Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 282: Yeah… it shouldn’t be…

“Hello, are you Miss Alice?”

The man took a moment to confirm. The name “Alice” had only started circulating in the city’s elite circles over the past year, but by now, it was practically legendary.

There were different levels of invitations, and the one he held in his hand was undoubtedly the highest tier. As far as he knew, only two had been sent out.

One went to the city’s top legitimate businessman, and the other to Alice.

Businessmen are driven by profit, and the means of obtaining that profit often don’t matter much to them. This is why their dealings with certain people in the underworld tend to be quite close.

This wasn’t Gotham, where gangs like the Riddler’s and Joker’s clashed. In this city’s underworld, Alice was the undisputed queen.

The girl standing before him looked exactly as people had described—elegant, refined, and strikingly beautiful. Especially her eyes, which seemed to freeze anyone who dared to meet her gaze.

But why was the queen of the underworld clinging so intimately to the arm of an unknown young man? And so closely, too, like a delicate girlfriend?

“Yes, that’s me.”

Alice noticed the shock in the man’s eyes and also felt Ryan tense up when he realized they were being watched. But to her, all of this was just amusing.

The man, having received confirmation, quickly moved on to the next step. From start to finish, he didn’t dare glance at Ryan again. Somehow, he had the distinct feeling that he needed to treat Ryan with even more respect than Alice. If he showed even the slightest hint of disrespect, he was done for.

While outwardly conversing with Alice, the man discreetly informed the true host of the banquet about the situation.

Alice was the kind of person who, even if she didn’t attend the event, no one would dare criticize her for it. So, the banquet hadn’t even been prepared with the expectation that she would show up.

Alice seemed to notice the man’s nervousness but wasn’t in any rush. She simply stood quietly beside Ryan, subtly taking in his scent.

After about a minute, the man finally gave a response. He bowed and personally led Alice and Ryan into the banquet hall.

“Miss Alice, our host has prepared the best seat for you. He also requests a private meeting with you in the garden after the banquet.”

“Sure.”

Alice felt no particular emotion toward the host’s enthusiasm. She had seen this kind of thing too many times to be surprised.

Ever since she had risen to this position, many people had set their sights on her. Some wanted to collaborate, while others were plotting to take her down. Whatever their intentions, she had dealt with them all.

She hadn’t planned on stirring up any trouble tonight, but since she had brought Ryan along, she figured she might as well take care of a few things.

This was Ryan’s first time attending such an event. He had never imagined that someone’s home could be as opulent as a palace. It really made him realize how limited his imagination had been by his own poverty.

But that was just a minor detail. Soon, Ryan noticed something off.

“Miss Alice, the way they’re looking at us seems… strange.”

It made sense that Alice would be well-known in these circles, but Ryan was just an ordinary nobody.

Then again, considering what had happened earlier that morning, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. In a way, Ryan was now a bit of a celebrity himself.

There was no mask policy at the banquet, so Ryan’s face was fully exposed to everyone in attendance. Many had already recognized him as the person who had appeared on TV.

“It’s fine.”

Alice coldly scanned the room, her presence as the underworld queen radiating outwards, searching for anyone with ill intentions in their gaze.

Fortunately, the people here were smart enough to know better. As soon as Alice’s eyes swept over them, they quickly lowered their heads in apology. No one dared to keep staring.

No one wanted to provoke a disaster, especially when the disaster in question could burn the entire city to the ground.

Ryan, too, was deep in thought. Alice’s intimidation was certainly effective, but even without her, these people probably wouldn’t dare do anything.

The upper class was far more shrewd than the average person. They wouldn’t underestimate Ryan just because of his association with the underworld. After all, how many of them were truly clean themselves?

Now that he had been labeled as part of the underworld, anyone with half a brain could guess that he was working for Miss Alice. With that connection, no one would dare make a move against him.

That was a good thing, of course, but it also made him feel like he was getting more and more entangled with Alice…

Guests slowly began to fill the banquet hall, and the room gradually became more lively. However, Ryan and Alice remained apart from the hustle and bustle.

Alice preferred a quieter atmosphere, so she retreated to the second-floor lounge that had been specially prepared for her, waiting until the event officially started before engaging with anyone.

Ryan stayed close by her side, partly because Alice had asked him to, and partly because they were still in the middle of a “Dangerous Event.” Staying near Alice was the safest option for both of them.

You had to give credit to the host—he had put a lot of thought into the arrangements. The second-floor location offered a perfect view of the entire banquet hall below, while the angle ensured that those downstairs couldn’t easily see up. It provided a good level of privacy.

Ryan stood by the railing, watching as people below began to mingle in small groups.

A man and a woman were chatting happily, but as soon as the man turned away, a flash of disgust crossed the woman’s face. If it weren’t for business, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

The man, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. He grabbed a glass of red wine from a passing server and made his way toward another woman standing alone.

“What do you think?”

Ryan was observing this world he had never been a part of, while Alice, her beautiful eyes slightly raised, was watching him.

The person watching the scenery from the bridge is also part of the scenery for others.

“Not much, really. It just feels like, in this world of fame and fortune, everything seems… magnified.”

All kinds of desires were playing out right beneath their feet in the banquet hall. Men were conspiring with other men to take down their competitors—that was greed. Women, dressed provocatively, were clinging to wealthy men, acting out lust.

Here, it seemed like everything had a price tag. As long as you could afford it, anything was up for trade.

After spending so much time with Alice, Ryan’s initial sympathy for her had gradually evolved. A girl like her shouldn’t have to live in such a complicated world, so sympathy alone wasn’t enough.

Maybe it wasn’t just because of his mission, but Ryan found himself wanting to bring Alice back to a more normal life, the kind of life a girl her age should have. But was he capable of doing that?

“It’s normal, but it shouldn’t be.”

Looking at the bustling crowd below, Ryan let out a sigh. It was as much a summary of the people as it was a reflection on Alice’s life.

People will always tell you, “This is just how the world works.” It’s normal. But somewhere along the way, people seem to have blurred the line—just because something is normal, does that make it right?

“Yeah… it shouldn’t be…”

Alice repeated Ryan’s words, her hand resting on her chin, as if she were pondering the deeper meaning behind them. She wasn’t sure how much of his sentiment she had truly grasped.

There was always a certain tension when the two of them were alone. Alice was trying to express her emotions, but after being closed off for so long, it wasn’t something she could easily do.

Ryan, on the other hand, was still confused. Unable to make a better choice, he opted to avoid the situation.

Just as the atmosphere was starting to shift into something more ambiguous and strange, a voice broke the silence, temporarily diffusing the tension.

“Miss Alice, long time no see!”