Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 290: I’ll work closely with Miss Nella to ensure everything goes smoothly

The party continued, but what was supposed to last until the early morning ended two and a half hours early. The guests simply couldn’t stay any longer.

No one felt safe here. Just moments ago, Alice had shown off her power, and whether or not anyone had a grudge against her, everyone was on edge. Naturally, no one dared to linger.

It seems that the higher a person’s status, the more they fear death.

There’s still so much money to enjoy. If it were Ryan, he probably wouldn’t want to die either.

Of course, that’s not really an option—strictly speaking, Ryan is already a dead man.

“Miss Alice, are we still going to look for Mr. Langston?”

Most of the guests had left by now. Ryan glanced at Alice, who was giving orders to her subordinates, and asked apologetically.

“Of course we are. Your business isn’t finished yet.”

Alice, hearing Ryan’s voice, rubbed her forehead and turned around. Her expression showed clear signs of exhaustion.

Her people had been searching for a while, but the results were unsatisfactory. There were no cameras inside the Langston estate, and no one had seen Ryan on his way to the restroom.

They’d questioned the staff working outside, but none of them had seen anything suspicious either.

Someone was clearly targeting Ryan, but for the first time, Alice felt completely clueless. That was the source of her frustration.

“But, our relationship with Mr. Langston…”

Ryan knew exactly what was bothering Alice, and his guilt deepened. But this involved Bella, and things were too complicated for him to reveal the full truth.

Just as Ryan was about to gently suggest that Alice not push too hard on this, Nella, who had left with the other guests, suddenly returned.

Without saying much, Alice’s first reaction upon seeing Nella approach was to cling tightly to Ryan’s arm, her eyes fixed on the girl. But Nella remained as calm as ever.

After probing for so long without any real results, Alice seemed to grow bored. She pouted, a rare display of impatience.

They had agreed earlier to meet Mr. Langston in the garden after the party, and Nella had come to lead the way.

Ryan’s earlier words were cut off, but he still had some reservations about this whole situation.

Alice had been way too high-profile earlier, completely disregarding the Langston family’s authority. She had demanded to see the third daughter of the Langston family right in their own home. And now, they were going to meet Mr. Langston himself. Was this really a good idea?

Ryan’s gaze shifted between Alice and Nella. Neither of them seemed to think there was anything wrong with it.

When it comes to matters of interest, personal feelings hardly matter.

Ryan had briefly stepped out earlier when he went to the restroom, but he had only wandered around a small area. Now, following Nella, he could fully appreciate the sheer wealth of the Langston family.

The Langston estate was built on the foundation of a massive mansion.

When it was first constructed, it was already enormous, with a total area the size of five football fields. The original owners lived there with hundreds of servants. Now, after the Langston family’s renovations and expansions, it was even more intimidating.

In terms of wealth, the mafia Alice controlled couldn’t really compete with the Langston family. They could only exert some influence in the underworld.

“Ryan, are you thinking that I can’t compare to the Langston family?”

Ryan was still taking in his surroundings when Alice, as if reading his mind, suddenly turned around and asked out of nowhere.

“No… no, of course not.”

How could he admit that? Alice was his boss, after all. Ryan knew better than to pick sides in situations like this.

Ryan didn’t think much of the situation. His job was to ensure Alice’s safety, and the growth of the mafia organization wasn’t really his concern.

But Alice seemed to be taking this very seriously.

“Maybe it was true when they were in charge, but under me, things will only get better.”

Alice looked directly into Ryan’s eyes, speaking with a seriousness that felt almost like a solemn promise.

Was Alice trying to prove something? But wasn’t she already perfect in her own way?

Ryan was caught off guard by Alice’s sudden intensity. He took a small step back, then, mimicking her serious demeanor, nodded in agreement.

“Miss Alice, if I may be blunt, the Langston family’s wealth is a giant in this city. You’ve got a long way to go if you want to catch up.”

Alice and Ryan had a close bond, a deep understanding between them. But Nella, who had been walking ahead, seemed unable to hold back a smirk. She clearly didn’t take Alice’s ambitions seriously.

Ryan’s eye twitched. From the moment Nella—who was really Bella—had reappeared, he hadn’t dared to look at her directly, afraid Alice might notice something was off. But Bella didn’t seem to care at all.

“Think whatever you want.”

Ryan glanced nervously at Alice, but she just scoffed at Bella’s sarcasm. The tension between the two had already been brewing, so Bella’s jab didn’t raise any suspicions.

“Heh…”

If there had been any semblance of civility between Alice and Bella earlier, Alice’s relentless pressure had shattered it.

From Alice’s perspective, Bella’s change in attitude was understandable, but from Ryan’s point of view, it was downright terrifying.

Bella didn’t just dislike Alice—she wanted her dead. This wasn’t just a matter of rivalry or self-defense,Bella genuinely wanted Alice gone.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, teetering on the edge. A little more, and the two might come to blows. But just enough restraint kept them from outright confrontation.

There was no way these two could ever be friends, at least not from Ryan’s perspective.

So when Alice and Bella suddenly acted all friendly and cooperative in front of Mr. Langston, Ryan was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor.

The elderly man, though frail and white-haired, stood before them with a sharp, clear gaze that belied his age. His eyes gleamed with intelligence, not the cloudiness of old age.

“Nella, this big project in the business district was something Miss Alice and I worked on together.”

“If it goes well, it’ll be a great thing for both Miss Alice and the Langston family. You’ll do your best, won’t you, Nella?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

Nella, now fully in the role of a respectful granddaughter, bowed politely and stepped back behind Maxwell Langston.

After giving Nella his instructions, the old man’s gaze briefly flickered over Ryan before settling on Alice. His eyes sparkled with a shrewdness that made it clear he missed nothing.

“Miss Alice, I’ve already asked my friends in the media to handle the matter you mentioned. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“I believe the most important thing here is the project itself. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Alice?”

“Of course, as you said. I’ll work closely with Miss Nella to ensure everything goes smoothly.”