âMiss Alice, it seems like the target has noticed us.â
One of her subordinates hesitated for a moment before reporting. Alice, hearing this, seemed intrigued. She tilted her head slightly, looking out the car window at the girl standing outside.
Sure enough, Anna, though appearing to be on the phone, was glancing over at them every now and then, her eyes sharp and alert.
âShould we leave?â
âLeave? Why? Werenât we here to find her in the first place?â
Alice found the question amusing. She was the one in control hereâwhy would she leave just because sheâd been spotted?
Her original plan to quietly observe was clearly out the window now. She casually set aside the documents sheâd just finished reading, then lightly pressed her fingers on the window control.
As the window rolled down, her elegant face became visible to those outside. Alice could clearly see Annaâs body tense up the moment she saw her.
Alice didnât say much. She simply raised her hand and gestured for Anna to come over.
Anna had appeared in her line of sight several times, always looking like she was trying to whisk Ryan away. Alice realized she might have been too lenient, waiting until now to step in and give a warning.
âOkay⦠Senior, just be careful. I believe youâre being framed.â Anna was speaking to Ryan over Miaâs phone, her voice full of concern.
When Anna saw that the person in the car was Alice, she was only momentarily surprised. In fact, it wouldâve been stranger if it wasnât Alice.
âAnna, thank you. Really, thank you for still believing in me.â Ryanâs voice was filled with gratitude. To the outside world, his reputation was in tatters. The school wouldnât even let him return until everything was cleared up.
He didnât have many friends to begin with, and now, aside from Alice and Mia, Anna was the only one still in contact with him.
But todayâs events had Ryan feeling uneasy. Alice didnât seem as trusting as she appeared, and Mia⦠well, her mischievous antics were still fresh in his mind.
Naturally, he started leaning more toward the gentle and caring Anna.
Though her words of comfort didnât have the same impact as Aliceâs hug that morning, they did help Ryan breathe a little easier.
âWhat are you talking about, Senior? Arenât we good friends?â Annaâs voice carried a hint of reproach, as if Ryanâs gratitude had somehow diminished their bond.
Even though theyâd only recently started getting closer, Anna was truly a good person. Ryan was almost moved to tears, quietly rubbing his nose as he thought to himself.
âAlright, Senior, you take care of your stuff for now.â
âI just ran into Miss Alice. Sheâs invited me for coffee, so weâll talk later, okay?â
As Anna said this, her gaze met Aliceâs, who was still sitting in the car. Those eyes were as cold as ever, as if nothing could penetrate them.
But Anna didnât shy away. In fact, her look carried a hint of defiance.
The relationship between Alice and Ryan wasnât as solid as it seemed. Though Ryan hadnât said anything bad about Alice during their call, his hesitation when mentioning her had given Anna some insight.
She had been meaning to have a proper conversation with Alice anyway, and now that the opportunity had presented itself, there was no reason to back down.
âMiss Alice? Whatâs going on?â
Ignoring Ryanâs last question, Annaâs eyes flickered with a moment of hesitation before she decisively hung up the phone.
Alice had clearly come prepared. Anna still had plans to live her life with Ryan, and disappearing from the city after today would be a disaster.
Telling Ryan about this meeting was her way of covering her bases. After all, getting into a mob bossâs car wasnât something you did without a backup plan.
Alice, on the other hand, was genuinely surprised. A cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she instructed her men to open the car door, waiting for Anna to approach.
Anna walked over at a steady pace, each step measured and deliberate. There was no trace of fear on her face, and in just a few strides, she was standing in front of the car.
She bent down slightly, her posture modest, and the scent of her perfumeâso different from Aliceâsâwafted into the car, softening the cold atmosphere.
âMiss Alice, what a coincidence. I didnât expect to run into you here.â
Anna slid into the back seat, gracefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Everything about her was polished and precise, leaving no room for criticism.
Her fingers were long and slender, pale as snow. Unlike Alice, though, her fingertips bore the calluses of someone who wasnât used to being waited on.
Alice silently observed the girl in front of her. This was the first time sheâd really taken a good look at her.
Her appearance wasnât bad. In fact, it was impressive that she could hold her own in comparison to Alice.
âItâs not a coincidence. I came here specifically to find you.â
Aliceâs gaze finally settled on Annaâs hands. She knew that just a few hours ago, these same delicate hands had swung something heavy and cracked open some poor guyâs skull.
âTo find me? I donât see why someone as important as Miss Alice, the head of a mob, would go out of her way to look for me.â
Annaâs lips parted slightly in mock surprise, but she quickly bit her tongue, realizing sheâd interrupted Alice. She nodded apologetically, signaling for Alice to continue.
Annaâs performance was flawless, showing no signs of pretense. But Alice, narrowing her eyes, found it all rather amusing.
This Anna might be able to fool Ryan, but she couldnât fool her. Without saying much, Alice picked up the stack of documents beside her and handed them to Anna.
âTake a look at this.â
Aliceâs tone was commanding, as if even saying one more word would be a waste. Annaâs eyes darkened slightly as she reached out to take the folder.
The contents were all too familiar. There werenât many pagesâjust over tenâbut by the time Anna finished reading, her face had gone pale as a sheet.
In those few pages, her entire twenty years of life had been summarized.
It detailed her current situationâwhere she lived, who she usually met with, even her school schedule. But it also dredged up her painful past: the drunk driving accident, her sisterâs death. Nothing was left out.
Alice watched Annaâs reaction in silence, signaling her men to lock the car doors. She felt a sense of satisfaction creeping in. The more Anna suffered, the more pleasure Alice derived from it.
âWhatâs the point of showing me this?â
Anna took a deep breath, trying to push the unpleasant memories that had resurfaced out of her mind.
Her demeanor had completely changed from earlier. The polite facade was gone. There was no point in pretending anymoreâAlice knew everything about her.
âItâs not that complicated. Can we talk now?â
âAfter all, weâre not so different, are we?â