Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 275: Four chairs

On the way back, Mia kept rambling about “conspiracies” and “traps,” constantly seeking comfort and asking Ryan for hugs.

Ryan watched her antics, feeling a bit speechless.

If Alice treating Mia to a meal was considered a “conspiracy” or a “trap,” then Ryan figured he must be living in a world full of “conspiracies” and “traps” every day.

Mia’s emotions were all over the place, but in the end, she still returned to the villa with Ryan.

Both of them, almost instinctively, avoided bringing up the tracker incident again, as if it had never happened.

Mia did think about mentioning it, but she was worried that pushing too hard would make Ryan suspicious of her intentions, which would be bad.

The car sped along, and soon they arrived at the villa.

Since there hadn’t been much communication, Ryan had assumed Alice had only invited Mia. But when they arrived, they found that Anna, who had called earlier, was also there.

Ryan had just stepped into the villa when something suddenly rushed into his arms.

A soft body pressed against him, and Ryan was caught off guard by how forward the girl was. His eyes widened in surprise.

His breathing became heavier as a soothing herbal scent, unique to young girls, filled his nose.

“What’s wrong, senior? It’s only been a few days, and you don’t recognize me anymore?”

“N-no… it’s not that…”

Ryan stammered, glancing at Mia for help.

Mia, however, just whistled, pretending not to notice Ryan’s silent plea.

Anna’s outfit today was different from the last time they met. She wore tight jeans that accentuated her curves, and a pink hoodie with bunny ears. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail that hung down her back.

If you looked closely, you could even catch a glimpse of pale skin peeking out from the hoodie’s neckline, with two white straps hinting at the secrets beneath.

Youthful, vibrant, sexy, and cute—these words fit Anna perfectly at this moment.

“Anna? G-good evening.”

With his arms awkwardly hovering in the air, Ryan was enveloped in her warmth, her scent filling his lungs. He responded, a bit embarrassed, unsure of where to put his hands.

Alice probably wouldn’t like this, Ryan thought, feeling a pang of guilt as he rubbed his nose. But the next second, he dismissed the thought.

After all, Alice didn’t trust him anyway, so why should he care so much about what she thought?

Thinking about the GPS tracker and the phone tapping made Ryan angry. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Alice’s feelings—he understood that her past had made her naturally suspicious.

Alice was his friend, no doubt about it. Otherwise, there was no way to explain the high Favorability score she had for him.

But precisely because of that, being betrayed by a friend hurt even more.

Even so, Ryan didn’t dare make any bold moves while Anna hugged him. Hugging her back was definitely beyond his comfort zone.

Sure enough, just as Anna threw herself at him, a figure slowly emerged from the room behind her.

The girl’s face was cold, her eyes icy and piercing, sending chills down anyone’s spine. She had taken off her blazer, revealing a fitted shirt underneath.

The collar was slightly open, likely due to the warm weather, exposing her swan-like neck and sharply defined collarbones. Alice had been dealing with a lot lately, and it showed—she had lost some weight.

This version of Alice was one Ryan had grown familiar with. Just yesterday, they had been drinking together, and she had even forced him to say some strange things. But today, there was a subtle rift between them.

The distance wasn’t far—maybe 30 feet—but Ryan felt like no matter what, he couldn’t get any closer to her heart.

“Miss Alice…”

Being caught in this situation by Alice was definitely not ideal. She seemed to hate it when he interacted with other girls, and she had a natural hostility toward both Anna and Mia.

At this point, Ryan had pretty much stepped on every landmine possible.

He was already bracing himself for Alice’s anger, but to his surprise, even though she saw the interaction between him and Anna, she didn’t explode. Aside from her Mood Level dropping a bit, she didn’t react much.

“Come in. Dinner’s ready.”

Alice’s tone was calm, and she didn’t spare Anna or Mia a glance. She only gave Ryan a quick once-over, as if checking to see if he was hurt.

“Are you injured?”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

Alice’s sudden question caught Ryan off guard, and he hesitated for a moment before answering.

Alice’s gaze swept over Ryan, scanning him like a detector, meticulously inspecting every inch of his skin. Her eyes were intense, almost invasive, but somehow impossible to resist.

Once she confirmed that Ryan was unharmed, her gaze finally withdrew. Her voice remained as cold as ever, but it left Ryan with a strange feeling.

People are complicated, Ryan thought. Just like how he was furious when he found the GPS tracker, yet now, faced with Alice’s concerned look, he couldn’t help but soften.

Damn, am I really this starved for affection?

The way Alice showed her concern—it was almost unfair.

Favorability doesn’t lie. Alice’s attitude toward him was a mix of care and distance, and that left Ryan feeling conflicted.

“Ryan! Alice already left!”

Mia stood on her tiptoes, waving her small hand in front of Ryan’s face, her cute lips pouting in frustration.

Mia could already see Ryan’s feelings clearly, and her good mood from spending the day with him quickly evaporated.

“L-left?”

“What else would she do? Come on, get inside already! You’re hopeless!”

Ryan, still a bit dazed, finally snapped out of it, while Mia stomped her feet in frustration.

Helping Ryan find the tracker earlier had been part of Mia’s plan. Even if Ryan hadn’t had one on him, she would’ve pulled out her own, just to plant a seed of doubt in his mind.

It wasn’t a dirty trick—love is a battlefield, after all. The process doesn’t matter as long as you get the result you want in the end.

Mia had thought this would be a perfect opportunity to drive a wedge between Ryan and Alice, but in just a few hours, Ryan had reverted to his usual self.

Frustrated beyond belief, Mia stomped on Ryan’s foot a few times before storming off. Anna, who had been watching the whole scene, crossed her arms and turned to head inside as well, but not before shooting a meaningful glare at Mia, who was now standing beside Ryan.

Ryan’s personality wasn’t exactly good or bad. For the people he cared about, he seemed to have endless patience. But that kind of patience would eventually lead to trouble.

Whether it was Anna or Alice, they were both like hungry wolves. Give them a little kindness, and they’d want more. And when you couldn’t give them what they wanted, or even gave them just a little less, they wouldn’t hesitate to devour you whole—skin, bones, and all.

Ryan still didn’t see it. Only after experiencing it firsthand would he learn to be cautious, to fear the people he shouldn’t have gotten involved with in the first place.

Kindness isn’t something you can give out freely. Once you give it, you’re responsible for it.

With a heavy heart, Mia walked into the villa. Ryan and Anna exchanged a few words before heading inside as well. Dinner had already been prepared by the servants.

The large dining table was covered with a variety of dishes. Even from a distance, the aroma of seafood and rich bone broth filled the air, making the meal look as delicious as it smelled.

There were four chairs set around the table, one for each person.

However, the arrangement of the chairs was a bit telling. Three sides of the table had chairs, while the fourth side was left open for the servants to serve the food.

Two of the sides had one chair each, but the head of the table had two chairs.

With three women and one man present, it was obvious to everyone who would be sitting at the head of the table.

Each person had their own thoughts, and the glances exchanged were full of unspoken tension. And so, dinner began in this complicated atmosphere.

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PS:

Oh boy, Ryan sure knows how to walk into a storm without even realizing it, huh? Between Mia, Anna, and Alice, this poor guy is juggling more emotional landmines than he can count. Seriously, can you imagine trying to figure out what’s happening when everyone is giving you those not-so-subtle glances across the dinner table? Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Mia’s scheming, Anna’s affectionate greetings, and Alice’s cold but somehow caring attitude? Ryan’s got his hands full, and the fact that they’re all sitting down for dinner together… well, that’s just asking for more drama. You’ve got to feel for him.

But here’s where it gets interesting—dinner. Oh man, dinner’s going to be fun, right? You’ve got three women and one guy, and let’s just say the seating arrangement alone is a battlefield. Anna’s being all affectionate, Mia’s trying to play it cool (but clearly frustrated that her plan didn’t go perfectly), and Alice? Well, Alice is just silently watching, probably plotting the next move in this complicated game of chess. And where does Ryan fit in? Smack in the middle of it all, of course!

Let’s face it, Ryan’s kind nature is what got him into this mess. He’s always trying to keep the peace, but with these three? Peace might just be impossible. The unspoken rivalry at the dinner table is only going to heat things up, and everyone knows it. Will Ryan finally figure out how to navigate these emotional landmines, or is he going to find himself sinking even deeper into the chaos? One thing’s for sure—things are about to get very interesting around that dinner table.

So, what’s next for our guy? Will he manage to survive dinner without stepping on any more landmines? Stick around, because you know this situation is going to get even more complicated. And if you’re enjoying this wild love triangle (or square?) of emotions, don’t forget to share the story with a friend—because things are about to get very interesting!

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