Chapter 271: Chapter 271: So, we’re calling a truce for now?

“Not much of a difference, huh? Heh… You sure have the guts to say that.”

“Is this how you act when Ryan’s not around?”

Anna was clearly unimpressed by Alice’s suggestion to “have a proper talk.” After all, Alice had already laid out all of Anna’s personal information for display. There was no way Anna could stay calm and have a civil conversation with her.

The sweet, gentle image of the younger girl shattered in an instant. Anna adjusted her skirt slightly, crossed her legs, and her expression turned cold. Her eyes locked onto Alice with an icy stare.

“So, you actually know what kind of person you are. That’s… surprising.”

“But you’re wrong about one thing—we’re nothing alike.”

Anna rejected Alice’s claim that they were similar. In her eyes, Alice wasn’t even worthy of being compared to her. Anna was genuinely devoted to Ryan, while Alice had always been a hypocrite.

“What are you trying to say?”

“What am I saying? You use Ryan as a shield, hiding behind him while pretending to be innocent. Isn’t that exactly what you do?”

Anna’s demeanor shifted completely, her tone now worlds apart from what it had been just moments ago.

Her darkest, most painful memories had been dug up and used against her as a weapon. In her mind, Ryan must have been blackmailed by Alice, which was the only reason he stayed by her side.

To Anna, her accusations were the truth.

Everyone knew Alice was the head of a criminal organization. If there was ever any danger, she would be the first to be targeted, and Ryan would only get caught in the crossfire.

If both Alice and Ryan had been in trouble together, Anna might not have been this angry. But why was it that only Ryan was suffering, while Alice got to carry on as if nothing had happened?

Anna had tried to convince Ryan countless times to leave Alice, but for some reason, he always stood firm.

Being treated with such loyalty by Ryan was both an honor and a sign of deep trust. But now, it was clear that Alice had betrayed that trust.

What infuriated Anna the most was that Alice had so easily gained something that others could only dream of, yet she didn’t even appreciate it.

If Anna could have Ryan by her side, even for just one day, even if it meant confirming their relationship and dying the next day, she wouldn’t hesitate.

“A shield?”

Alice frowned, clearly displeased by Anna’s accusations. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to confront her like this, especially when it came to Ryan. That was between her and Ryan—no one else had the right to judge.

“You know exactly what I mean. If it weren’t for you, Ryan wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Seeing Alice’s confused expression only made Anna feel disgusted. Wasn’t it obvious? Had Alice really never considered this?

Anna pulled out her phone, showing the screen to Alice. It displayed the public’s harsh opinions about Ryan.

Alice had been busy all day handling things at the warehouse and hadn’t realized how far things had escalated. She glanced at Anna’s phone, her heart sinking.

This was worse than she had expected. A pang of guilt hit her, but she quickly suppressed it. There was no way she would show any weakness in front of Anna.

With a casual glance, Alice brushed it off.

“Ryan volunteered. I tried to stop him.”

Alice appeared calm, but Anna’s sharp retort left her speechless. For the first time, Alice felt like she had no defense.

The fact was, Ryan was in this situation because of her. No matter how much she tried to justify it to herself, the truth remained.

The journalist who had slandered Ryan had already been dealt with—Alice had made sure of that. But the damage was done. Without solid evidence to clear his name, the rumors would continue to hurt him.

Alice had vented her anger, but what about Ryan? He always put on a brave face, but what was he really feeling inside?

Did Ryan think of her the same way Anna did? After all, there had already been one misunderstanding between them before.

“Volunteered? Ha…”

Anna let out a bitter laugh, as if she’d just heard the most ridiculous joke. She crossed her arms and watched Alice with cold, mocking eyes.

“And what about you? You’ve been using Ryan from the start, haven’t you? And you have the nerve to stand there and lecture me?”

The driver in the front seat glanced at the two women through the rearview mirror. His eyes accidentally met Alice’s icy gaze, and he quickly looked away, sitting up straight and focusing on the road.

He barely recognized this version of Alice. In his eyes, Miss Alice had always been cold, calculating, and unstoppable—never one to let anything derail her plans.

Before coming here, Alice had already made arrangements to ensure Anna would disappear from the city forever. But now, it seemed like she was caught up in a petty argument, actually engaging with Anna in a back-and-forth.

What had changed Miss Alice? Was it Ryan, the man they all talked about?

Alice was fully aware that something was off with her. She despised Anna and had nothing more to say to her. Yet, instead of making Anna vanish from Ryan’s life for good, a strange thought crept into her mind.

She wanted to keep Anna around. She wanted to prove to Anna that Ryan staying by her side was the best choice, something no fake persona or lies could ever compare to.

“I’ll handle this. I’ll clear Ryan’s name.”

“But more importantly, what about you?”

Alice’s gaze shifted back to Anna, as if trying to regain control of the conversation.

This was a test. They had both seen through each other. They were the same kind of person, and two of a kind could never coexist peacefully.

“If Ryan knew the real you, what do you think he’d say?”

“The sweet, innocent girl-next-door turning into a ruthless monster. And today’s little incident—you haven’t told him about that yet, have you?”

Alice raised the documents in her hand slightly, her words dripping with threat. While Alice was dead serious, Anna’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

Alice was bound by her position. She could never stoop to the same level as Anna.

There were levels to being ruthless. Alice could be ruthless to achieve her goals, but Anna? She was far worse. Anna didn’t care about anything anymore—except Ryan.

“And you think you’re any better?”

Anna threw Alice’s words right back at her, watching as the girl’s eyes widened with anger. Calmly, Anna ran her fingers over the scar on her palm.

It was only then that Alice noticed the deep, jagged scar running across Anna’s pale right hand. The wound had scabbed over, turning dark and ugly, like a crack in the earth.

“So, what is it? Did you come here to threaten me, or are you planning to get rid of me?”

Anna was done with this conversation. If Alice really believed Ryan’s current situation wasn’t her fault, then Ryan must be blind.

She had said everything she needed to say. She still had enough sense to know that pushing Alice too far would have consequences.

She couldn’t afford to disappear. She still needed to take Ryan back. She would return to his side.

“Get rid of you.”

Alice said it so easily. Anna had been testing her limits, and Alice was getting fed up.

Maybe it was time to let her people handle this. After all, there were already two bodies at the bottom of the river tonight—one more wouldn’t make a difference.

But the plan had changed.

On one hand, Alice’s competitive streak had kicked in. If Anna wanted to watch, then let her watch. Ryan had chosen Alice over Anna time and time again. Didn’t that say enough?

On the other hand, even if Alice were to show Ryan the evidence right now, he probably wouldn’t believe her completely.

Ryan was too soft-hearted. If he found out that Alice was behind Anna’s disappearance, it could create an irreparable rift between them. That would be a loss Alice couldn’t afford.

“However, I’ve changed my mind.”

“You called Ryan earlier, didn’t you? I’m guessing you told him you were with me.”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t surprising that Alice had figured out Anna’s plan. If Anna had done nothing and still dared to sit in this car, that would’ve been the real shock.

“So, Miss Alice, what’s your new plan?”

Anna watched Alice’s every move with a mocking gaze. To say she wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

She was betting that Alice wouldn’t harm her because of Ryan, but the odds weren’t exactly in her favor.

If their roles were reversed, Anna knew she wouldn’t leave Alice alive. Ryan would be upset, sure, but that wouldn’t matter as much as having him by her side.

To achieve that goal, everything else was expendable.

“I won’t reveal your secret. You can keep pretending to be the sweet little sister.”

“But one day, you’ll realize how fragile a relationship built on lies really is.”

“So, we’re calling a truce for now?”

“Is that what you think?”

“Heh…”