Chapter 234: I think it was…

Chapter 234: I think it was...

Chapter 234: I think it was...

Ryan looked down at the man clinging to his leg, tears and snot streaming down his face. The sight made Ryan shudder, and he quickly stepped back, trying to put some distance between them.

Whoever this guy was, Ryan had never seen him before in his life.

“Uh... could you, like, back off a bit?”

Ryan fumbled for his phone, intending to call Alice. He needed to let her know that some weirdo had shown up on her turf.

As Ryan tried to move away, the man—Dave, apparently—persisted, sticking close but at least giving Ryan a little more space. Still, it was way too close for comfort.

“Who are you, man? And where’s Miss Alice?”

The question seemed to hit a nerve. Dave winced, sucking in a sharp breath, and his fists clenched.

“Assistant, I’m not some old man. I’m only a few years older than you.”

Dave’s words didn’t seem to convince Ryan, who eyed him skeptically. Dave’s posture slumped, making him look even more like an old man.

Dave looked like he was in his mid-forties, his face weathered from years of working on construction sites. No one would guess he’d only graduated a few years ago.

Some people are born with a silver spoon, while others are born to toil. If he had another chance, Dave would never have chosen civil engineering—what a dead-end field.

After a brief moment of reflection, Ryan decided not to press the issue. He didn’t believe Dave, but it wasn’t worth arguing about.

“I’m the project manager here. Miss Alice sent me to pick you up.”

Dave wiped his sweaty hands on his pants before pulling out a business card from his pocket and handing it to Ryan. The ingratiating smile on Dave’s face hadn’t wavered since they started talking.

Ryan didn’t see why Dave was trying so hard to please him,he just found the man’s smile unsettling.

After a quick glance at the card, Ryan decided to believe Dave. More importantly, Alice wasn’t fully recovered yet, and he couldn’t afford to waste time outside. He needed to get back to her as soon as possible.

Dave seemed to pick up on Ryan’s urgency and didn’t dare delay. He quickly led Ryan toward the construction site.

As they walked, they passed by the front gate, where a group of people were causing a commotion. Dave wiped the sweat from his forehead and gestured for Ryan to follow him through the back entrance.

Ryan’s attention was drawn to the noise, and he glanced over, intending to just take a quick look.

But then his gaze locked onto a familiar figure in the crowd, and his eyes narrowed.

Mia? What’s she doing here?

Initially, Ryan didn’t think much of it. But seeing Mia there made him realize something was off.

His recent experience with Mia on the rooftop was still fresh in his mind, and he had a pretty good sense of her character by now. Whenever Mia showed up, someone was bound to get played.

So, Ryan decided he needed to see what was really going on for himself.

If this were just a routine day, Ryan wouldn’t care so much. But helping Alice meant helping himself, and that gave him plenty of motivation.

“But...” Dave started to protest.

“No buts. Why are you dragging this out? Whatever happens, I’ll take responsibility,” Ryan said, his eyes scanning the crowd. Mia had already moved back into the center, hidden by the people around her.

“Just... be careful, okay?” Dave said, his voice trembling. All his hopes were pinned on Ryan now, and he could only pray that the young man knew what he was doing.

Ryan’s decision to check things out himself actually made sense given the situation. Miss Alice’s earlier negotiations with the workers had ended badly. The workers had said something that really pissed her off, and when she left without resolving the issue, tensions only escalated.

If Ryan went in with bodyguards, acting as Miss Alice’s representative, that would be truly dangerous.

“Sir...” Dave called out, his voice full of humility. It was a strange experience to be addressed so respectfully by such a weathered man, but Ryan didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Dave sent someone back to report to Miss Alice, while he stayed at a distance, ready to rush in if anything went wrong.

Ryan quickly assessed the situation. Instead of walking through the front gate, he slipped along the wall, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him.

The crowd was large and noisy, and the closer Ryan got, the more he could hear their heated discussions.

“That Alice is pure evil. Mia and her brother were so close, and she tore them apart.”

Ryan hadn’t even fully approached when he heard people badmouthing Miss Alice. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Miss Alice really was in a tough spot. In the eyes of these people, she was already seen as a villain.

Ryan perked up his ears and moved a little closer, focusing on two women who were deep in conversation.

“It’s just awful. Poor Mia. My kid back in the countryside is probably about the same age as her.”

“We have to help Mia. We need to find her brother.”

“Do you remember the name Mia mentioned earlier?”

“I think it was... Ryan?”