Chapter 282: Yeah... it shouldn’t be...

Chapter 282: Yeah... it shouldn’t be...

Chapter 282: Yeah... it shouldn’t be...

“Hello, are you Miss Alice?”

The man took a moment to confirm. The name “Alice” had only started circulating in the city’s elite circles over the past year, but by now, it was practically legendary.

There were different levels of invitations, and the one he held in his hand was undoubtedly the highest tier. As far as he knew, only two had been sent out.

One went to the city’s top legitimate businessman, and the other to Alice.

Businessmen are driven by profit, and the means of obtaining that profit often don’t matter much to them. This is why their dealings with certain people in the underworld tend to be quite close.

This wasn’t Gotham, where gangs like the Riddler’s and Joker’s clashed. In this city’s underworld, Alice was the undisputed queen.

The girl standing before him looked exactly as people had described—elegant, refined, and strikingly beautiful. Especially her eyes, which seemed to freeze anyone who dared to meet her gaze.

But why was the queen of the underworld clinging so intimately to the arm of an unknown young man? And so closely, too, like a delicate girlfriend?

“Yes, that’s me.”

Alice noticed the shock in the man’s eyes and also felt Ryan tense up when he realized they were being watched. But to her, all of this was just amusing.

The man, having received confirmation, quickly moved on to the next step. From start to finish, he didn’t dare glance at Ryan again. Somehow, he had the distinct feeling that he needed to treat Ryan with even more respect than Alice. If he showed even the slightest hint of disrespect, he was done for.

While outwardly conversing with Alice, the man discreetly informed the true host of the banquet about the situation.

Alice was the kind of person who, even if she didn’t attend the event, no one would dare criticize her for it. So, the banquet hadn’t even been prepared with the expectation that she would show up.

Alice seemed to notice the man’s nervousness but wasn’t in any rush. She simply stood quietly beside Ryan, subtly taking in his scent.

After about a minute, the man finally gave a response. He bowed and personally led Alice and Ryan into the banquet hall.

“Miss Alice, our host has prepared the best seat for you. He also requests a private meeting with you in the garden after the banquet.”

“Sure.”

Alice felt no particular emotion toward the host’s enthusiasm. She had seen this kind of thing too many times to be surprised.

Ever since she had risen to this position, many people had set their sights on her. Some wanted to collaborate, while others were plotting to take her down. Whatever their intentions, she had dealt with them all.

A man and a woman were chatting happily, but as soon as the man turned away, a flash of disgust crossed the woman’s face. If it weren’t for business, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

The man, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. He grabbed a glass of red wine from a passing server and made his way toward another woman standing alone.

“What do you think?”

Ryan was observing this world he had never been a part of, while Alice, her beautiful eyes slightly raised, was watching him.

The person watching the scenery from the bridge is also part of the scenery for others.

“Not much, really. It just feels like, in this world of fame and fortune, everything seems... magnified.”

All kinds of desires were playing out right beneath their feet in the banquet hall. Men were conspiring with other men to take down their competitors—that was greed. Women, dressed provocatively, were clinging to wealthy men, acting out lust.

Here, it seemed like everything had a price tag. As long as you could afford it, anything was up for trade.

After spending so much time with Alice, Ryan’s initial sympathy for her had gradually evolved. A girl like her shouldn’t have to live in such a complicated world, so sympathy alone wasn’t enough.

Maybe it wasn’t just because of his mission, but Ryan found himself wanting to bring Alice back to a more normal life, the kind of life a girl her age should have. But was he capable of doing that?

“It’s normal, but it shouldn’t be.”

Looking at the bustling crowd below, Ryan let out a sigh. It was as much a summary of the people as it was a reflection on Alice’s life.

People will always tell you, “This is just how the world works.” It’s normal. But somewhere along the way, people seem to have blurred the line—just because something is normal, does that make it right?

“Yeah... it shouldn’t be...”

Alice repeated Ryan’s words, her hand resting on her chin, as if she were pondering the deeper meaning behind them. She wasn’t sure how much of his sentiment she had truly grasped.

There was always a certain tension when the two of them were alone. Alice was trying to express her emotions, but after being closed off for so long, it wasn’t something she could easily do.

Ryan, on the other hand, was still confused. Unable to make a better choice, he opted to avoid the situation.

Just as the atmosphere was starting to shift into something more ambiguous and strange, a voice broke the silence, temporarily diffusing the tension.

“Miss Alice, long time no see!”