âMia, stop messing aroundâ¦â
There was a clear difference in size between Mia and Alice. After all, Mia was just a kid, so with a little effort, Ryan managed to break free from her grip.
Mia was still the same as alwaysâhe couldnât believe heâd forgotten her little devilish side just because they hadnât seen each other for a day.
âWhat are you up to this timeâ¦â
But just as Ryan turned around, ready to roll his eyes at her, he noticed Mia standing there with her head down.
Her big eyes were shimmering, almost like they were filled with tears, and she looked like a sad puppy that had just been abandoned by its owner.
Uhâ¦
Whatâs going on now?
Ryan had fallen for Miaâs tricks plenty of times before, so this time he was more cautious. He took a careful step back, waving his hand in front of her face to test the waters.
But even that didnât get a reaction. Mia just stood there, looking hurt, her lips pouting as if sheâd been wronged. The sadness in the air was almost palpable.
They were standing right in front of the hospital entrance, and there were quite a few people passing by. Mia, dressed in a black dress with white lace socks and little black shoes, looked like a living doll with her cute face, naturally drawing attention from the crowd.
Just imagine the scene: a girl standing in front of you, looking all sad and teary-eyed, like sheâs about to cry.
Did I do something to upset her? I donât think I didâ¦
Ryan was trying to figure out what to do when, out of nowhere, Mia took a step forward and buried her face in his chest.
Her small hands started lightly hitting his back, like sheâd been wronged in the worst way possible. More people started to look their way.
Ryan could feel the weight of all those stares. At first, it was just uncomfortable, but then he realized something elseâthose looks werenât just curious,some of them seemed⦠afraid.
Suddenly, it hit him. He reached up and touched his face, and his heart sank.
A mother and her child were staring at him from a distance. The motherâs horrified expression said it all, and she quickly covered her kidâs eyes.
Damn it. They werenât just staring because of Mia. It was because of his face. Heâd been on the news, labeled as a dangerous person.
âMia, stop it! Weâre gonna get in trouble!â
If they stayed any longer, things were definitely going to go south. Ryan could already see someone in the distance pulling out their phone, probably about to call the cops.
âHuh?â
Mia had been planning to milk the situation a little longer, but when she heard the sudden seriousness in Ryanâs voice, she looked up, confused.
She hadnât noticed when she was hugging him from behind, but now that she saw his face, she was startled too.
âWhat the heck, Alice just let you leave the house like this?â
âSeriously⦠seriouslyâ¦â
Ryan didnât look any different from usual, and that was exactly the problem. He was a wanted man, and he wasnât even wearing a mask.
Cursing Alice under her breath, Mia quickly rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a rainbow-colored mask. Without giving Ryan a chance to protest, she slapped it onto his face.
âWhy didnât you say something sooner?â
If sheâd known Ryan was walking around like this, she wouldnât have been messing around. She just wanted to get a little attention, not have him get arrested.
Sheâd already accepted that Ryan was with Alice, thinking Alice would take good care of him. But clearly, Alice wasnât as meticulous as sheâd hoped, letting Ryan go out like this.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. If she were Miss Alice right now, the first thing sheâd do would be to snatch Ryan away from her.
If it were her, sheâd definitely take better care of him.
Pouting, Mia shot Ryan a glare, then grabbed his hand and started running, pulling him away from the crowdâs prying eyes.
They ran for about a minute before Miaâs stamina gave out. Panting heavily, she clutched her chest, finally feeling like theyâd escaped those terrifying stares.
âThat was close. I thought they were gonna take you down any second.â
Still catching her breath, Mia leaned against Ryan, her arms wrapped around his waist, barely able to stand.
Ryan didnât mind letting her use him for support. He was still thinking about how close theyâd come to real trouble.
He hadnât run into any major trouble for a while, so heâd almost forgotten that he was still caught up in a âDangerous Eventsâ situation. He had seriously underestimated how risky this whole thing was.
It was only when he saw the fearful and hateful looks from the passersby that he rememberedâhe was still public enemy number one.
âThereâs no way weâre getting into the hospital now. I saw the security guards running toward us earlier.â
Ryan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. What a mess. Was this what they called âfailing before even startingâ?
If heâd known things would get this bad, he wouldâve been more careful. Now that the hospital was on high alert, there was no way he could get inside. Was he really going to have to call Miss Alice and ask her to come pick him up?
Ryan was at a loss. He peeked out from behind the corner and saw police cars flooding the street. The hospital entrance was quickly sealed off, and officers were already questioning anyone who looked suspicious.
He hadnât expected things to escalate this much. How was he supposed to carry out the rest of his plan now?
âDonât be so pessimistic. Even if the cops catch you, Alice will get you out. Itâll just be a bit of a hassle, thatâs all.â
Mia poked her head out too, watching the scene outside with wide eyes. She was clearly impressedâit was her first time seeing the police take things this seriously.
In her experience, the line between law and crime was always blurred. Anyone with a bit of power knew and accepted this reality.
Most people probably thought that gangs were inherently bad, and that getting rid of them would be a good thing. But it wasnât that simple. Gangs existed because the police were often inefficient, and in some ways, they provided a kind of underground order. In a twisted sense, they were a supplement to the existing system.
As long as the system remained imperfect, gangs wouldnât disappear. Rather than sparking a conflict that could cause even more chaos, it was often better to let things play out quietly.
Politicians needed the gangs to maintain order in the underworld, and the two sides relied on each other. Thatâs why they never went too far in trying to wipe them out completely.
So, the only reason the police were going this hard now was because of public pressure. Ryan had been made into a scapegoat, and they had no choice but to act.
âActually, getting into the hospital isnât that hard. Iâve got a way. You just need to come with me.â
Mia, clearly feeling a bit insecure after mentioning Alice and making herself seem less capable, quickly spoke up to prove she was useful. Her words immediately caught Ryanâs attention.
âYouâve got a way in?â
Ryan glanced over at the chaos by the hospital entrance. Regular patients were being turned away, and the main doors were completely locked down. Not even a fly could get through.
Mia gave him a mysterious smile, playing it up as she pointed toward the employee elevator at the back of the hospital.
âBig brother, weâre going up this way~â