Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 245  Go ahead, read it

Ryan stood frozen in place, his mouth hanging open for what felt like an eternity.

He hadn't expected Alice to do something like this at all. Was this really Alice in front of him? Why did he feel like he was seeing a glimpse of Mia, that little devil, in her?

If Mia had done something like this, it would've made sense. But Alice? It just felt... off.

Where was the composed, elegant, "cold on the outside, warm on the inside" Miss Alice he knew? How had she turned into... this?

"What's wrong? Did you write something you don't want me to read?" Alice squinted her eyes, sitting cross-legged and scooting a little closer to Ryan.

She couldn't hide the slight smirk at the corner of her mouth, and honestly, she wasn't even trying to. She was clearly asking a question she already knew the answer to.

Before handing Ryan the diary, she had flipped through it several times.

Thanks to her exceptional memory, she might not remember every single word, but she had definitely memorized the key parts.

"It's not that... it's just, this is personal..."

"Miss Alice, you didn't..."

Ryan's lips twitched awkwardly. He wanted to take the moral high ground and scold Alice, hoping she'd back off.

But Alice didn't care at all. She didn't even bother responding to his attempt. She finished her beer, got up barefoot, and walked to the kitchen to grab another one.

Ryan, left standing there, felt incredibly awkward. Alice's silence said more than enough.

He knew Alice had definitely read the diary. She was just waiting for him to explain himself.

I mean, what kind of person writes about wanting someone to kill them? Alice's suspicion had to come from those few lines.

"Personal, huh? Yeah, I guess it is."

Alice tapped her small chin, as if she were seriously considering it. But after a moment of thought, she didn't leave any room for negotiation.

"But you're mine, aren't you? So doesn't that mean your privacy is mine too?"

As she said this, Alice watched Ryan closely, gauging his reaction. Technically, Ryan was someone she had kidnapped. Sure, she treated him well, but it was still forced.

Her claim that he was "hers" had always been a one-sided declaration. She was genuinely afraid he might push back.

But Ryan had gotten so used to hearing this that he didn't immediately argue. His face just stiffened even more as he stared blankly at the diary on the table.

People learn from their mistakes, and next time, they do better.

The lesson Ryan learned today? Normal people don't keep diaries. He was never writing in one again.

"Go ahead, read it."

Alice took another sip of her beer and leaned back, clearly enjoying the situation.

She had let him take control earlier, and for a moment, she thought he might actually keep up that strong front.

The diary was just the beginning, though. Alice had been curious about Ryan for a while now, and this was her chance to finally dig deeper.

On the surface, Ryan was just an English major. But by now, anyone with half a brain could see he was far more than that.

The way he had stayed calm under sniper fire, his ability to handle unexpected situations, and how he'd dealt with those thugs today—none of that was normal for a regular college student.

Alice didn't want to doubt Ryan, but the more time passed, the less she understood him. She couldn't figure out why he was still sticking around.

Everyone has an agenda. Alice had grown up in an environment where that was just a fact of life. She had come to accept it as normal.

The most stable relationships are built on mutual benefit. Ryan was too good—so good it didn't feel real. And that made Alice uneasy.

How could someone not want anything? That was just too weird.

"So, should I start?"

Ryan held the diary in his hands, his mind racing for a way out. But he realized there wasn't much he could do except explain himself.

Alice had already read the diary. Trying to make up something that wasn't in there would be pointless.

"Go ahead."

Alice nodded, signaling Ryan to start his little performance. Thankfully, she had already sent everyone else away earlier. Otherwise, Ryan would probably die of embarrassment reading this stuff out loud.

"Today is my first day here. I met Miss Alice. If I'm not mistaken, she's the one who kidnapped me and brought me to this place."

"Miss Alice is like an ice queen—beautiful, but pretty harsh."

Ryan could barely breathe after reading that part. What was wrong with him? Why did he write everything down in his diary? Was it really okay for Alice to hear him describe her like this?

His little secret about thinking Alice was harsh was now out in the open. But, to his surprise, Alice didn't seem to react much. She just kept sipping her beer, occasionally glancing at him with those sharp eyes, silently urging him to continue.

"Miss Alice may be a bit harsh, but she's actually pretty cute..."

"Miss Alice looked really tired today. Why does such a great girl always seem so weighed down by worries?"

"But at least I gave her a massage, so she could relax a little."

Ryan was sweating bullets. If he lowered his voice or stopped reading, Alice's gaze would practically peel a layer of skin off him. He was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The rest of the diary was more or less the same. Ryan had written some comments about Alice, but it was all part of his mission. He wasn't the type to casually judge her like that.

His face was burning red as he read, and if there were a hole in the ground, he'd have jumped into it without hesitation. Alice, on the other hand, was also starting to struggle. She kept drinking more beer, trying to suppress her own discomfort.

When she had skimmed through the diary earlier, it hadn't seemed like a big deal. But now, hearing Ryan read it out loud, she realized that 80% of the content was about her.

Ryan... had he really been thinking about her this much?

"Okay, stop for a second."

Alice's face was getting redder by the minute. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was something else, but her head was spinning, and she felt like her breathing was getting hotter.

Ryan had just gotten to the part where he was talking about how nice her skin was, and at this point, he was practically spitting out each word one by one.

Why couldn't dying of embarrassment be a real thing? If it were, Ryan would've completed his main mission a hundred times over by now.

Alice was also at her limit. She had heard enough and was starting to feel... strange. Calling for a break was a relief for both of them.

"That's enough for now."

Ryan noticed that Alice was looking at him in a way that felt... different. He awkwardly scratched his nose, unsure of how he was supposed to face her after this. Was she going to think he was some kind of creep now?

"Miss Alice, I swear I'm not..."

But even as he tried to explain, his words felt weak. He didn't even believe himself at this point.

The atmosphere had shifted into something awkward and tense. But Ryan couldn't let his guard down just yet. The mission wasn't over, and Alice's suspicions about him hadn't been fully resolved. The real challenge was still ahead.

Ryan knew exactly what was written in that diary. The stuff he had read so far was just harmless fluff.

But on the next page... that's where his darkest secret was written.

"I want to die. How can I get Miss Alice to kill me?"

"Maybe betraying her would be a good option?"

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PS:

If you leave your diary out for someone like Alice to find, well... you kind of get what you deserve, right? 😅

If you're gonna keep a diary with that kind of content, maybe don't leave it anywhere near someone like Alice. 😬 Poor Ryan! I mean, he's a smart guy, but sometimes... let's just say he's great at getting himself into situations way over his head. But hey, that's what keeps things interesting, right?

And if you're thinking of keeping a diary yourself, maybe double-check where you leave it. Or, you know... maybe just don't. 😉

As for what's next... trust me, the fun is just getting started. 😏 Stay tuned!