Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 285: I’m… full too…

As soon as Alice appeared in front of everyone, the entire banquet hall fell silent.

The lively conversations that had filled the room moments before came to an abrupt halt, and now all eyes were fixed on the young woman who had just been introduced with such emphasis.

Of course, some attention was also drawn to Ryan, who stood beside Alice.

The men in the room stared at Alice with a kind of burning intensity, while the women collectively gasped, even those who had previously been confident in their own looks found themselves lowering their heads.

As for Ryan, the looks directed at him were filled with disdain and confusion.

Ryan glanced around at the crowd, then back at Alice, utterly baffled.

Why is everyone so shocked? Is it really that big of a deal?

Ryan had been around Alice for a while now, and he had built up a bit of resistance to her charm.

Besides, his mind wasn’t really on things like this. Sure, he was surprised by how stunning Alice looked in her feminine attire, but that was about it.

However, the men Alice was now facing were mostly middle-aged, and many of them had spent their fair share of time in the company of women. It wasn’t hard to guess what was going through their minds.

“Miss Alice…”

Ryan furrowed his brow as he looked around. Even he could sense the strange atmosphere hanging in the air.

It was a mix of desire, fear, and jealousy, burning like the smell of rubber tires on fire—sharp and suffocating.

“They’re always like this. You get used to it.”

Alice shrugged nonchalantly, tightening her grip on Ryan’s arm.

She raised an eyebrow and shot a cold, piercing look at the men who were staring at her, snapping them out of their daze one by one.

Only then did the crowd realize how inappropriate their reactions had been. But in all their years, they had never encountered a girl as breathtaking as Alice.

People are always drawn to climb mountains, simply because they’re there. The allure of the challenge is irresistible.

Still, no one in the room was foolish enough to entertain any real thoughts about Alice. Beneath her icy, stunning exterior, under that deep blue, elegant gown, there was likely a hidden dagger. They knew full well that crossing her could be deadly.

“Used to it…”

Ryan could feel something soft pressing against his arm, but for once, he didn’t feel the urge to pull away. Instead, he silently mulled over Alice’s words.

He knew Alice had had a tough year, but until now, he had only focused on the dangers she faced. He hadn’t considered the other kinds of challenges she might be dealing with.

Clearly, he still didn’t know her well enough.

“No one’s ever succeeded. No one’s even come close. You’re the first.”

Alice seemed to read Ryan’s thoughts. She leaned in close to his ear, whispering softly, as if sharing a secret. To the onlookers, it looked like nothing more than a private conversation.

Her warm breath brushed against his ear, leaving a slight dampness on his skin. Ryan shuddered involuntarily and turned to glare at Alice, a hint of reproach in his eyes.

No one’s ever succeeded, and I’m the first? What’s that supposed to mean?

Ryan had expected to see a mischievous glint in her eyes—after all, pulling something like this in such a setting had to be intentional.

But… her gaze was calm, as still as a deep well, so serious that it left no room for doubt.

…

The introduction of Alice was just a brief interlude, meant to highlight Mr. Langston’s high regard for her, not to put her in an awkward position.

After Alice and Ryan’s little moment of public intimacy, the host quickly picked up the thread and moved the event along. He knew that if things got uncomfortable, his career in this industry would be over.

As the soft strains of a violin began to fill the room, the banquet finally got underway.

Alice and Ryan were now wandering around the dessert section. Back at the villa, Alice’s diet was strictly controlled by the maids. Every calorie she consumed was meticulously calculated, which was why her figure was so flawless.

But as everyone knows, there are two kinds of self-control: the kind you have in normal situations, and the kind you have when faced with delicious food.

Alice had eaten breakfast before heading out for the day, but she’d spent the entire day interrogating those two idiots in the warehouse. No matter how strong her stomach was, it was hard to have an appetite after dealing with that much blood and gore.

Then, after finally wrapping things up, she’d had a falling out with Anna and Mia, which had ruined her mood. She’d barely touched her dinner.

Now, with the clock nearing 10 PM, Alice’s stomach was completely empty. She felt a little guilty about indulging in sweets, but at this point, her resistance was practically nonexistent.

“Hey, um…”

Alice scanned the area, then gently pinched Ryan’s arm and pointed toward a tray of macarons in the distance.

It was no surprise that the desserts at such a high-end event were a feast for the eyes—every color imaginable, with some sweets Ryan had never even seen before. Following Alice’s subtle nudge, he obediently walked over and grabbed one of the macarons she had pointed out.

Alice had her own peculiar way of doing things. It seemed like if she didn’t physically pick up the food herself, the calories somehow didn’t count. Or maybe she just wanted to maintain a certain image in front of everyone. Whatever the case, she had Ryan fetch whatever she wanted to eat.

The problem, though, was that Alice would only take a single bite of each dessert before handing it back to Ryan.

Before long, Ryan’s plate was piled high with half-eaten sweets, all with delicate little bites taken out of them by Alice.

“Miss Alice… this…”

“You can’t let people know what you like to eat in public. Who knows who’s watching?”

Alice’s concern wasn’t entirely unfounded. Given her position, if someone figured out her favorite type of dessert, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to poison it at some future event she attended.

Alice was nibbling on a small piece of cake, a bit of white cream clinging to her lips. After making sure no one was watching, she stuck out her pink tongue and licked the cream away, then gave Ryan a little nod before pushing the half-eaten cake into his hands.

Ryan’s plate was already overflowing, and it wouldn’t be long before people started noticing. With no better option, he resigned himself to dealing with the leftovers.

The desserts looked incredibly tempting, and even though Ryan was already full, watching Alice’s lips move as she ate made him feel a sudden craving.

Throwing them away… didn’t seem right. Growing up in the orphanage, he’d only ever had bread. He’d never even tasted fancy desserts like these.

After a brief internal struggle, Ryan found a solution: he’d eat them.

“You’re eating them?”

“Yeah… is that a problem?”

“No, no problem. Go ahead…”

Things got a little strange after that. Alice wandered from table to table, occasionally engaging in brief, icy conversations with people who approached her. Her cold demeanor quickly sent most of them packing.

Meanwhile, Ryan trailed behind her, stuffing cake after cake into his mouth. He hadn’t been particularly interested in the food before, but now, for some reason, it tasted especially sweet.

He hadn’t missed the meaning behind Alice’s earlier words. In fact, after everything that had happened, he was more attuned to these kinds of signals than Alice probably realized.

But how could he possibly respond to Alice’s expectations?

The only way to keep his mind from spiraling was to keep shoving sweets into his stomach.

“Alright, I’m full.”

After about ten minutes of wandering, Alice finally stopped, gently patting her flat stomach to make sure it hadn’t bulged from all the food. She seemed satisfied.

The fact that she’d managed to get full from her “taste-testing” method was proof enough that she’d sampled quite a lot. And by extension, Ryan had eaten an alarming amount as well.

“I’m… full too…”

Ryan, now feeling uncomfortably stuffed, gave Alice a pained smile and gestured that he needed to head to the restroom.

Alice seemed to be in a good mood. Ever since Ryan had started eating the desserts she’d already bitten into, her spirits had noticeably lifted. In a way, his actions were a sign of acceptance, and Alice was clearly pleased with his behavior.

Satisfied with Ryan’s performance, Alice casually found a sofa in the corner of the hall and waved him off, signaling that he could go take care of whatever he needed to.

Relieved, Ryan let out a small sigh.

After asking one of the staff, he learned that the banquet hall they were in was newly built, and the restrooms were located across a courtyard.

Perfect. A little walk to digest all this food.

Ryan was also a bit worried that if he stayed by Alice’s side any longer, he might end up making some rash promise. He wasn’t the type to act impulsively anymore.

As Ryan left the banquet hall, a pair of eyes that had been watching the lively crowd shifted, locking onto his retreating figure.

“Excuse me, I may need to step out for a moment. Is that alright?”

“Of course, Miss Nella.”