Meanwhile, sitting in the hematology wardâs hallway, Ryan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He sneezed out of nowhere, startling the little one in his arms awake. The sudden jolt caused her to blink her big, sleepy eyes in confusion as she looked up at him.
It wasnât cold in the hospital, and it wasnât the season for pollen or anything like that.
That sneeze came out of nowhere. Was someone talking about him?
But who could it be? Miss Alice? Bella? Or maybe Anna?
Ryan started counting on his fingers, trying to figure it out. Was it just his imagination, or did it feel like it could be any of them?
âMm, good morning, Ryan!â
Ryan was still lost in thought when Mia, the little one in his arms, finally shook off her grogginess.
Her eyes were still half-closed as she yawned and covered her mouth with her tiny hand, greeting him in a sleepy voice.
âUh, good morningâ¦â Ryan replied, though he couldnât help but think to himself, Isnât it already noon?
Mia must be one of those people who believe that no matter what time it is, if youâve just woken up, itâs still morning.
Now fully awake, Mia giggled, completely unbothered by her messy appearance.
Realizing where she was, she started squirming around in Ryanâs lap, as if sheâd discovered some new, exciting place. She wriggled like she was exploring a jungle, full of energy and curiosity.
She curled up in his arms, turning just enough to bury her head against his chest. Even through his clothes, she could feel the warmth of his skin, which was different from her own cool, jelly-like softness.
Miaâs skin was smooth and cool, almost like chilled jelly, while Ryan, full of youthful energy, felt like a hot iron in comparison.
But Mia didnât mind the heat. In fact, she clung to him even tighter, showing no intention of getting down.
âNow that youâre awake, how about you get down? Youâre not exactly the calmest sleeper,â Ryan said, his neck starting to ache. Keeping Mia under control was no easy task. He had once complimented her for sleeping like a little bunny, but in reality, she was more like a wild calf.
And honestly, that wasnât far from the truth. Bunnies have long mating seasons, which, in a way, made Miaâs behavior seem a bit similar.
From the moment she had climbed into his lap, she hadnât stopped moving, squirming left and right. Her small hands gripped his wrists like iron clamps, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldnât pry them off.
Luckily, Ryan was in decent shape. If it had been someone weaker, they mightâve been crushed under her relentless energy.
âYouâre lying! I sleep just fine!â Mia protested, clearly offended by Ryanâs accusation. She spun around to sit on his lap, her small hands reaching up to pinch his cheeks, pulling them apart until his words came out in a funny, garbled mess.
âFine? You practically roll on top of people when you sleep. If it wasnât me, wouldnât that be a problem?â Ryan shot back, his face aching but still refusing to back down. For some reason, he felt a bit annoyed, remembering how Mia had slept the first time. It had worried him.
Thank goodness it was him sitting next to her. With Miaâs lack of awareness, if a kidnapper had come along and thrown a sack over her, she probably wouldnât have even woken up.
âThatâs not true! If it wasnât you, I wouldnâtââ
Miaâs anger flared up before she could even finish her sentence. Ryan was mad at her first, which was completely unexpected and only fueled her frustration.
And then, he had the nerve to say, âIf it wasnât meâ¦â
How could Ryan still not understand her feelings? Was he made of wood?
Miaâs nose tingled as she fought back tears, feeling utterly wronged. If it wasnât him, she wouldnât have been so relaxed in the first place.
Leaning on someone else? No way. Normally, if anyone even dared to touch her, sheâd throw them into the river to feed the fish.
In Miaâs mind, letting Ryan get close to her was a huge honor. And now, he was questioning it? How could she not be furious?
Sitting in Ryanâs lap, Mia was practically fuming. Her hands kept pinching his cheeks, and now her feet joined in, kicking at his legs as she jumped up and stomped on his shins.
The once-serious atmosphere in the hallway completely dissolved the moment Mia woke up. All eyes turned toward the two at the center of the commotion.
âBad guy! Bad guy! Youâre a bully!â Mia shouted, her voice full of indignation.
âHow dare you pick on Mia! Unforgivable!â
When Mia got mad, she was like a prairie dogâfearless and ready to take on anyone. Ryan had never seen this side of her before and was completely defenseless against her barrage of slaps and pinches.
It wasnât exactly a fight, but calling it playful banter seemed like an understatement, considering how hard Mia was hitting him.
Eventually, the head nurse couldnât take it anymore and kicked the two of them out of the hallway on the 16th floor. After a stern warning, they were forced to sit in the stairwell, where things finally calmed down.
Ryan was in pretty rough shape. He had seriously underestimated Miaâs combat abilities. When she got mad, she was terrifying.
The price of learning this lesson? Ryanâs face was swollen like he had two eggs stuffed in his cheeks, and even speaking hurt like hell.
Mia, on the other hand, sat next to him with her arms crossed, muttering under her breath about how everything was Ryanâs fault. She didnât feel the slightest bit guilty about her actions.
Ryan rubbed his sore face, lost in thought. What did Mia mean by what she said earlier? If it wasnât himâ¦
Was she saying that if it werenât him, she wouldnât have let her guard down so much?
After a few minutes, the whole ordeal ended with Ryan offering a full apology. As part of his penance, he was forced to repeat âI shouldnât have doubted Miaâs feelingsâ over ten times and promise to give her three massages.
Ryan had no idea how Mia found out he could give massages, but no matter how much he tried to deny it, she wouldnât believe him. He figured someone from Aliceâs side mustâve spilled the beans.
After all, Mia seemed to know everything about Aliceâs whereabouts, so learning that Ryan could give massages was probably the least of her intel.
Ryanâs large hands gently kneaded Miaâs small shoulders. He didnât dare use too much forceânot because he was afraid of hurting her, but because if he pressed too hard, sheâd start making weird noises.
Things like, âRyan, thatâs too hard~â or âSlower⦠slower, ooh~.â
Mia was clearly enjoying herself, but for Ryan, it was pure torture. His suspicions were only growing stronger: Mia was a little devil, through and through.
If he could help it, heâd make sure not to end up in her clutches again.
As Ryan silently grumbled to himself, Mia was also deep in thought. She rubbed her smooth chin, pretending to be casual as she asked, âRyan, your wanted status hasnât been cleared yet. Is there something going on?â
âIâve been thinking about it, and with Aliceâs abilities, thereâs no way what happened this morning shouldâve happened.â
Mia was piecing things together bit by bit. The question had been bothering her ever since she came upstairs alone. She couldnât believe that someone as powerful as Alice would be careless about something like this.
Plus, sheâd heard that Alice had met with the third daughter of the Langston family last night, likely to discuss Ryanâs situation. With their combined influence, Ryanâs name shouldâve been cleared all over the news by now.
Even if it was an oversight, how could two days have passed without any progress?
The more Mia thought about it, the stranger it seemed. She turned to face Ryan, her big eyes staring straight at him. She could only come up with one reasonable explanation for all of this.
âSo, Ryan⦠you told Alice not to clear your wanted status or make any public statements, didnât you?â
âAm I right?â