Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 292: Have you ever seen a cat play with a mouse?

“Wait… no way, Miss Alice, you must be joking.”

Ryan swallowed hard as he listened to Alice, clearly in disbelief.

“Live with you? In the same room? I must’ve misheard.”

No matter how much he tried to deny it, the shock in his heart was undeniable. The car was dead silent, and Ryan had heard her loud and clear.

Ever since he was kidnapped and brought here, Ryan had been living in a basement full of surveillance cameras.

At first, it was hard to adjust, but over time, he got used to it. The place was actually pretty well-furnished, and the servants were attentive. Honestly, it was way more comfortable than the apartment he used to rent.

After a while, Ryan had grown accustomed to life in the basement, treating it like his second little hideaway.

He figured he’d be stuck down there until the mission was over. That was his plan, anyway.

But now, Alice, dressed in an elegant gown, looking every bit the youthful princess, was telling him to move upstairs and live with her?

Ryan had been to Alice’s room a few times. There was only one bed—a princess bed. So, she meant… sharing the bed?

He rubbed his ears, wondering if he’d misheard.

Wait, isn’t Alice supposed to be this cold, aloof ice queen? Why is she suddenly being so… forward?

After tonight, Ryan was pretty sure Alice had feelings for him.

And ever since he realized that, he’d been racking his brain trying to figure out a way out of this situation.

He had to leave Alice eventually. He didn’t want to get emotionally involved, but he also didn’t want to hurt her. Was there a way to handle this without making things worse?

Flat-out rejecting her? No way. That would probably just piss her off, and if she refused to cooperate, the mission would fail. Then they’d both be screwed.

Agreeing? Ryan wasn’t ready for that. Sure, Alice was great, but they were from completely different worlds.

After thinking it over, Ryan came to a conclusion: the best thing he could do right now was… nothing.

Alice had that whole tsundere thing going on, right? Ice queens don’t just melt on their own. So, as long as he pretended not to understand, Alice wouldn’t make the first move.

If she didn’t make a move, and he didn’t either, they could just drag this out. No big deal, right?

But… right now, where was that cold, aloof Alice?

What had gotten into her?

“I’m not joking, and you didn’t mishear.”

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking—same room, same bed.”

“I mean, it’s not like it hasn’t happened before, right?”

Alice watched Ryan’s expression, clearly amused. Wasn’t it Ryan who had snuck into her bed in the middle of the night, kissed her, and then said something about not taking responsibility?

On the surface, he seemed like a smooth player, but it was all an act. Deep down, he was just an inexperienced, innocent guy.

As Alice thought about it, a small smile crept onto her lips. Looks like she wasn’t the only one lacking experience.

So, would they be each other’s first?

“Honestly, the basement’s pretty comfortable… And Miss Alice, what about your reputation?”

Ryan waved his hands frantically. No way was he agreeing to this. If he did, they’d be living under the same roof, constantly running into each other. That was definitely not a good idea, especially since he wasn’t ready for any of this.

“Isn’t there a bunch of other rooms on the second floor? You could just give one to Nella or something.”

“None of the other rooms are furnished. The floors aren’t even done.”

Alice watched Ryan squirm, clearly enjoying herself. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she waited for him to keep making excuses.

The frustration she’d felt earlier in the day had completely melted away. Her delicate features relaxed, and if no one had been watching, she might’ve even whistled.

Have you ever seen a cat play with a mouse? Most people think a cat will just eat the mouse right away, but that’s not how it works.

Cats are natural hunters. After catching their prey, they’ll follow it around, occasionally batting at its tail, just to watch it struggle and try to escape. It’s all part of the fun.

Only when the mouse is completely exhausted, teetering on the edge of death, its eyes wide with fear, huddled in a corner, does the cat finally decide it’s time to eat.

At that moment, Alice seemed to have an epiphany. Her previous approach had been all wrong. Every time Ryan tried to pull away from her, she would lose her cool, and the things she did afterward were completely out of her control.

But she was Alice—the boss of the city’s underground, the queen of the underworld. Why couldn’t she use a little strategy when dealing with Ryan?

Earlier today, she had let Anna and Mia lead her by the nose, watching Ryan interact with them. It felt like needles were stabbing her heart.

But thanks to Anna’s little nudge, Alice had finally made up her mind to change.

Ryan was hers. That was non-negotiable. No one could challenge that. Her feelings for him? Ryan needed to know them—and accept them.

Anna’s relationship with Ryan was built on lies, yet she still managed to win his favor.

So why couldn’t Alice use a few underhanded tactics herself? As long as Ryan ended up by her side, wasn’t that all that mattered?

She had been so foolish. She should’ve realized this much sooner.

“I could move out, you know. I’ve got my own place, and it’s pretty close to the villa.”

Alice’s words were obviously a lie. A villa that luxurious, and she was trying to say it was just an empty shell? That the other rooms didn’t even have floors? Who would believe that?

“If you say one more word, you won’t be sleeping at all tonight. You can stay outside and keep the guards company.”

“If you’re so unwilling to stay with me, then I guess I have no choice.”

A sharp glint flashed in Alice’s eyes, and her tone suddenly shifted, becoming as imposing as a towering mountain, pressing down on Ryan until he could barely breathe.

On the surface, the punishment seemed mild—just standing guard with the bodyguards. But the chilling aura she exuded made it clear how serious the situation was.

Ryan’s system had replaced his main mission with a Crucial Mission. If this had happened two weeks ago, he might’ve been thrilled to see Alice angry. It would’ve meant he was one step closer to death.

But now? Now, all he felt was a bitter taste in his mouth. Turns out, he wasn’t as ready to die as he thought.

“I’m not…”

Ryan didn’t hate Alice, of course. His eyes darted around, trying to avoid her gaze. But Alice’s serious demeanor left him no room to escape. It was clear there was no way out of this.

“Then what is it?”

“Well, you know, men and women are different. I just thought it might be… inconvenient for you, Miss Alice.”

“Inconvenient?”

Alice’s lips curled into a smile, as if she’d just heard the most amusing thing. She turned to face Ryan directly.

“When you snuck upstairs and messed with my underwear, did you think about ‘inconvenience’ then?”

The backseat was spacious, and the two of them had been sitting a fair distance apart.

But Alice could see Ryan’s instinct to retreat. A shadow flickered in her eyes, and before he could move, she acted.

She slid forward, closing the gap by a foot, leaning in close.

Ryan barely had time to register what was happening before Alice’s pale arms shifted positions—one hand braced against the window beside him, the other pressing lightly against his chest.

She had cut off any chance of retreat.

Her hand on his chest felt like a delicate butterfly, its wings softly fluttering, stirring something deep inside him. The space between them shrank rapidly, leaving only a few inches.

Their eyes locked. Ryan’s breath quickened, like a fish out of water, gasping for air, its gills flaring as it teetered on the edge of suffocation.

“I… I can explain…”

Ryan knew exactly what Alice was referring to. That incident had been haunting his dreams lately, the memory still fresh and overwhelming.

His face flushed bright red, like a thief caught in the act. He desperately wanted to explain, but the words stuck in his throat, coming out as nothing more than stammering.

Wasn’t Alice downstairs at the time? Could she have installed cameras in her own room too?

Embarrassment aside, what filled Ryan’s heart even more was shock. He was starting to realize he didn’t understand Alice at all—or rather, he was getting closer to seeing the real Alice.

“Oh? Then go ahead, explain…”

Alice wasn’t in any rush. She hadn’t expected the surveillance footage to actually capture something useful that day.

But now, using that incident as leverage, she was slowly backing Ryan into a corner, waiting for him to fall into her trap. Yet, her mind was already drifting to something else.

The photo. Ryan had seen that photo. Was that why he’d said those things back then?

Something about wanting to see her smile.

‘How cute. So adorably foolish. It makes me want to devour him whole.’