Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 178: Just stand behind me… don’t leave

Alice didn’t need to guess whose voice it was. Her fists clenched slightly, and the smile on her face instantly turned cold.

Lately, if you asked who had been causing her the most trouble, who Alice now despised the most, the answer would undoubtedly be Lorenzo.

“Lorenzo, if I remember correctly, we just met yesterday.”

Alice’s face was stern as she turned to look at the man, her earlier politeness gone.

“Oh? Maybe I got that wrong.”

“After all, I’ve been preoccupied with gang business, not really paying much attention to less important matters. Please forgive me, Miss Alice.”

The man seemed utterly unfazed by Alice’s disgust, instead, he responded with a shameless grin, which only served to infuriate her further.

Alice’s plans had been in the works not just for a day or two. Ever since her father’s death, she had been plotting, facing numerous obstacles along the way.

Contrary to what Ryan thought, Miss Alice wasn’t revered within the gang,many were two-faced towards her.

Dante remained neutral, showing no clear bias, but there were two or three big shots in the gang who were openly against Alice.

Everyone was still operating under the gang’s structure. What the gang needed most was unity, even with intense internal conflicts, they couldn’t openly fight.

Since the big shots couldn’t come forward, they needed a lackey to antagonize Alice, and Lorenzo was the chosen dog for the job.

“If you don’t have anything important, take a seat. I don’t have time to entertain you.” Alice crossed her arms and huffed, not wanting to exchange another word with him.

Lorenzo was like sludge,if you spoke to him too much, he’d smear his filth on you.

“Miss Alice, why don’t you take a look at the current situation?”

“Miss Alice, forgive my bluntness, but your plan is nothing short of a pipe dream.”

“If your father were alive, he’d probably oppose it too. After all, what you’re doing could be considered… a betrayal of the organization?” Lorenzo said with a smirk, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“You!”

Alice was not used to such insults. Her face flushed with anger, then paled, while Lorenzo just kept looking at her with that mocking gaze.

Alice’s chest heaved with rage, and she snorted heavily, her disgust clearly visible in her expression.

Was Lorenzo picked by the big shots opposing Alice because he was stupid?

Of course not. No fool could survive in the gang this long.

And the reason he continued to mock Miss Alice was that he knew she couldn’t touch him.

The gang was all about shadowy battles now. Whoever acted out openly would be at fault, and if caught, Alice’s situation would only worsen.

That would jeopardize her plans.

As a dog, the more viciously he bit, the bigger the bones thrown at him, and he was smart about how to be disgusting.

Betray the organization? That comment hit right where it hurt.

She faced a lot of misunderstanding for what she was doing, and many said the same about her, but only she knew her true intentions were to improve the gang.

How far could the gang go? Her father had died because of it, and now she was being forced to continue in the same vein?

Alice looked coldly at the man before her, biting her teeth, but ultimately, she held back.

The big shots opposing Alice were already seated in the meeting room, waiting for her to lose her temper.

As soon as Alice got angry, they would have an excuse to act, even to the point of putting her in mortal danger.

Those people were unreasonable, their vision clouded by money, not caring about what you really thought.

“Miss Alice, why so silent?”

“Don’t you have anything to say to me? I hold you in high regard, you know.”

“Miss Alice, now that you’re an adult, I wonder if there’s anyone in the gang you’re interested in…”

Lorenzo glanced at the faces behind him, all wearing a look of schadenfreude, which was affirmation for him.

“Get lost.” Alice opened her mouth and then turned to leave, realizing she had no good way to deal with such a scoundrel.

Seeing Alice turn to leave, Lorenzo still felt unsatisfied, even reaching out to grab her.

Damn it, Alice cursed inwardly. She had already given way a lot, what more did they want from her?

Everyone has their limits, and Alice’s was maintaining her personal space.

Alice rarely trusted anyone fully, which is why Hannah was so shocked to see Ryan getting close to Alice initially.

She would never let anyone touch her, especially not a backstabbing dog wagging its tail.

Her hand was already raised, and the people sitting in the distance raised their eyebrows,they knew Alice was about to lose her cool.

If she could have held on a bit longer, there would be one less reason to target her in the upcoming meeting, but just then, something unexpected happened. Before Alice could slap him, a sharp, loud smack echoed through the vast meeting room.

Smack—

It was a slap, one that sent Lorenzo flying.

He couldn’t believe Alice had actually hit him, and Alice herself was momentarily stunned,she hadn’t been the one to slap him.

“Get lost, who gave you the nerve to talk to Miss Alice like that?”

A voice rang out in front of Alice, and by the time she realized what was happening, a figure had positioned itself in front of her.

The figure wasn’t particularly broad or imposing, even somewhat slender, but it offered a strange sense of security, as if his presence alone could shield her from harm.

“Who are you! Do you even have a right to speak here?” Lorenzo, still reeling from the slap, was both furious and annoyed, wishing he could tear the young man before him to pieces.

Smack—

Another crisp sound rang out. Ryan raised his hand and, without wasting words, slapped Lorenzo again.

With each cheek bearing a slap, his face swelled like a round loaf, the burning pain on Lorenzo’s cheeks was nothing compared to the blow to his pride.

Lorenzo wasn’t weaker than an untrained Ryan,it was just that after being a big shot’s lackey for so long, no one had treated him this way, and in his rage, he forgot to fight back.

“Ryan…” Alice murmured as she looked at the back of the young man who had appeared just when she needed him, just as he had promised.

“Fuck! Bastard! Someone, come here! Break this guy’s arms and legs and throw him out!” Lorenzo spat out all sorts of filthy and vulgar words, even Dante, sitting nearby, frowned at the outburst.

He glanced at the other gang members seated beside him,everyone else remained silent, even shifting their gaze away.

This was ridiculous!

After all, Dante had assisted the former boss, Richard Sinclair, for so long and had watched Alice grow up,he was also somewhat annoyed.

If Alice had been the one to hit Lorenzo, he would have covered it up for the sake of the former boss, but now he didn’t know Ryan’s background.

Lorenzo was still one of their own, and even if he was at fault first, the gang would choose to protect one of their own if he was hit by an outsider.

Now, Lorenzo was like a dog that had been scalded, barking loudly, trying to divert attention so others wouldn’t notice his disgrace.

The bodyguards finally reacted, surrounding Ryan in the middle.

“You didn’t care when he insulted Miss Alice just now, and now you listen to him? Are you all blind?” Ryan looked at these strangers, clearly Lorenzo’s men.

Bringing his own people to Miss Alice’s territory, did this guy even respect Alice at all?

The bodyguards, chastised by Ryan, blushed, but that’s how power dynamics worked,they were under the banner opposing Alice, and their choices were not entirely their own.

“You ask who he is, he’s my man!” Alice, seeing the bodyguards closing in, gasped and coldly pulled Ryan’s hand tightly from behind.

“Lorenzo, you’ve got some nerve, touching my people, huh?” Unlike before, when she couldn’t be bothered with Lorenzo, Alice’s anger flared even more fiercely now that he had targeted Ryan.

She no longer cared about the repercussions,her fury erupted, causing the bodyguards to pale and involuntarily step back.

This man who hit Lorenzo, he’s Miss Alice’s man?

Her declaration shifted the dynamics. If Ryan truly was Alice’s person, then disciplining Lorenzo could be seen as merely an internal matter among servants, not something to be openly discussed.

Feeling the cool touch in his palm, Ryan instinctively tightened his grip on Alice’s delicate hand.

Hearing Alice’s words, the anger in his heart subsided slightly, but he still glared unwaveringly at Lorenzo.

He had just brought Mia upstairs when he saw Lorenzo with that lecherous smile reaching for Alice, which instantly ignited his rage, prompting him to act without considering the consequences.

This was the meeting hall, where many gang leaders were present. Although Ryan didn’t regret the slaps he had delivered, he was somewhat apprehensive about the fallout.

But Alice had stood up for him, insisting on protecting him, which moved him deeply.

“Miss Alice, good, very good.”

“Your man, very good!”

Lorenzo, clutching his face, looked towards the other side of the meeting room where the expressions of the big shots were not very pleasant.

Especially Dante, who snorted coldly, causing everyone sitting around him to lower their heads.

If Lorenzo had merely bullied Alice on his own, it would have been a minor issue. Given Miss Alice’s character, she would prioritize the bigger picture and wouldn’t bring such grievances to light.

The other leaders would have turned a blind eye, as suppressing Alice was a result they were pleased to see.

But no one expected a loyal retainer to suddenly emerge by Miss Alice’s side, especially one so unorthodox as to strike Lorenzo’s face.

Lorenzo had kicked an iron plate, and if the matter escalated, it would be embarrassing for everyone involved.

“Someone, take Lorenzo down, break one of his arms.”

“How dare he disrespect Miss Alice, he must have the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard!”

From the depths of the meeting room, a dark-faced man stood up, slamming his cane on the ground in anger. Several people immediately stepped out from behind him and efficiently dragged Lorenzo away.

Throughout the ordeal, Lorenzo didn’t utter a word. The man who spoke was his direct superior, and it was clear he couldn’t let Lorenzo continue causing trouble.

However, Lorenzo’s gaze towards Ryan was filled with hatred, promising retribution if the opportunity arose.

Ryan didn’t spare Lorenzo another glance,he’d rather spend the time caring for Alice.

Turning to look at Miss Alice, she had already turned her head away, sitting calmly at the conference table.

Yet her pale hands were clenched tightly on her clothes, her breaths quick and her cheeks slightly flushed.

What had she just said?

“Just stand behind me… don’t leave.”

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