“I’d fall for the innocent one once and then fall for the scent twice. Leaving him alone would be dangerous. So, the one with a character problem must have asked us to look after him. He should stick close to us. Especially next to Ryan, it’s not easy for anyone to just come up and say nonsense. The one with a character problem was quite wise.”
The one with a character problem.
Alice found it so funny that Olive was referred to as the one with a character problem that she laughed out loud.
“But innocent one, why do you seem so familiar? Have we met somewhere?”
She should have immediately said no, but not being skilled at lying, she stammered.
“Don’t you think we’ve met somewhere?”
Luis asked Ryan as well.
The mention of familiarity made Alice’s heart sink.
“I have a really good memory for faces. Why does it seem familiar… I feel like I’ve heard your voice somewhere too…”
As Ryan turned his face toward her, Alice felt her lips dry up.
Miss Olive, when are you coming?
Looking around for Olive, Alice spotted her talking with what seemed to be her family from a distance. It looked like she was introducing Olive.
What time was it? Checking her phone, she saw a message from Olive.
Ah, she had sent a text. She had been so focused on Ryan and Luis that she hadn’t checked her phone.
[Alice, unexpected situation! I don’t know when I can escape from here. I have no intention of letting me go.]
It was already nearing 10 o’clock. It seemed she needed to start her Cinderella act a bit earlier. Since there was no certainty, it would be better to leave this uneasy place quickly.
[Then I’ll go ahead, so take your time! Don’t worry about me.]
After leaving a message for Olive, Alice hurriedly packed her pouch bag.
At that moment, Ryan, who had been fiddling with his phone, announced to Luis that he would be leaving.
“I need to go home. That woman… you can wait until that character problem person arrives.”
Wait a minute.
It felt like the situation was getting incredibly tangled.
The disguise equipment was in Olive’s shopping bag in the car.
If Ryan left for home first, Alice wouldn’t be able to go home looking like this.
She had spare wigs and makeup at home, so that wasn’t a problem, but getting home right now was the issue.
“Wait a moment!”
Alice grabbed Ryan, who was about to leave. He turned back with an expressionless face, as if asking what was wrong.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, yes! I want to leave first! Please let me go first!”
He must think it’s ridiculous, right? But she couldn’t think of anything else. She just needed to escape.
“What do you mean…”
“Thank you for today! The one with a character problem will be grateful, too! Then please be careful going home.”
As soon as Alice finished her words, she quickly exited the building. Fortunately, there was a taxi stand right in front, and she was able to catch a taxi immediately.
Thankfully, it seemed she would arrive home before Ryan.
Alice leaned her head against the seat.
The dry gaze of a stranger woman.
Feeling Ryan’s coldness firsthand, she realized he was definitely different from other men who were foolishly chasing after external beauty.
He didn’t even flinch when famous celebrities passed by.
After all, he was someone who consistently drew a line with Reese.
When he brushed her arm away, she felt a jolt, but thinking back now, it was a relief.
He must have disliked another woman touching him.
Could there really be another man like him?
Alice closed her eyes, feeling her heart rate rise pleasantly.
***
“Vice President, I’ve been informed that an executive meeting has been called for 10 o’clock today. I think we should postpone the weekly meeting; what time should we move it to?”
Having received the notice about the executive meeting being called on a Monday morning, Alice hurriedly knocked and entered Ryan’s office.
Ryan slowly scanned Alice from head to toe.
She was still tightly wrapped in her clothes.
Ryan had already seen the silhouette hidden within Alice’s loose clothing. Perhaps because of that, he could only imagine how slender and well-proportioned her limbs were.
“Vice President? What time should we move the weekly meeting to? Or should we postpone it until tomorrow?”
“Tell them to move it to 2 o’clock.”
“Yes, understood.”
There was one more strange thing.
The innocent one, or Alice, whom he had seen at the event last week, seemed to overlap with Alice in his mind. It was a nonsensical thought, yet it kept popping up in Ryan’s head.
