âSenior, donât worry about her threats,â Anna said, giving Ryan a reassuring look before subtly gesturing to him while Alice wasnât looking.
Ryan felt embarrassed. What a joke! It was precisely because of Annaâs unpredictability that he couldnât relax at all.
âBig bro, just tell us. Being an assistant, Iâd work for anyone, but itâd be better with me,â Mia chimed in, sizing up Anna. Even though Anna had already made her stance clear, Mia wasnât about to show any weakness.
She figured Alice wouldnât break ties with her over a guy,that would only worsen her standing in the gang. Maybe this was a good chance to sway Ryan to her side.
Listening to their outrageous statements, Ryan was utterly baffled.
What were they even talking about just now? Why did he have to make a choice as soon as he got back? Was it really okay to poach so blatantly?
And with Alice looking like she was giving him a choice, was she not planning to keep him locked up anymore?
Stealing glances at Aliceâs expression, Ryan was terrified she might just eliminate the other two if she got upset. Fortunately, she just watched him with a calm demeanor.
Her gaze didnât even linger on the two girls, as if they barely registered on her radar.
âJust say it straight, I respect your choice. If you donât want to leave, they canât take you away,â Alice said calmly, though it felt like needles were pricking her heart. It wasnât easy to speak so evenly.
She really wanted to keep Ryan all to herself, not giving anyone else a chance to get close, but her rational mind told her she couldnât do that.
Ryan was his own person, with his own personality, and even his lifesaver. No matter how terrifying her desires were, she couldnât do that to Ryan.
Even though, deep down, she was nearly doing just that.
âLeave?â
Ryan repeated, puzzled. He was doing fine here,why would he leave?
He glanced at Mia and her righteous demeanor, as if they were about to rescue him from a life of misery.
Being with Alice was indeed dangerous,you never knew when you might lose your head. That was true.
Initially, Alice had forcefully brought him here, and now she wouldnât even let him go out freely, depriving him of his freedom. That wasnât too bad.
His original plan was to let Alice kill him quickly so he could continue with his own life.
But now⦠he couldnât leave.
It wasnât just because of his mission, but also because of some other, quite irrational reasons.
If Alice had always been cold, Ryan wouldnât have cared much about her mood, just comforting her when she was down to prevent any issues.
But after seeing that photo, Ryan genuinely wanted to see Alice smile. For some reason, he felt she must look beautiful when she smiled.
He really wanted to understand Aliceâs past, not just to complete his mission, but to truly become her friend. How could he do that if he left?
Not to mention, the system wouldnât let him leave. He was on a crucial mission from the system, and if he didnât want to die, he had to stay by Aliceâs side.
Ryan fell silent, and Alice, Mia, and Anna all waited quietly for his response.
âMiss Alice, do you want me to leave?â Ryan finally asked, unsure of Aliceâs attitude and how the conversation had suddenly shifted to this topic.
âI naturally donât want that⦠you promised me,â Alice replied.
âBut, I respect your choice. If you really want to go, I wonât stop you.â
Alice felt like she had swallowed a ball of fire, the flames burning inside her, scorching her insides.
Ryan was still testing her. Why did he keep testing her? Was it because he was afraid of her?
She didnât want Ryan to be afraid of her, and she definitely didnât want him to leave. She had no confidence in this choice.
But Mia was right,she had to see what Ryan thought, otherwise, that unsettling feeling would eventually drive her mad.
Exhaling a heavy breath, the scene before Aliceâs eyes blurred slightly.
Was waiting always this terrifying?
Alice, who had faced countless assassination attempts without fear, was now genuinely trembling. She was terrified of Ryanâs choice, afraid of hearing him say those words.
Ryan had chosen to help her for reasons unknown, but she had always known that their connection was tenuous at best. Ryan really didnât need to stay with her.
If given the chance, he would surely choose to leave, as life outside was more suited for him.
âSenior, what are you hesitating for? Everyoneâs waiting for you. Arenât you going back to school?â Anna pressed.
âBig bro, donât you realize what kind of situation Alice is in? What use is there for you to stay here? Youâre just holding her back,â Mia added.
The two girls continued their relentless persuasion, quickly forming a united front under the pressure from Alice, hoping to extract Ryan from this situation first, giving them a chance.
Ryan frowned slightly, and Aliceâs heart skipped a beat. She immediately snapped at them to shut up.
âThis is Ryanâs own choice. Youâd better not meddle.â
Aliceâs authority burst forth, and Hannah, standing behind her, narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, her presence threatening.
It was indeed frustrating. Anna had been brought in by her, and now, with Ryan clearly conflicted, she couldnât push further and had to quash her own plans instead.
The old Miss Alice wouldnât have gotten angry over such things. Her change was all because of Ryan.
âMiss Mia, a reminderâyou wouldnât want to make Miss Alice angry.â
Mia snorted coldly, glared at Hannah, and then turned her back, refusing to face Alice any longer.
Anna also felt the overwhelming force of Aliceâs presence. She fidgeted with something in her pocket, ultimately unable to make up her mind.
Ryan was still here,she couldnât act rashly. If Ryan got hurt, she couldnât bear the consequences.
She was also extremely anxious, unable to gauge what Ryan was really thinking. Clearly, he was being held here,didnât he want to leave?
Was Aliceâs manipulation so cruel that Ryan had developed Stockholm syndrome?
Annaâs mind was a mess, her hand gripping a blade so tightly that she didnât even notice as blood began to seep through her pocket.
âRyan, you donât need to be nervous. Just speak your mind.â
âI⦠will support you.â
It was like ripping her own heart out and crushing it. After sending the two girls away, Alice turned back to Ryan and spoke softly.
Ryan, observing the behavior of the three, was confused.
Why were Mia and Anna so insistent on him leaving? He was quite comfortable here.
And why was Miss Alice suddenly giving him a choice? Wasnât she known for her decisive, no-nonsense approach?
This was so unlike her.
And what was with this pitiful expression, like a little kitten left in the rain, making him feel guilty just by looking at her?
âI havenât done anything weird, right⦠well, except for what happened upstairs just now,â Ryan thought.
Probably Miss Alice had misunderstood something again. He checked his status, and sure enough, Aliceâs Mood Level had dropped to a precarious five points.
[Alice Current Mood Level: 5/100 (Despair)]
If he didnât intervene soon, Aliceâs mood wouldnât last the day.
âUh, actually, Iâm pretty okay here.â
Ryan scratched the back of his head, unsure how to phrase it better, and ended up looking awkwardly at Anna.
Anna was here for him, after all, with good intentions, though these were indeed unnecessary for Ryan.
âPretty okay?â
Before Mia and Anna could react, it was Alice who showed the most significant response. Her nails were already digging into her palms.
She had braced herself for a cruel outcome, but then Ryan said those words?
âAnna, I really appreciate you coming to find me.â
âBut Iâve actually decided to stay here for a while. Once Iâve finished what I need to do, Iâll go back.â
Ryan nodded slightly at Anna, and Alice, hearing these words, was completely stunned. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. If not for the presence of the other two, her emotions would have exploded on the spot.
Nervousness, panic, then turning into ecstatic relief and happiness.
It all felt so unreal, and regardless of the others in the living room, she reached out and grasped Ryanâs hands.
Ryanâs eye twitched, remembering all too well the previous painful experiences of having his hands squeezed purple.
âSo, youâre not leaving?â
âWhy would I leave? You havenât starved me, have you?â