Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 311: Envious, huh?

Ryan always sent Alice updates as soon as he had any new information. By now, it had become an unspoken routine between the two of them.

This time was no different. After getting more precise details from the hospital, Ryan immediately forwarded Alice a mix of the information he’d gathered, along with some documents he’d found in the hospital’s digital archives.

At this point, things should have been wrapped up, at least for the time being. After all, it seemed like there weren’t any deeper leads at the hospital.

Whoever was behind this was being extremely cautious, and Ryan still didn’t have any solid clues.

Even if he checked the hospital’s surveillance footage, the most he’d probably see would be Frank walking into the payment hall with a briefcase full of cash.

With how advanced electronic payments are these days, it’s easy to trace transactions back to their source. But when it comes to cash? How do you track where a large sum of cash came from?

Still, before leaving, Ryan had noticed something off in the records.

Clara’s total medical expenses amounted to $580,000. Ryan could account for $570,000 of that—it was all legitimate medical costs. But the remaining $10,000? That was supposedly for a caregiver.

The thing is, whether it was from what the nurses had mentioned or from what Ryan had directly asked Clara, he was the first person to visit her in days.

Other than the nurses, no one else had been in contact with Clara. This so-called hospital caregiver? They never showed up.

“So, are you planning to stay there and investigate a bit longer?”

Alice and Bella had been sitting in the café for a while now. The café owner, hiding nervously in the corner, had no idea that these two seemingly quiet girls had such powerful connections.

At first, he’d thought about gathering some evidence and calling the police. But before he could act, someone had delivered a thick stack of cash to him—enough to cover a week’s worth of business. After that, he had no more complaints.

What he initially thought were two troublemakers ruining his business turned out to be his lucky charm. He was now hoping they’d come by more often.

While the café owner was grinning ear to ear, the mood between Alice and Bella was anything but cheerful.

After a tense conversation about their personal issues, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing. Ryan’s phone call was the only thing that broke the silence.

“Got it. Do you need my help with this?” Alice asked, holding the phone with both hands. Bella glanced over, her expression full of disdain, before quickly looking away, as if she’d seen something disgusting.

Her face remained serious, but Bella could almost see an imaginary tail wagging behind Alice. What’s with this girl? She acts all tough, but deep down, she’s just like a loyal puppy?

Bella wasn’t one for teasing or pointing out contradictions, but right now, Alice was really getting on her nerves. Bella’s right hand, hidden under the table, clenched into a fist.

“Why are you asking about Miss Nella and me? What’s that got to do with anything?”

Alice’s tone had been light and cheerful, but it suddenly shifted. Her eyes, sharp as knives, turned toward Bella as she asked the question.

What the…?

Bella was caught off guard by the sudden glare. What’s wrong with Alice? Why is she always picking on me?

She hadn’t even done anything suspicious yet.

“She’s fine. What could possibly happen to her? No one’s going to mess with her if she’s just sitting around.”

Alice gave Bella a once-over. Bella, by now used to Alice’s random outbursts, met her gaze with a look of indifference, as if she couldn’t care less.

But that was just on the surface. If she hadn’t just pulled her right hand back and pinched her thigh hard, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stay this calm.

Did Ryan mention me on the phone? What’s going on…

She had just been silently mocking Alice for getting so worked up over a phone call. How did someone like her end up as the head of a crime syndicate?

When it was finally her turn, Bella’s reaction was even more extreme than Alice’s. Just hearing that name, imagining what he might be saying, made her blood feel like it was about to boil.

“I—I’m fine too. We’re not going to fight or anything. Why are you talking to me like I’m a kid?” Alice muttered in frustration. With no one else around, she didn’t need to maintain her usual tough demeanor. As for Bella, Alice’s irritation toward her was real, which only made her act this way even more.

Alice had mostly convinced herself that there was nothing going on between Nella and Ryan, but her gut told her that Nella wasn’t entirely off the hook. Alice knew the best way to make someone slip up was to provoke them. And she had found the perfect way to get under Nella’s skin: flaunting her relationship with Ryan.

In other words, showing off.

Bella sat there, her face dark, listening to the exchange between Alice and Ryan, piecing together what Ryan might have said. From the bits she caught, it seemed like he was asking if they’d gotten into a fight.

So what if they did? Bella’s plans went far beyond just beating Alice up to blow off some steam.

She had wasted so much time, taken so many wrong turns. For four years, not a single night had passed where she didn’t fall asleep thinking of Ryan’s face.

She always believed Ryan loved her. Sure, sending her away back then had been a bit irrational, but she figured he’d just been scared. Once he had time to calm down, he’d realize his true feelings.

After all, they had always been the ones who loved each other the most, hadn’t they?

But when she finally returned after four long years, after exhausting every effort to track Ryan down, what she found was him tangled up with Alice.

Her place had been stolen, right before she came back.

Ryan couldn’t have changed. He was still the same kind, strong person he’d always been. He was still the man who would rush to her side without hesitation when she was in danger.

If Ryan wasn’t to blame, then the only possible culprit was Alice.

Bella could sense something familiar in Alice. They were the same kind of person—both starved for love, both having found someone they’d give everything for, someone they’d never let go of once they’d sunk their teeth in.

The only difference was that Alice had what she wanted. She was satisfied. Bella wasn’t. She was still yearning.

What was between them wasn’t something that could be settled with a simple fight…

“Mia should be with you, right? Just keep looking into this,” Alice said into the phone.

“Don’t be so quick to deny it. Tell Mia I know she’s got people watching me, and of course, I’ve done the same.”

“Tell her to behave. If she steps out of line, her unofficial status won’t be enough to protect her.”

Alice’s tone had taken a sharp turn, clearly irritated by something. Bella watched her, finding the whole thing amusing.

Alice probably hadn’t even realized what her real flaw was yet. And that was perfect.

The more oblivious she was, the sweeter it would be to watch her fall, to see her lying in a pool of her own blood, eyes filled with regret.

Alice finally hung up the phone. Bella quietly lifted her right hand from her thigh, where she’d been gripping it tightly. She said nothing, simply observing Alice, whose expression had shifted through several emotions before settling back into her usual serious demeanor.

To maintain the persona she’d crafted in Alice’s eyes, Bella allowed a faint, mocking smile to appear on her face.

Alice didn’t care how Bella looked at her. Everything Bella saw was exactly what Alice wanted her to see. Bella was smart enough not to spread any of this around.

“Miss Nella, personal matters. I apologize for that,” Alice said, her voice calm again.

“Oh, it’s nothing. In fact, I’m quite envious of the relationship between you and Mr. Ryan,” Bella replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“Envious, huh?”

“Of course. After all, your relationship is so perfect it’s enough to make anyone jealous.”