Chapter 183: Chapter 183: What just happened?

“I’ll treat you just as well…”

Ryan’s brain froze as he tried to read Mia’s expression, looking for any sign of jest, but she seemed dead serious when she spoke.

It didn’t sound like Mia was joking at all.

“So, all you need to do is tell me what exactly Miss Alice gave you, and I’ll give you the same.”

Mia affectionately rubbed Ryan’s forehead, her citrus scent rushing into his lungs, seemingly filling the air around them.

Ryan felt like his brain was rusting, making it hard to think.

He had no experience with these kinds of situations, and now he was being toyed with by this young girl.

Ryan could sense that Mia wasn’t as optimistic as she appeared,she harbored sorrows that others couldn’t understand.

If she wasn’t carrying a heavy sadness inside, why would she seek help from a stranger like him?

Just like Alice, indeed.

“Miss Alice didn’t give me anything… I guess I did it voluntarily.”

Reflecting on his own attitude, Ryan wasn’t sure how to better describe it.

Being with Alice was entirely his choice, as that was the only way to complete his mission.

The high favorability alone made Ryan feel a bit guilty,in a way, he had deceived Miss Alice.

“Nothing at all? What about a salary?”

Mia’s eyes widened in surprise, her small hands rubbing Ryan’s cheeks, unable to believe Alice hadn’t done anything.

With her cold demeanor, could anyone really stay by her side selflessly?

But no matter how much Mia’s small hands moved, Ryan just continued to shake his head.

“No salary either… Could it be…”

Mia touched her chin, seriously pondering. No money, no compensation, what could it be?

After a moment, a strange expression crossed her face as she looked at Ryan.

Indeed, if it wasn’t for selling his body, she couldn’t think of any other possibility.

Mia’s gaze slowly turned disdainful, and Ryan immediately got defensive, knowing she had misunderstood.

It wasn’t like that at all, although he had indeed kissed Miss Alice forcefully once, but that was devoid of any emotion.

And if it really were about that sort of thing, wouldn’t she be the one walking a dangerous line?

Ryan snorted coldly, trying to focus his thoughts on something else, or else the soft, mushy feeling in front of him might swallow him up the next second.

Mia felt the warmth radiating from Ryan, like hugging a warm stove.

At that moment, she felt like a frog in warm water, unable to get up.

“So that’s pretty much it. Have you finished asking your questions?”

Ryan noticed Mia becoming increasingly restless on top of him, her breath tickling his ear, causing waves of tingles.

“Don’t talk back—”

Mia felt Ryan start to struggle beneath her and pinched his cheek in displeasure.

But Ryan wasn’t compliant anymore and began to struggle more.

He could see the blush on Mia’s face, as enticing as the evening sky, refusing to fade.

Mia’s small hands pressed down on Ryan’s shoulders, and he struggled like an angry bull.

After all, with his size advantage, if he really wanted to leave, Mia couldn’t stop him.

What a hassle.

Mia’s mind raced, convinced there must be some messy relationship between Ryan and Alice that he just wasn’t admitting yet.

What’s done is done, and realistically, her plan wasn’t easy to achieve,she should know when to back off.

Mia just wanted to find herself a good bodyguard, and if it could be someone who cared for her, even better.

Such people were hard to find, but Ryan wasn’t irreplaceable.

But to give up so easily just wasn’t Mia’s style.

She was planning to help Alice out later, so taking something from her probably wasn’t too outrageous.

And Ryan was so warm,if she could get even closer, would it feel even warmer?

Ryan had no idea what Mia was thinking. Bombarded with a bunch of messy questions, his mind was in disarray, and all he wanted was to get away.

“Mia, we should head back now, the meeting is about to start again.”

Mia was clearly not in her usual state, giving off a rather unsettling vibe. They couldn’t drag this out any longer.

Saying this, Ryan steeled his heart, placed his hand firmly on Mia’s slender waist, and prepared to stand up.

Pop—

…

What just happened?

Something definitely just happened!

Ryan’s thoughts halted abruptly, his eyes wide as he stared at Mia, who had her eyes slightly closed and was pouting her red, enticing lips.

He touched his own cheek, feeling a ticklish, moist sensation.

Was he… just kissed?

“Mia, you…”

Ryan’s voice trembled, and the instigator wasn’t faring much better.

“It’s nothing. Can you listen to me properly now?”

Mia’s cheeks were flushed, and even she couldn’t pretend nothing had happened after such a move.

That was her first kiss! And she had just given it away so easily!

Mia’s heart trembled wildly, a strange feeling growing inside her, though she tried to act as if nothing had happened.

Ha… ha… it’s not a big deal.

As long as she could see Alice’s regretful face later, giving away her first kiss wasn’t a big deal.

Yes, that’s right, it was all because of Alice.

Mia finally found a reason to convince herself, but her mind kept replaying the sensation of the kiss.

Indeed, just as she thought, Ryan was all warm.

It would be nice if he could stay just with her, to have that warmth would be quite something, probably.

Mia exhaled softly, trying to compose herself and stand up, but found her legs were too weak to support her.

“Uh, considering your… decent attitude, I’ll tell you everything about Alice.”

“Actually, I’m more concerned about what just happened…”

“Shut up! So annoying! Are you listening or not?”

Mia, both embarrassed and annoyed, rubbed her hand across Ryan’s face, trying to erase the mark of the kiss.

Ryan’s face turned red from the rubbing, as if Mia was trying to erase the event from his memory as well.

Clearly, she must have been out of her mind to do something like that, and good, she was already regretting it.

Ryan wanted to clarify what Mia meant by kissing him so suddenly, as he’d have no way to explain if he got caught.

But it seemed that the matter concerning Miss Alice was more pressing, so Ryan had to sit tight and wait for Mia’s explanation.

“Turn your head away, don’t look at me!”

“Okay.”

The teen girl seemed embarrassed, but Ryan wasn’t feeling much better.

To say that the kiss hadn’t affected Ryan would be a lie,he could feel it, his awkwardly positioned member beginning to stir.

Mia shifted uncomfortably, feeling something pressing against her. Was it the phone in her pocket?

Never mind that for now.

“What you should be most concerned about is what Alice is actually planning. You heard Lorenzo accusing her of betraying the organization, right?”

Mia exhaled heavily, her small hands patting her plump cheeks to force herself to calm down.

Ryan nodded slightly, he had indeed heard what Lorenzo had said.

“Alice’s dad was the previous mob boss, and Alice has now taken over his position, you know that.”

“But Alice only became the mob boss this year, after the previous boss died.”

Mia said this and deliberately paused, leaving Ryan frowning.

“I’ve noticed you’re really slow, big brother.”

Mia tapped Ryan’s head lightly, muttering to herself.

“Alice was completely oblivious to the mob’s dealings before this year,she was just a normal person who had no idea what her family was involved in.”

“It was only after the previous boss died this year that the organization had no successor, so they pulled her in. She must be feeling quite helpless.”

Mia said this, and when she mentioned “helpless,” she couldn’t help but laugh a bit, clearly enjoying the drama.

“So, what do you think a person like her wants to do the most?”

“She could have continued living as a normal person, but now she’s suddenly been told she’s the mob boss. What do you think she’ll do?”

Mia continued, her large eyes shining with clarity but also a hint of envy.

Alice at least knew what she wanted and was striving for it.

And her? She seemed to see through everything but had no chance of escaping this situation.

Ryan didn’t notice Mia’s discomfort,he was too stunned by her revelations to speak.