Tony cleared a path for Ryan and Alice, his bodyguards lowering their guns as he had stepped back as he said he would.
Now it was Ryanâs turn to back down, but he wasnât in a hurry to do anything.
The priority was to get Alice out of the sniperâs range quickly.
But as Ryan walked out, he was extra cautious. He could feel the malice lurking behind him, the assassinâs finger undoubtedly already on the trigger.
âDonât shoot, please donât shoot,â Ryan silently prayed, even though he was a staunch atheist, he found himself praying in his mind.
âTony, you havenât done anything to Miss Aliceâs people, have you?â Ryan asked, following about ten inches behind Alice, pushing her to move faster while questioning Tony.
To an outsider, everything seemed calm, but only Ryan knew that the back of his shirt was completely soaked with sweat, as if he had been pulled out of water.
Every step was like walking on a knifeâs edge, a slight misstep could lead to disaster.
âNo, of course not, theyâre all in the stairwell on the fifteenth floor, Iâll let them go now,â Tony replied.
Initially, Tony hadnât taken Ryan seriously, seeing him in casual clothes and looking untrained. But now, Ryan seemed different in his eyes, even his casual attire seemed more respectable.
Ryan was definitely Aliceâs personal assistant, not Hannah as the official reports suggested. Having been in the business world for many years, Tony rarely saw an assistant with a psychological quality like Ryanâs.
Perhaps his casual attire was meant to deceive, to be useful at critical moments.
And for some reason, the way Alice looked at Ryan was off,it wasnât just the look one gives to an assistant.
Of course, a guy like Ryan wouldnât be content just being an assistant,Alice must have lured him with some bizarre conditions.
Tony mused to himself, growing more fearful the more he observed Ryan.
Meanwhile, Alice sneezed as she walked, casting an annoyed glance at Tony, who stood obediently aside, deepening his shock.
Such strong intuition, had she sensed his apprehension?
Typical Alice, to keep such a guy close, this must all be part of her plan.
If Alice really wanted to kill him, could these bodyguards really stop her?
Tony smiled broadly, knowing that if it really came to a fight with Alice, he wouldnât stand a chance, but he didnât believe he could win.
Ryan gently placed his hand on Aliceâs shoulder, leading her out of the conference room. Alice, still in the dark about the situation, was slightly reproachful towards Ryan.
In her view, they should have pushed harder on the negotiations when they had the advantage.
Of course, if she knew everything that had just happened, including Tonyâs inner monologue, her expression would have been priceless.
As Ryanâs figure disappeared from the conference room, the distant assassin also left his post.
His hand holding the gun trembled slightly, but his profession was known for steady hands.
He was visibly furious, managing to keep his cool until the end without firing a shot.
Now, he no longer hid his rage, kicking over a nearby trash can filled with shredded paper.
âDamn it! Damn it!â he cursed quietly, calming down. He couldnât believe that after years of experience as an assassin, he had been outplayed by a young guy like Ryan.
No matter how he adjusted his angle, he couldnât get a clear shot at Alice. Missing a shot would have spelled trouble.
Moreover, for some reason, Alice and Tony seemed to have reconciled, making a shot now likely to provoke retaliation from both parties.
He couldnât take that risk.
Was that guy not afraid of dying at all? Clearly, he was referring to Ryan.
The assassinâs facial muscles twitched with anger. If it werenât for Ryan constantly shielding Alice, his mission would have been completed long ago.
Cursing under his breath, he packed the sniper rifle back into his violin case.
His gaze was venomous as he prepared to head to the next location, swearing that next time Alice wouldnât be so lucky.
He pulled out his handgun and fired several shots into the ceiling, causing the staff on that floor to duck and cover.
âForget what you just saw, and itâs best if you donât say a word, got it?â
The assassin made his way toward the fire escape, his gaze landing on the leader of the studio, who quickly nodded and bowed in submission.
But really, this show of subservience was unnecessary,after all, he had already destroyed all the surveillance on this floor.
Still, he enjoyed this feeling of power, knowing he controlled life and death, making others fear him.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Tony had released Aliceâs bodyguards as promised.
Though the bodyguards were injured to varying degrees, they were all alive. Aliceâs assistant, Hannah, had her arm broken due to her fierce resistance.
She was filled with regret and self-blame. She should never have disobeyed Miss Aliceâs orders over her own minor concerns.
Who would have thought that a routine trip would conceal such deadly intentions, and she had failed in her duties.
If she had been there, she might have taken a bullet for Miss Alice, but instead, it was Ryan in the conference room.
That guy she could never quite appreciate.
Yet now, it was that very Ryan standing before her.
And there was Miss Alice, following behind him, unharmed and intact.
âMiss Alice?â Hannah rubbed her eyes, disregarding her broken arm, and scrambled over to Alice, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Miss Alice was unharmed? How was that possible?
âHannah⦠youâve had a tough time,â Alice sighed.
Although Hannah had disobeyed her, Alice wouldnât let outsiders see this as a joke,she would deal with her back home.
The other bodyguards bowed one by one, and upon seeing someone at the end of the corridor, they quickly shielded Alice behind them, glaring hostilely at the figure.
Though they looked beaten up, they wouldnât complain about fighting for Alice again.
âMiss Alice, Iâll leave you here,â Tony said with a smile, but his bodyguards shielded him thoroughly, and from Aliceâs side, they could only hear him, not see him.
âAnd the assistant, brother, please try to persuade Miss Alice.â
âIâm not quite awake this early in the morning, forgive me, forgive me.â
Ryan, who had been ready to make a run for it, was baffled by Tonyâs words. What did this have to do with him?
Persuade Miss Alice? As if he could manage her temper. That was giving him too much credit.
Hannah was even more shocked than Ryan. What was going on?
Shouldnât Ryan have been suffocated by the situation in the room? How was he now seemingly in charge?
âMiss Alice, letâs go,â Ryan said, glancing at his mission status, which still showed as incomplete, indicating that danger might still be looming.
He leaned in close to whisper to Alice, but before he could finish, Miss Alice covered her ears.
She jumped forward to Hannahâs side, her eyes critically fixed on Ryan.
At this moment, Hannah, seeing Aliceâs reaction, was moved to tears. Had Alice finally seen through this guy? Had she realized he was no good?
Ryan, facing an almost biting Hannah, just shrugged helplessly and continued to signal Alice to leave quickly.
Although Alice wasnât used to Ryan being so close, she still acknowledged his suggestion.
Since they had decided not to break ties today, it was best to leave quickly to avoid Tony, who was unpredictable and could snap at any moment.
Alice slightly parted her lips, issuing the command to leave, and the bodyguards surrounded her as they headed for the elevator.
The elevator doors closed firmly, and as they descended, Tonyâs expression suddenly changed.
His eyes nearly spitting fire, he grabbed a golf club from the wall and started beating his subordinates with it.
âBoss, should we chase them?â one bodyguard asked, stepping forward under pressure, only to bring trouble upon himself as the golf club came swinging towards him.
âChase? With what? Get me a plane ticket, I need to leave this city now!â
Moments later, Alice and her group reached the ground floor, everyone breathing a sigh of relief, except Ryan, who still looked uneasy, glancing at the opposite building.
Alice observed Ryanâs profile, her lips parting slightly, but in the end, she said nothing.
Ryan had indeed performed well, remaining calm throughout.
But his ignoring her orders, his uninvited closeness, those issues hadnât been forgotten.
She might treat him a bit better later, but praising him might lead him to make even more outrageous demands.
âHannah, you did well.â
âWhich of our brothers was the sniper in that building across? Find him and reward him well.â
Alice patted Hannahâs shoulder, still shaken by the close call.
If it hadnât been for Hannahâs sniper, she might not have made it out of the conference room alive.
Hannah blushed at the praise but was confused after hearing Aliceâs words.
A sniper? She had never arranged for a sniper.
Could it be⦠Hannahâs heart skipped a beat as her gaze slowly shifted to Ryan, who was seriously surveying the surroundings.
Impossible, right?