Chapter 284: Trying to run? I’ll toss you in the river to feed the fish

Chapter 284: Trying to run? I’ll toss you in the river to feed the fish

Chapter 284: Trying to run? I’ll toss you in the river to feed the fish

After Nella left, Alice and Ryan stayed upstairs for a while longer. There was still some time before the party would really kick off, so they figured they might as well just hang out and relax.

Alice wasn’t a fan of noisy environments, so she lay back on the couch, eyes closed, trying to rest.

Ryan, on the other hand, leaned against the second-floor railing, staring absentmindedly at the people downstairs. Their behavior was something he wasn’t used to seeing.

After a while, he seemed to lose interest. He wandered back to Alice’s side and sat down, staring at her profile, lost in thought.

Ryan’s mind was still a mess. Was that person really Bella? At first, he was 100% sure, but now, honestly, he wasn’t so certain anymore.

If it was her, why had she left him that note, saying she’d come find him, only to act so cold when they finally met? Her attitude toward him was like she was meeting a complete stranger for the first time.

Ryan didn’t think she was faking it. Could someone really pretend that well, without a single slip-up?

But if it wasn’t her, then how could those eyes and that hair—so familiar—be explained?

No one could fake that kind of look, right?

Ugh, it was driving him crazy.

The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. His heart felt heavier, and he let out a deep sigh, weighed down by the pressure.

“What’s wrong? You seem a little down.”

As soon as Ryan sighed, Alice opened her eyes, her gaze following his mood. Her gem-like eyes locked onto him, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was trying to figure something out.

“Nothing...”

“Miss Alice, what did you do today? How’s everything going on your end?”

Ryan forced himself to push thoughts of Bella out of his mind, clumsily trying to change the subject.

He’d been watching Alice’s profile for a while now, originally planning to bring up the tracker situation, but he just couldn’t find the right moment.

Now, for some reason, he felt a bit guilty. Earlier, he hadn’t denied Alice’s words, letting her believe he was her boyfriend.

To be honest, that move was just him using Alice.

If that really was Bella, there was no way she wouldn’t have reacted to Ryan acknowledging Alice’s claim. On one hand, he was trying to figure out if it was really her;on the other, he wanted Bella to give up on him for good.

He was still in a half-dead state. Even though the system hadn’t given him a specific deadline, he could feel it—his time was running out.

He didn’t know when he’d disappear, and the deeper people got involved with him, the more likely it would all end in tragedy.

He and Bella had already ended in tragedy years ago. Ryan didn’t believe in second chances. It was better to leave things as they were.

He almost said “thank you,” but remembering how Alice had scolded him the last time he tried to thank her, he held back.

Alice seemed to have a strong aversion to gratitude, as if it would create distance between them.

She had always been a bit insecure, something that was clear from the whole tracker situation.

Alice had genuinely put a lot of effort into helping Ryan get out of this mess. But still, one thing at a time. If the mood weren’t so calm right now, Ryan would’ve confronted her about the tracker.

Caring is a strange thing. When it’s within a certain range, it feels comforting, but push it just a little too far, and it can start to feel suffocating.

Ryan still hadn’t figured out exactly how Alice felt about him. If she really did like him, he wasn’t sure how he’d handle it. Would he still have the guts to bring up the tracker then?

The two of them rested upstairs for a while, undisturbed by anyone. It was peaceful.

Ryan had already pieced together Alice’s reason for being here. She’d come specifically to meet Mr. Langston. The rest of the party didn’t really matter much.

Suddenly, a round of applause erupted from downstairs. Ryan leaned over the railing to see what was going on. The host was giving the opening speech, and the crowd seemed excited, clapping along enthusiastically.

Ryan half-heartedly clapped a couple of times, figuring he’d probably spend the rest of the evening up here on the second floor.

But then, something unexpected happened. His ears twitched, and he wondered if he’d misheard.

“Let’s give a warm welcome to our distinguished guest for the evening, Miss Alice!”

The host was working hard to hype up the crowd. In Ryan’s mind, parties like this were supposed to be more low-key—people eating their own food, mingling with wine glasses in hand. Why were they singling Alice out like this?

Ryan turned to look at Alice’s expression. Her lips twitched slightly, clearly annoyed at having her peace disturbed.

“Is this what it’s like to be too important?” Ryan teased, grinning at her. It was probably the first time he’d seen Miss Alice caught off guard like this. She looked pretty cute, pouting like that.

“Maybe...” Alice didn’t deny it, but she didn’t offer any other explanation either.

It wasn’t like she could say, “Oh, they introduced me, so I feel personally attacked.” That would be ridiculous.

Either way, hiding out on the second floor wasn’t an option anymore. The crowd downstairs was buzzing, and all eyes were now on them. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the famous Miss Alice, who had been making waves in the city lately.

“Ugh... what a hassle...”

Alice muttered under her breath, sounding like she was complaining. Then, without warning, she grabbed Ryan’s arm from behind and, with a confident air, started leading him downstairs.

“Wait, wait, wait! Do I have to go too?”

“Trying to run? I’ll toss you in the river to feed the fish.”

“Well, it’s not that...”