Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 186: If you can't clarify，I'll just take his life!

Chapter 186: If you can’t clarify，I’ll just take his life!

The next second, Lorenzo was grabbed by the bodyguard, his mouth just opening to speak.

But the bodyguard didn’t give him a chance to continue. A punch landed in his stomach, turning his face instantly pale, almost making him vomit bile.

He couldn’t speak, but his hand pointed desperately at the package in front of Dante.

Lorenzo had said enough to not be protected by Rocco, so he decided to stir things up even more.

It was all because Rocco had involved him in his schemes, letting him in on some secrets.

Now, if he died, Rocco would have to go down with him. Rocco definitely wasn’t ready to die, so it was up to him to handle the situation.

Lorenzo’s actions stunned everyone, including Rocco, who had been ready to leave.

He glared at Lorenzo, shocked that this lowlife still had a way to slip from his control.

Dante kept his eyes closed. This whole spectacle was embarrassing enough, and even with the package in front of him, he had no intention of opening it.

He had always known Lorenzo was a dog kept by Rocco, but it seemed this barking dog was nearing its end, and Rocco wasn’t competent enough to take down Alice.

“Mr. Russo, take a look! Don’t you care about your precious granddaughter at all?”

Seeing Dante uninterested, Lorenzo clutched his stomach, his voice breaking as he shouted.

At that, Dante’s eyes snapped open, his hands slamming down on the table, the whole floor seeming to tremble.

Everyone knew Dante valued family above all. Sadly, his children had died in gang-related activities, which was why the former boss had made him his right-hand man.

Back in his younger days, he had the drive, feeling that rising to power because of this was fair.

But as he aged, he cared less about how much money he made or what kind of house he lived in.

What mattered was his granddaughter.

Dante glared furiously, standing up, his old frame forcibly straightened, turning back into the man who once made the whole city tremble.

He grabbed Lorenzo by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

The bodyguards didn’t dare intervene, stepping back as everyone in the meeting room stood up, watching Dante’s expression.

“What have you done to my granddaughter!”

Dante tightened his grip on Lorenzo’s neck. If this guy thought he could leverage any control over him, he was foolish. Dante would make him regret being born.

Like a lion baring its fangs, Ryan, standing nearby, couldn’t help but feel a chill. Alice had been dealing with these kinds of people,wasn’t that like living with lions?

Alice’s eyes also watched Dante closely. His stance was crucial,if Dante switched sides to hers, her plans would go much smoother.

Even Mia, who had been playing on her phone on the couch, sat up, her gaze piercing through the crowd towards them, popping another malt candy into her mouth.

Feeling Lorenzo might be choked to death, Dante slightly loosened his grip. He hadn’t lost his reason yet, knowing what was most important.

His granddaughter’s single hair was worth more than Lorenzo’s life. For now, he’d let him finish his piece.

Lorenzo’s face was red, nearly dying, but feeling he could breathe again, he didn’t care if his lungs could handle it,he just sucked in the air.

“It wasn’t… cough… me!”

“It was Alice!”

The pressure on his neck increased again, and Lorenzo hurriedly blurted out such words, hoping to spare his life.

And it worked—the grip on his neck suddenly loosened, and he was thrown to the ground, seeing stars and unable to stand.

Alice again?!

Lorenzo’s words caused an uproar, even shocking Ryan, but he quickly regained his composure.

He had already misjudged Alice once. Alice had even cut off drug trafficking routes,Ryan didn’t believe she would harm a child.

Alice’s face turned pale, but it was more out of fear of Ryan misunderstanding. She knew very well whether she had done that deed or not.

The next second, Alice turned around, about to explain, but then she saw Ryan’s trusting gaze.

“Miss Alice?”

Although Dante was furious, he hadn’t lost his mind completely to be manipulated. Instead of interrogating Alice first, he turned to look at Rocco.

Rocco had been brooding since Dante’s outburst, and when Lorenzo mentioned Dante’s granddaughter, he knew exactly what was going on.

Today, Rocco had made two plans. The first was to send a hitman after Alice, and the second was to kidnap Dante’s granddaughter and frame Alice for stirring up trouble.

After all, how could a child possibly discern who was behind it? As long as it happened on Alice’s turf, she couldn’t escape blame.

Rocco should have been pleased with Lorenzo pointing this out, but instead, he felt a growing unease.

If this had come out a couple of days later, even tonight, he could have handled it perfectly. Now, exposed prematurely, there was a good chance Dante could trace it back to him.

Dante’s gaze swept over, and Rocco quickly feigned shock, then turned to his men.

“Immediately! Deploy everyone, find Mr. Russo’s granddaughter, at the kindergarten, on the road, everywhere!”

But before he could finish his act, Dante slammed his hand on the table, cutting him off.

“Rocco, come here, bring that package over to me.”

Rocco addressed Dante as Mr. Russo, but Dante called him by his first name, his seasoned instincts catching the shift in Rocco’s expression, arousing suspicion.

Rocco had no choice but to bring the package over. It seemed he couldn’t bluff his way through this,if he wanted to survive, he’d have to throw Alice under the bus too.

He just hoped the slight oversight wouldn’t be noticed.

The package was brought to Dante, and as everyone watched, it was opened to reveal nothing but three photographs.

Rocco laid them out on the table, and everyone crowded around, including Alice, who pulled Ryan forward to see.

Dante scanned the photos, one of which was stained with blood, shredding his last bit of restraint.

His breathing became heavy, and even with his usual control, he couldn’t contain his rage.

“Lorenzo! Do you swear on your family’s lives that Miss Alice did this?”

Dante viciously kicked Lorenzo, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, sending him flying 5 feet away.

Everyone watched Lorenzo’s expression as he barely managed to nod.

It was a deadly oath, especially since Dante had threatened his family—a threat he could very well carry out.

The outlet for his rage found, Dante picked up a chair and hurled it towards Alice.

Alice, despite her maturity and competence, was still just a nineteen-year-old girl. How could she handle this when Dante had completely lost his mind?

The chair flew towards her, and instinctively, Alice closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.

It was just going to be a bloody mess, but she could use that to manipulate Dante.

Her first reaction wasn’t to dodge, but to think about how she could use this situation, showing the immense pressure she was under.

Or maybe dying wouldn’t be so bad—it would at least mean she wouldn’t have to be so tired anymore.

The chair collided with a thud, but Alice felt no pain. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Ryan standing in front of her.

“Ryan!”

Alice couldn’t keep her composure any longer. Dante had his triggers, and so did she.

Her hands trembled as she reached for Ryan’s face, but Ryan wasn’t looking at her. Instead, he spun around, his gaze piercing towards Dante like a sword.

He had misunderstood Alice before, and now he had to make it right. He couldn’t believe Alice would do such a thing.

Dante was about to strike, but Ryan’s words reached him first.

“Mr. Russo, I understand your pain, but what if it wasn’t our Miss Alice who did this?”

“What does it matter if it wasn’t?!”

Dante roared, wanting to pull out his gun and end this nuisance, Ryan, right there.

But with everyone watching, he couldn’t just do that. His hand trembled in the air, and finally, with a grunt of frustration, he slammed the gun down on a nearby table.

Ryan’s intervention gave him a moment to think. If he attacked Alice without proof, he wouldn’t get off easily either.

It was a delicate balance of errors, and Ryan’s protection of Alice gave Dante a chance to reconsider.

“Fine! Very well! Miss Alice, you’ve trained your people well, no wonder you want to protect him!”

“Now explain these photos to me! If you can’t clarify, I won’t touch you—I’ll just take his life!”

Dante waved his hand dismissively, seething as he returned to his seat, leaving both sides in a standoff.