Mia was being way too bold, and even Ryan couldnât help but blush for a moment, though Mia remained completely unfazed.
âThis is just ridiculous,â Ryan muttered under his breath, trying to scold Mia for her antics. But the little troublemaker didnât care at all about Ryanâs opinionâshe just pouted, waiting for a kiss.
âNo way, absolutely not!â
After all, they werenât in that kind of relationship, and besides, Mia was still just a kid. Ryan definitely didnât want to end up in jail this early in life.
âUh⦠there are so many people around.â
Ryan was on the verge of losing it, but he had to keep up appearances in front of everyone. They were supposed to be on good terms now, so he couldnât make things too awkward.
The crowd watching them let out a collective sigh, finally snapping out of their shock. âOh my God, these young peopleâ¦â they murmured, clearly amazed.
At this point, they thought Ryan was being a hypocrite. If he wanted to kiss her, he should just go for itâwhy make such a fuss?
After all, theyâd already done things way more intimate than this. No one believed that Ryan would suddenly get shy over just a kiss.
The guy who had been causing trouble earlier crossed his arms and watched Ryan and Mia with growing impatience. Ever since Ryan had questioned him, heâd been suspicious of Ryanâs behavior.
Mia pouted even more and leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around Ryanâs waist, cutting off any chance of him backing away.
At the same time, she whispered softly in his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down his spine.
âRyan, come on~ Just give in. Itâs just a kiss, after all.â
âI kissed you before, didnât I? You should at least return the favor.â
Ryanâs face flushed with embarrassment as Mia brought up the past. Especially that kissâhe still hadnât figured out what it really meant.
There was definitely some kind of connection between him and Mia, but it was more like a cursed bond. Ever since he met her, it felt like sheâd been leading him around by the nose.
âThat was you coming onto me, I didnâtâ¦â
Ryan pinched Miaâs waist hard, feeling like a jerk for saying it, but it was the truth.
Miaâs body shuddered from the sudden pinch, and she went limp in Ryanâs arms, her breath quickening slightly.
She hadnât expected Ryan to be so firm todayâprobably because he was embarrassed in front of everyone.
But that just made it more fun. Seeing Ryanâs flushed face made Miaâs heart race, and she felt an overwhelming urge to devour him like a hungry wolf.
So, in the next moment, she smirked and leaned in closer, whispering in his ear again.
âItâs all the same, really. If you donât give in, Iâll just tell Alice about this.â
âDo you think sheâll listen to your side of the story?ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
At the mention of Alice, Ryan froze, like someone had just stepped on his tail. His earlier anger quickly faded, replaced by worry.
He shot Mia a fierce glare, but she just shrugged it off, clearly ready to go down with the ship if necessary.
Where did this little brat learn to be so ruthless? If he didnât give her what she wanted, sheâd just blow everything up?
âMiss Alice wouldnât get mad over something so trivial.â
Ryan tried to sound confident, but deep down, he was starting to worry.
Sure, he said that, but thinking back, Alice did seem to have a bit of a possessive streak.
She never let him go out, imposed all sorts of restrictions on him, and didnât want him talking to other girlsâespecially Anna and Miaâ¦
Miss Alice seemed to have some special feelings for him. If he had to guess, it was probably possessiveness?
So it wasnât entirely impossible that sheâd come down hard on him over something like this.
Everyone has their kryptonite, and right now, Alice was definitely Ryanâs biggest weakness.
âReally? Then go ahead and try.â
Mia waved her hand dismissively, having already noticed Ryanâs hesitation. She was secretly thrilled, knowing he was about to give in.
But just thinking about Alice made her furious. What was so great about that woman anyway? Why was Ryan always defending her?
Ryan stared at Mia seriously for a few seconds. The little troublemaker looked calm, even ready to back off. Her hands slipped from his waist, and it looked like she was about to start crying again.
Seeing this, Ryan couldnât help but twitch his lips. Mia was gearing up for another dramatic performance.
If he didnât go along with her, this whole thing would never end.
âAlright, alright, I give up, okay?â
Ryan was frustrated. If he didnât give in, heâd be in deep trouble. Why did it always feel like he never had a choice?
He quickly grabbed Miaâs hand, which she had just pulled away, and yanked her back. Then, with a scowl, he planted a quick, rough kiss on her soft cheek.
It was just a peck on the cheek, nothing more. Ryan convinced himself that there was nothing inappropriate about itânothing that would make him feel guilty toward Alice.
Wait, why was he thinking about Alice again?
Mia felt the impact on her cheek, like something had just crashed into her. It was far from the romantic kiss she had imagined.
The strong scent of Ryanâs masculinity overwhelmed her senses, but it had happened so fast that she didnât even get to savor it. Naturally, she was a bit displeased.
But she knew when to quit while she was ahead. She had gotten what she wanted, so there was no need to push it further.
Satisfied, Mia didnât linger. She put on a little show for the crowd, attributing her earlier behavior to âlove,â and then quickly dragged Ryan away from the scene.
As the excitement died down, the man who had been causing trouble earlier watched Ryan and Miaâs retreating figures with a puzzled expression.
If they had come just to mess with him, it didnât really seem like it. But there was no denying that the crowd had been most riled up when they interrupted.
All his earlier efforts had gone to waste. He let out a deep sigh, then his face twisted back into a look of hatred as he resumed his speech, trying to stir up the crowd again.
But the earlier commotion had thrown things off, and the effect wasnât nearly as strong this time.
âMia, have you had enough of this?â
Ryan was finally able to speak up after Mia dragged him far away from the crowd.
He figured they were far enough now, and just as he was about to pull his hand free and let loose, Mia beat him to it and let go first.
It was like she had anticipated his move. She released his hand without a second thought and nimbly hopped a few steps ahead.
The sudden distance between them left Ryanâs anger hanging in the air, like a punch that landed on nothing but soft cotton.
âMia, we really need to have a serious talk about this.â
Ryan hadnât paid much attention to Miaâs antics before, chalking it up to her being just a kid.
But this time, he was determined to set her straight. She needed to learn to pick her momentsâthis time, she had gone way too far.
âRyan, donât be mad~ Look, you didnât lose anything, did you?â
âAnd besides, those people were so riled up. If they had actually stormed the construction site, are you sure Alice wouldnât be in even more trouble?â
Mia blinked her big, innocent eyes at him, deliberately keeping her distance like a playful little rabbit. Ryan reached out a few times, but she was too quick, and he couldnât even grab the hem of her dress.
But, to be fair, Mia wasnât entirely wrong. It was just that her behavior had been so out of the ordinary that it made Ryan uncomfortable.
Saying something like drugging someone out of loveâthat was just too weird. What on earth was going on in her head? Whatever it was, it was far from what Ryan had imagined.
âAlright, alright, Iâll apologize properly later.â
âBut for now, letâs talk about this situation.â
Mia finally stopped and perched herself on a nearby dirt mound, tugging at her skirt before sitting down, looking down at Ryan with a mischievous grin.
Her expensive white dress got dirty from the dirt mound, but she didnât seem to care. Instead, she watched Ryan with great interest.
Today, Mia was wearing a white dress, paired with simple white ankle socks with lace trim, and black leather shoes that snugly fit her feet, leaving her delicate, curved instep exposed.
She swung her legs back and forth, her pale calves almost blindingly bright in the sunlight. Ryan quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any higher, afraid that he really wouldnât be able to explain himself to Alice later.
âAre you really helping Miss Alice?â
Ryan still sounded doubtful. He had originally suspected that Mia was behind this whole incident.
But now, it seemed like there were some discrepancies. The man causing trouble earlier clearly didnât know Mia.
âWell, at least in this case, thatâs true.â
Mia tapped her chin thoughtfully, a hint of resentment in her voice. She really didnât like hearing Ryan say âMiss Alice.â
At least for now, she needed to make sure Ryan only had eyes for her.
âLetâs not talk about that right now. Even though your performance earlier was a bit lacking, Iâm still going to share some information with you.â
Mia giggled softly, and before Ryan could react, she kicked her foot out toward him.
But she wasnât trying to hit him. Instead, she hooked her foot around his shoulder and used her calf to pull him closer.
Ryan instinctively tried to resist, but when his hand landed on her thigh, he realized something was off.
The soft, springy sensation was almost too much to handle. Didnât Mia realize she was wearing a skirt?
He couldnât move his hand any further without it seeming inappropriate, so Ryan let out a frustrated grunt and pulled his hand away.
But thankfully, Mia seemed to get embarrassed too. She just kept her legs hooked around his neck, pulling him closer.
Just as Ryanâs head was about to bump into her thighs, Mia suddenly realized what was happening. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly pressed down on her skirt with both hands.
âDonât even think about it, or I wonât tell you anything.â
Mia gave Ryan a sharp flick on the forehead, warning him sternly. But she still didnât let go, keeping him firmly in place.
Ryan rolled his eyes at her, exasperated. What was she even thinking? She was the one who always had weird ideas!
He let out a couple of annoyed grunts, his nose once again filled with the scent of oranges. Ryan turned his head away, looking up at the sky.
âThat guy isnât from our organization, and this wasnât the work of any gang either.â
âAnd if youâre interested, you might want to take a closer look at the socks that guy was wearing today. Youâll find something⦠unexpected.â