Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 195: This was definitely a love suite!

Alice led Ryan out of the conference room, but he didn’t let his guard down just yet.

The first thing Ryan did as they stepped out was to pull up his task interface on his phone to check if today’s bodyguard mission was marked as complete.

Unfortunately, the task was still grayed out.

Even though Rocco was no longer a threat to Alice, the mission remained incomplete. Was it because the assassin was still out there?

That thought made Ryan’s heart start pounding again. He took out his phone, intending to call Hannah for backup. Protecting Miss Alice on his own was a bit too much to handle.

Plus, if he had to leave her side like before, her safety would be compromised.

Last time, spotting the sniper was mostly luck. Getting lucky once was one thing, but relying on the same fluke to prevent a second assassination attempt was nearly impossible.

The assassin would have learned from their mistakes. The next time they came, they’d be even more ruthless. Even if he stood in front of Alice, the attacker wouldn’t hesitate to shoot.

As he was lost in thought, Alice’s voice brought him back to reality.

Her tone was different from her usual icy demeanor. It was still cool, but not cold—rather, it was refreshingly soothing.

Alice seemed a bit different now.

“Miss Alice, what’s up?”

Ryan put his worries aside and turned to look at Alice. The assassin’s issue was urgent, but there was still time left in the day to complete the mission. He couldn’t afford to panic first.

Compared to worrying about what hadn’t happened yet, it was better to focus on Alice’s current state.

The recent events had been stressful for Ryan, and he figured they must have been tough on Alice too.

Yet, for some reason, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a cicada, and her eyes sparkled as if they held stars.

She seemed… surprisingly okay?

Ryan opened his panel and scanned through it, feeling a bit relieved.

[Alice Fatigue Level 60/100]

[Alice Mood Level 95/100]

Her fatigue level was high, but a bit of rest could manage that. However, her mood level was at 95, almost maxed out.

This was the first time Ryan had seen Alice’s mood level so high. Indeed, even the usually cool Miss Alice could appear quite adorable when she was in a good mood.

Eliminating a rival must have been a relief, and it probably made her feel like her plans could proceed more smoothly.

“Um… ahem…”

Their eyes met for a moment, and Alice quickly looked down at the ground, feeling dizzy.

What was going on with her?

Ryan didn’t understand what Alice was trying to say, but he just watched her intently. Being a good listener was important, but his attentiveness seemed to make her even more nervous.

“Miss Alice, just say it. Whatever you want to do, I’m here to help.”

He meant every word. After realizing Alice was actually a good person, his view of her had changed significantly.

Figuring out how to let Alice kill him was something he could ponder over time. He genuinely wanted to help her out of her predicament.

Just like he helped the kids at the orphanage, Alice was just a kid in Ryan’s eyes.

She was caught up in this life through no fault of her own. Since he was the kind-hearted type, he might as well lend a hand where he could.

“Ahem… thank you… ahem.”

Alice’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible, like the fluttering of a mosquito’s wings. Ryan frowned, not quite catching what she was trying to express.

But understanding her wasn’t crucial at the moment, as the system would provide a prompt soon enough.

[Alice Favorability +2, Current 65/100]

What?! Favorability at sixty-five already?!

Ryan was as shocked as when he had heard the gunshot earlier. The recommended threshold for Favorability in the system was below seventy!

If it reached seventy, bad things were supposed to happen, according to the system.

This constraint weighed heavily on Ryan, and each notification of an increase in Favorability felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

“This is bad, only five points of leeway left. How did I not see this coming?”

Ryan muttered under his breath, regretting that he might have been too nice. Was being kind a sin now?

The stark contrast in his behavior now puzzled Alice.

She tilted her head, looking at Ryan curiously, sensing that his muttered words held some special meaning, but she couldn’t grasp it.

She didn’t like this feeling of being out of control. Once they got back, she decided she would delve into Ryan’s background herself, turning him into a blank slate before her.

“It’s okay, Miss Alice.”

Ryan forced a smile, which looked more pained than if he had been crying. For the first time, he felt that being a good person was harder than being a bad one.

He had decided to help Alice, but he couldn’t let the Favorability score increase. This was too difficult.

“By the way, Miss Alice, what were you about to say earlier?”

Ryan quickly steered the conversation back on track. He dared not linger on this topic too long. If Alice found out about the system, who knew what would happen?

She might even think he belonged in a mental institution with that kind of talk.

“Earlier… didn’t I promise to give you an explanation later?”

Alice took a deep breath, her gaze shifting uncertainly, her hands clasped behind her back to hide her agitation from Ryan.

Her slender fingers twisted together nervously, a behavior so uncharacteristic of the composed Miss Alice.

Alice didn’t know what had come over her. She could have glossed over the matter as she had done before, but this time, she really wanted Ryan to understand her.

She didn’t want any misunderstandings like before, nor did she want any barriers between them.

He belonged to her, and he had to hear her out.

“But now…”

Ryan glanced around the hotel corridor. The bodyguards were still there, and Alice surely wouldn’t want them to overhear her explanation.

Alice was aware of this too. She glanced at the people around her and frowned slightly, but it only took her a moment to come up with an idea.

“Let’s go, we can talk in a room.”

Alice pointed towards the hotel suites. This place lacked many things, but privacy wasn’t one of them.

During holidays, these rooms were in high demand, especially the double rooms which were booked weeks in advance.

“Get a room?”

Ryan was taken aback, feeling a bit awkward with the people around. Wouldn’t such a suggestion lead to misunderstandings?

But the bodyguards, trained professionals, showed no reaction, leaving Alice the only one in the dark.

“Yes, get a room. Any objections?”

Beautiful girls always attracted men’s attention, and Alice, a stunning beauty, was no exception. Ryan had only been with her a short while but had already developed some feelings for her.

And now Alice was suggesting they… get a room?

“No, Miss Alice, does it have to be now?”

Ryan tried to resist, but Alice’s efficient subordinates had already handed her the room key.

“I only want to talk about it now. Later, I might not want to,” she said.

“Don’t you care at all about what I think? Don’t you want to hear what I really want to do?”

Alice’s smile quickly froze, and a shadow flickered in her eyes as she stared intently at Ryan, speaking earnestly.

Alice’s bodyguard cracked his knuckles with a menacing snap.

‘Great, why didn’t you show this fierce side earlier, and now you start?’ Ryan thought, a bit taken aback.

Honestly, the bodyguard’s threatening presence was quite significant.

“Uh, of course I care.”

Ryan quickly backed down, his palms starting to sweat. Miss Alice’s mood swings were faster than flipping through a book, making it impossible to predict what she wanted.

But one thing Ryan was sure of—if he didn’t want Alice’s Darkening level to increase, it was best to follow her lead now.

Both the Darkening level and Favorability had their limits, and Ryan could be certain that an increase in the Darkening level would be much more disastrous than Favorability reaching seventy.

Gritting his teeth, Ryan snatched the room key from the bodyguard and led Alice towards their destination.

Staying here for a while might actually be a good idea. He could call Hannah to bring some people over, ensuring extra security.

However, as Ryan held Alice’s hand and pushed open the door, he was stunned.

Red drapes adorned every corner of the room, and the lighting wasn’t white or yellow but a dim pink.

The most striking feature was the large round bed in the center of the room, occupying most of the space, with a mirrored ceiling above it. Ryan didn’t quite understand the design choice.

Was it for someone with a peculiar fetish who needed to gaze at their own handsome face even while sleeping?

Ryan was speechless as he surveyed the room’s decor, his gaze finally landing on a small box in the corner.

[Warming and Cooling, Ultra-Thin 0.01mm]

Fantastic, everything was starting to make sense.

This was definitely a love suite!