Ryan always sent Alice updates as soon as he had any new information. By now, it had become an unspoken routine between the two of them.
This time was no different. After getting more precise details from the hospital, Ryan immediately forwarded Alice a mix of the information heâd gathered, along with some documents heâd found in the hospitalâs digital archives.
At this point, things should have been wrapped up, at least for the time being. After all, it seemed like there werenât any deeper leads at the hospital.
Whoever was behind this was being extremely cautious, and Ryan still didnât have any solid clues.
Even if he checked the hospitalâs surveillance footage, the most heâd probably see would be Frank walking into the payment hall with a briefcase full of cash.
With how advanced electronic payments are these days, itâs easy to trace transactions back to their source. But when it comes to cash? How do you track where a large sum of cash came from?
Still, before leaving, Ryan had noticed something off in the records.
Claraâs total medical expenses amounted to $580,000. Ryan could account for $570,000 of thatâit was all legitimate medical costs. But the remaining $10,000? That was supposedly for a caregiver.
The thing is, whether it was from what the nurses had mentioned or from what Ryan had directly asked Clara, he was the first person to visit her in days.
Other than the nurses, no one else had been in contact with Clara. This so-called hospital caregiver? They never showed up.
âSo, are you planning to stay there and investigate a bit longer?â
Alice and Bella had been sitting in the café for a while now. The café owner, hiding nervously in the corner, had no idea that these two seemingly quiet girls had such powerful connections.
At first, heâd thought about gathering some evidence and calling the police. But before he could act, someone had delivered a thick stack of cash to himâenough to cover a weekâs worth of business. After that, he had no more complaints.
What he initially thought were two troublemakers ruining his business turned out to be his lucky charm. He was now hoping theyâd come by more often.
While the café owner was grinning ear to ear, the mood between Alice and Bella was anything but cheerful.
After a tense conversation about their personal issues, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing. Ryanâs phone call was the only thing that broke the silence.
âGot it. Do you need my help with this?â Alice asked, holding the phone with both hands. Bella glanced over, her expression full of disdain, before quickly looking away, as if sheâd seen something disgusting.
Her face remained serious, but Bella could almost see an imaginary tail wagging behind Alice. Whatâs with this girl? She acts all tough, but deep down, sheâs just like a loyal puppy?
Bella wasnât one for teasing or pointing out contradictions, but right now, Alice was really getting on her nerves. Bellaâs right hand, hidden under the table, clenched into a fist.
âWhy are you asking about Miss Nella and me? Whatâs that got to do with anything?â
Aliceâs tone had been light and cheerful, but it suddenly shifted. Her eyes, sharp as knives, turned toward Bella as she asked the question.
What the�
Bella was caught off guard by the sudden glare. Whatâs wrong with Alice? Why is she always picking on me?
She hadnât even done anything suspicious yet.
âSheâs fine. What could possibly happen to her? No oneâs going to mess with her if sheâs just sitting around.â
Alice gave Bella a once-over. Bella, by now used to Aliceâs random outbursts, met her gaze with a look of indifference, as if she couldnât care less.
But that was just on the surface. If she hadnât just pulled her right hand back and pinched her thigh hard, she wasnât sure sheâd be able to stay this calm.
Did Ryan mention me on the phone? Whatâs going onâ¦
She had just been silently mocking Alice for getting so worked up over a phone call. How did someone like her end up as the head of a crime syndicate?
When it was finally her turn, Bellaâs reaction was even more extreme than Aliceâs. Just hearing that name, imagining what he might be saying, made her blood feel like it was about to boil.
âIâIâm fine too. Weâre not going to fight or anything. Why are you talking to me like Iâm a kid?â Alice muttered in frustration. With no one else around, she didnât need to maintain her usual tough demeanor. As for Bella, Aliceâs irritation toward her was real, which only made her act this way even more.
Alice had mostly convinced herself that there was nothing going on between Nella and Ryan, but her gut told her that Nella wasnât entirely off the hook. Alice knew the best way to make someone slip up was to provoke them. And she had found the perfect way to get under Nellaâs skin: flaunting her relationship with Ryan.
In other words, showing off.
Bella sat there, her face dark, listening to the exchange between Alice and Ryan, piecing together what Ryan might have said. From the bits she caught, it seemed like he was asking if theyâd gotten into a fight.
So what if they did? Bellaâs plans went far beyond just beating Alice up to blow off some steam.
She had wasted so much time, taken so many wrong turns. For four years, not a single night had passed where she didnât fall asleep thinking of Ryanâs face.
She always believed Ryan loved her. Sure, sending her away back then had been a bit irrational, but she figured heâd just been scared. Once he had time to calm down, heâd realize his true feelings.
After all, they had always been the ones who loved each other the most, hadnât they?
But when she finally returned after four long years, after exhausting every effort to track Ryan down, what she found was him tangled up with Alice.
Her place had been stolen, right before she came back.
Ryan couldnât have changed. He was still the same kind, strong person heâd always been. He was still the man who would rush to her side without hesitation when she was in danger.
If Ryan wasnât to blame, then the only possible culprit was Alice.
Bella could sense something familiar in Alice. They were the same kind of personâboth starved for love, both having found someone theyâd give everything for, someone theyâd never let go of once theyâd sunk their teeth in.
The only difference was that Alice had what she wanted. She was satisfied. Bella wasnât. She was still yearning.
What was between them wasnât something that could be settled with a simple fightâ¦
âMia should be with you, right? Just keep looking into this,â Alice said into the phone.
âDonât be so quick to deny it. Tell Mia I know sheâs got people watching me, and of course, Iâve done the same.â
âTell her to behave. If she steps out of line, her unofficial status wonât be enough to protect her.â
Aliceâs tone had taken a sharp turn, clearly irritated by something. Bella watched her, finding the whole thing amusing.
Alice probably hadnât even realized what her real flaw was yet. And that was perfect.
The more oblivious she was, the sweeter it would be to watch her fall, to see her lying in a pool of her own blood, eyes filled with regret.
Alice finally hung up the phone. Bella quietly lifted her right hand from her thigh, where sheâd been gripping it tightly. She said nothing, simply observing Alice, whose expression had shifted through several emotions before settling back into her usual serious demeanor.
To maintain the persona sheâd crafted in Aliceâs eyes, Bella allowed a faint, mocking smile to appear on her face.
Alice didnât care how Bella looked at her. Everything Bella saw was exactly what Alice wanted her to see. Bella was smart enough not to spread any of this around.
âMiss Nella, personal matters. I apologize for that,â Alice said, her voice calm again.
âOh, itâs nothing. In fact, Iâm quite envious of the relationship between you and Mr. Ryan,â Bella replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.
âEnvious, huh?â
âOf course. After all, your relationship is so perfect itâs enough to make anyone jealous.â