like the most beautiful flower blooming atop an icebergâwas she really going to become a plaything in the hands of this jerk before long?
âUh, youâre not entirely wrong in thinking that.â
Ryan swallowed hard, his mind racing.
He indeed had plans involving Aliceâhe needed Alice to kill him, so in a way, Hannah wasnât wrong.
âHow far has it gone⦠you know Miss Alice canât be like that.â
Hannahâs voice trembled, and she leaned back against the wall.
âI know, but itâs necessary.â
âI think about it all the time, even dream about it. Thatâs why I came here.â
Ryan spoke earnestly, patting his chest to show his determination to Hannah.
Indeed, his goal was to be killed by Alice, and although Aliceâs favorability towards him was high, making it difficult, it was necessary for his resurrection.
âIâm sorry to Miss Alice, I know, but I have my reasons.â Ryan saw Hannah looking dazed and sighed softly, speaking in a low voice.
Hannah just gave a bitter laugh upon hearing Ryanâs words. He even knew to apologize to Miss Alice.
Miss Alice was a mob boss,she could never lead an ordinary life. Who would bear the consequences of forcibly pulling her out of the mob? Was this something a simple apology could fix?
âWhat would you do if you had to leave Miss Alice?â
Hannah remembered the way Alice looked at Ryan before, her clear eyes already showing a different hue. It might already be too late to sever their connection now.
She had never seen Miss Alice look at anyone like that before. Did this also signify that Ryan was special?
She stood up and stared intently at Ryan. He had just spoken a lot about his attachment to Miss Alice, but what about his resolve?
Knowing full well who Miss Alice was, was he still determined to get involved?
âIf I leave Miss Alice, Iâll die.â Ryan took a deep breath and said this without a hint of personal emotion, simply stating a fact.
Leave Miss Alice and die? What a joke, everyoneâs life is their own, even if you love Miss Alice, it wouldnâtâ¦
Hannah instinctively wanted to scoff at him, but hesitated when she caught the look in Ryanâs eyes.
There was no falsehood in his statement,the eyes donât lie.
â¦
The previously tense atmosphere suddenly shattered. Hannah pointed at Ryan, wanting to say more, but in the end, she couldnât form the words.
She was certain Miss Alice had fallen for him. She had been in love before and knew what those behaviors from Miss Alice meant.
After Aliceâs father died, the heavy burden of the mob fell on Miss Alice. She shouldnât have to bear it alone,at the very least, she needed someone to share the load.
If Ryan could truly do what he claimed, could he be a good choice?
It just seemed a bit too fast.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was now half-past eleven. In the past half hour, Hannah hadnât spoken a word to Ryan, just chain-smoking, weighed down by her thoughts.
Ryan, on the other hand, seemed in good spirits. To him, the worse Hannahâs attitude, the better.
He had made his intentions clear earlier, and Hannah should absolutely despise him by now.
Hannah was Aliceâs secretary. If she could whisper in Miss Aliceâs ear, it would definitely help lower Miss Aliceâs favorability towards him, even aiding his own death wish.
Meanwhile, he was figuring out how to safely get through the day, studying Miss Aliceâs schedule.
Locked in the villa before, Ryan had many fantasies about Aliceâs actions outsideâlike Alice personally wielding a shovel to bury someone or executing a traitor.
Alice, the mob boss, was the villainâthat was Ryanâs thought while still at the villa.
But today, Ryanâs thoughts were gradually shifting.
The likes of Tony he had encountered earlier seemed a hundred times worse than Alice,she was like a breath of fresh air in this environment.
If Miss Alice had been born into an ordinary family, would her life have been different?
Ryan couldnât help but ponder this question, but eventually, he chuckled and dismissed the thought. If Miss Alice hadnât been the mob heiress, perhaps he wouldnât be here.
Fifteen minutes passed, and it was nearing lunchtime when Ryan finally heard the sound of the door being pushed open from the tea room behind him.
Alice looked untroubled, still supporting Mr. Carlson just as she had when they first entered. Compared to the last negotiation, this one had gone much smoother.
âYoung lady, I still have to remind you.â
âThe things youâre doing now affect too many people, like smashing everyoneâs rice bowl. Itâs not that easy to do.â
Mr. Carlson sighed softly, placing his wrinkled hand over Aliceâs.
Every time he saw Alice, he was reminded of her father, but these memories always ended in a deep sigh.
âThank you for your reminder, but my mind is made up.â
Alice nodded slightly, like a younger family member admitting a mistake to an elder.
During the lengthy time in the tea room, Mr. Carlson had essentially done just one thing: he tried to persuade Alice to abandon her dangerous plans.
Her ideas were too risky, and not just the mob, but even her own people wouldnât tolerate it. She was facing more than just a gun.
Yet, the girlâs resolve made it impossible for Mr. Carlson to refuse her outright. He could only wave his hand dismissively and say, âLet it be, let it be.â
âIf you can handle the gangâs affairs well, Iâll do what youâve asked of me.â
âThatâs all the help I can offer. The rest is up to your fate.â
After saying this, Mr. Carlson voluntarily removed his hand from Aliceâs, no longer needing her support, waved over his secretary, and prepared to leave.
Alice, slightly stunned by Mr. Carlsonâs words, bowed deeply in gratitude.
This matter was dangerous, but Mr. Carlson had chosen to help her.
As for dealing with the gangâs internal affairs, she was determined to do so, having faced peril time and again with little patience left.
Mr. Carlson left the tea room with the aid of his secretary, and Ryan and Hannah moved forward to accompany Miss Alice out.
Hannah remained silent, just seriously observing the interactions between Ryan and Alice.
âMiss Alice, the car is ready. We can leave now.â
Ryan didnât bow but slightly lowered his head as he spoke to Alice, who responded and extended her hand for him to lead her to the car.
This was something he had just learned from Hannah, fitting the duties of an assistant.
Watching their interaction, Hannahâs feelings grew more complex. On one hand, she still harbored hostility towards Ryan,on the other, she hoped Miss Alice could have a more relaxed life.
If this was Miss Aliceâs choice, she would have to accept it.
âHannah, you should go to the hospital this afternoon and get your arm treated properly.â
âI have Ryan with me here, nothing major will happen. You can hand over the security duties to him.â
Alice, still very concerned about Hannahâs injury, said this.
But to Hannah, it seemed like she was now the third wheel. Miss Aliceâs words felt like a polite dismissal, urging her to leave.
With a soft sigh, Hannah nodded.
Before leaving, however, she whispered something in Miss Aliceâs ear, leaving Ryan to observe Aliceâs increasingly peculiar expression.
Alice had been blushing a lot lately. Was it because the weather was getting warmer?
[Alice Favorability+2, current Favorability 60/100]