Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 220: Like a bird in a cage

The note in Ryan’s palm unsettled him. He thought he was ready to face whatever it said, but just seeing the handwriting threw him into disarray.

It was definitely Bella’s handwriting—distinctive and elegant, brimming with vitality, just like the little angel who used to hover around him four years ago.

The piece of paper wasn’t small, but the message was fragmented, almost too simplistic.

Ryan chuckled at himself sarcastically, took a few deep breaths to calm down.

Really, the headmaster had rattled off such a mess of words that he couldn’t think straight.

His mind drifted back four years, and unexpectedly, a flicker of hope sparked within him.

He had thought the note would contain something crucial, like Bella’s current phone number, but instead, it was just these few airy lines, leaving him deeply disappointed.

“Why am I getting so worked up?”

Ryan muttered to himself. He had moved on over these four years, so why was his heart still fluttering now?

Bella had returned, supposedly for him if the headmaster was to be believed, yet she didn’t seem in any rush to meet.

If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have come back just to leave him this note.

But if she did care, why did she make it sound so light, like she had no intention of showing up?

“Man, what am I even thinking?”

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, puzzled why thoughts of Alice popped into his head just then.

It almost felt disrespectful to Miss Alice to think this way, though these two matters were clearly unrelated.

Had recent events been too overwhelming, his mind too agitated by the shocking news?

Images of Alice and Bella alternated in his mind, forcing Ryan to rub his temples and suppress these thoughts for now.

Never mind Bella’s attitude,even if he had the exact information, he couldn’t go looking for Bella.

He was supposed to be dead, after all, not fit for too much interaction with others.

The danger surrounding Alice hadn’t cleared yet,his life was tied to hers, and whether they could survive was still uncertain.

Now that they had acknowledged each other, if he died soon, wouldn’t that be cruel to others?

And even if he had harbored feelings nine years ago, that was one-sided,Ryan didn’t think Bella was aware of them.

As for the headmaster’s words, Ryan just took them as a joke.

Any matchmaking would depend on Bella’s feelings, and she had always seen him as a brother—how could it be romantic?

It was best to put Bella’s matter on hold for now. Since she hadn’t left any contact details, she probably didn’t want him to find her yet. No point in forcing it.

If one day they must meet, then Ryan would just have to go.

Until then, he would take things one step at a time, tackling problems as they came.

What he really needed to do was find Anna and explain everything properly.

He carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket, then left the headmaster to return to the kids, needing to figure out what Anna had been up to here.

After a brief inquiry, setting aside the kids’ playful antics, Ryan had a pretty good idea.

After he disappeared, Anna had come looking for him at the orphanage, initially inquiring about his whereabouts.

Not finding any useful information here, she didn’t leave immediately but often came back to play with the kids.

“Beautiful and kind-hearted, huh? Can’t argue with that…”

Ryan touched his nose as he listened to the kids’ views on Anna. In his mind, Anna had always been the quintessential literary girl, the kind you’d expect to find in a novel.

He had heard about some school beauty rankings, and Anna was apparently quite high up.

Having such a well-liked and beautiful junior was definitely a feather in Ryan’s cap.

At least, it had been until yesterday…

Thinking about what happened yesterday gave Ryan a headache. How could such a nice girl casually pull out a dagger like that?

Further questioning yielded little,Anna’s visits here seemed purely innocent, and her probing into Ryan’s background was superficial at best.

It didn’t seem like Anna was here specifically to dig into Ryan’s life,it was more like she was volunteering and just happened to inquire about him.

Everything seemed so natural, and Ryan couldn’t pinpoint anything out of the ordinary.

With only one day to move freely and needing to be back at the villa by eight to have dinner with Alice, Ryan really didn’t have much time to spare.

After playing with the kids for a while, Ryan had to leave without joining them for lunch, under their sad gazes.

He didn’t know where Anna lived, so finding her would take some effort.

He pulled out his phone to call his driver, but before he could dial, an incoming call lit up the screen.

This wasn’t his original phone,his had likely been destroyed in a fire during a rescue.

Alice had given him this phone so she could contact him when he was out.

Naturally, all the familiar contacts from his previous phone were gone, and the only name marked was one.

Seeing the word “Master” flash on the screen, Ryan was slightly speechless.

The phone was from Alice, so had she put that label in herself?

Although technically he was Miss Alice’s assistant, and their relationship was somewhat master-servant, calling her “Master” was a bit… too kinky.

Ryan imagined himself calling Miss Alice “Master,” and could almost see her waving a whip with interest.

Fuck, that was just too twisted.

He internally ranted, but Ryan knew he couldn’t dare ignore the call.

From Alice’s previous behavior, it was clear she wasn’t entirely comfortable with him going out, hence the strict rules.

If he played disappearing act now, Ryan figured it wouldn’t take more than a few hours before he’d be bagged and forcibly taken back to the villa.

And Alice wouldn’t be nearly as pleasant then,it would just end up being more painful for him.

“Miss Alice, what’s up?”

“Is there a problem? I can come right over!”

Ryan answered the phone, immediately asking about the situation on the other end.

His first thought was that Alice had run into trouble again, as she normally wouldn’t call him.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, making Ryan even more anxious. His heart skipped a beat, and he grimaced, hoping he hadn’t jinxed it.

Alice still had two dangerous events untriggered, and he knew she was currently worried about some construction site issues.

He should have stayed by her side,then he wouldn’t be in this situation now.

Just as Ryan’s mind raced with thoughts, a cool voice interrupted him.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Alice’s voice was as calm as when he had left that morning.

It was cool and detached, but Ryan could detect a hint of amusement. Was Alice actually smiling?

“Uh, good to hear. So, you called because…?”

Ryan let out a slight sigh of relief. Although he still didn’t understand the purpose of her call, no news of trouble was good news.

“It’s nothing, don’t overthink it.”

“You’ve already been to the orphanage, what are you planning to do next?”

Alice said this not as a question, but with a tone of certainty.

Ryan glanced back at the orphanage gate, his brow furrowing in suspicion.

He had just walked out, and Alice calling right then seemed too coincidental.

And normally, wouldn’t she ask something like, “Have you finished what you needed to do at the orphanage?” Why did she sound so sure?

“Uh, I was planning to head home for a bit, to pick up some stuff.”

Ryan looked around,the familiar black luxury car wasn’t nearby, so he was sure no one was monitoring him.

Taking Alice’s words as her exceptional intuition, Ryan touched his nose, feeling a bit uneasy.

He had only mentioned the orphanage to Alice that morning, and now that he was done there, he dreaded her asking him to return to the villa.

He still needed to find Anna in the afternoon, and going back to the villa now would just delay everything.

Every time Ryan recalled the look in Anna’s eyes when she left, a wave of unease washed over him. He felt it was better to clear the air sooner rather than later.

Hearing Ryan’s words, the person on the other end hesitated slightly.

Ryan swallowed, his heart starting to pound.

Alice’s silence was like a weapon against him. She said nothing, yet it felt like she said everything.

“If it’s not okay…”

Seeing Alice’s delayed response, Ryan was ready to back down.

Glancing at the Darkening level nearing thirty, Ryan chickened out.

Not finding Anna today would leave him restless, but if it caused Alice’s Darkening level to rise, it would be like having a gun to his head.

“You can, I’ve said you’re free to make your own plans, whatever you want to do is fine.”

Just as Ryan was about to relent, Alice spoke in her usual calm tone.

Ryan couldn’t gauge her mood from her words and could only hurriedly agree, taking her response as a cue to end that part of the conversation.

He wanted to chat more with Alice, ask about her day, but she didn’t give him the chance, hanging up right after her statement.

Ryan was puzzled. Had Miss Alice called just to ask what he was up to?

Alice’s presence was as commanding as ever, and even through the phone, Ryan felt immense pressure, almost as if a boss was checking to see if he was slacking off.

Ultimately, it was just a brief interlude. Ryan shrugged it off and didn’t dwell on it too much.

Meanwhile, several miles away, Alice also put down her phone, her gaze sharpening as she looked out the window at a bird perched on a branch.

The bird chirped and hopped around, tilting its head seriously when it saw the young girl, then suddenly its eyes widened as if it had seen something terrifying, and it quickly flew away.

Alice watched the bird disappear, her expression still as serene as a still lake. She looked down at the tablet in her hand.

An electronic map was displayed on the screen, and at the center, a small red dot glowed and moved slowly, never leaving the confines of the screen.

Like a bird in a cage.

“Ryan, don’t lie to me, and don’t disappoint me.”

Alice tapped her fingertip lightly, set the tablet aside, and slowly closed her eyes.