Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming! - Chapter 313: Now, be quiet

Chapter 313: Now, be quiet

The original venue was temporarily abandoned because it didn’t meet the sound quality standards required for a live broadcast by the reporters. The new location for the press conference was set on the fourth floor of a nearly completed shopping mall.

Choosing that place made sense in other ways too. Compared to other locations that were still under construction, this building was at least presentable.

There were five minutes left until the scheduled start of the press conference, and the person in charge, not daring to waste any time, quickly led Alice and her companion to the venue.

“Miss Alice, about this situation…”

“Leave it to me. Just focus on doing your part.”

Hearing Alice’s words, the person in charge let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. Thankfully, she wasn’t angry—he wouldn’t have been able to handle it if she was.

As a member of the gang, almost everyone had a certain fear of Alice, the boss.

There were no soft-hearted people in the gang, and the fact that Alice, a young woman, had risen to power without anyone backing her spoke volumes about how terrifying she could be.

But as one of Alice’s subordinates, at this moment, he felt more ashamed of his failure than afraid. Alice had personally promoted him, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty for not living up to her expectations.

The recent issues at the construction site had been giving him a headache, and they were definitely beyond his capabilities. But he believed that as long as Alice stepped in, things would turn around.

“Miss Alice, I’ll go handle the reporters outside. You’ve got five minutes to get ready.”

After leading Alice and Nella to a small room next to the press conference venue, the person in charge bowed deeply to Alice before leaving. He still had to oversee the equipment checks and rehearsals outside.

Alice gave a slight nod and casually motioned for Nella to close the door.

The small room had been thoughtfully arranged, with makeup items laid out according to Alice’s preferences. Her subordinates had been quite attentive.

Alice didn’t usually wear much makeup, especially after Ryan had once told her she looked great without it. Since then, she felt there was even less need to bother with it.

To avoid looking too young, Alice reluctantly applied some lipstick and filled in her eyebrows in front of the mirror. Then, she turned her attention back to the speech she had prepared.

“You’ve memorized it, right? Fifteen minutes was enough after all. Not bad.”

Alice casually remarked, speaking to Nella, who had been standing silently by her side.

Nella nodded in response, glancing at the reflection of the girl in the mirror. Alice looked just as composed as usual.

But as Alice lowered her head to focus on her speech, Nella’s expression suddenly changed. Her teeth clenched slightly.

This was the first time she had been alone with Alice, and the first time she had the chance to do what she had really wanted to do.

So far, everything had gone according to plan, but she had to admit, Alice was more cautious than she had expected.

In her mind, Alice would eventually need the Langston family’s help, which meant attending their banquet was inevitable. From there, Nella had managed to work her way into Alice’s life.

But even after getting close, she hadn’t found the right moment to catch Alice off guard.

Out in public, it was obvious that Alice had people secretly protecting her. But what Nella couldn’t understand was why there were always guards stationed outside Alice’s room, even at home.

Nella had heard about the recent internal conflict within the gang. Apparently, it had gotten so bad that Alice had almost lost her life. It was just bad timing—if that incident hadn’t happened, Alice wouldn’t be so on edge now, and it would’ve been much easier to make a move.

She needed to kill Alice, but it had to be at the perfect moment.

Like now, for instance. The two of them were alone in a room. If the room was soundproof enough, and if her methods were sharp enough, maybe she could pull it off.

Ugh, what a hassle…

Nella studied the girl in front of her through the mirror. After getting Nella’s confirmation, Alice had gone back to reading her speech, completely unaware of the murderous intent in the eyes of the person behind her.

Nella’s gaze lingered on Alice’s neck. She had to admit, the girl’s neck was long and slender, her collarbone peeking out slightly from the white shirt she wore. It was delicate and pale, exuding a kind of restrained allure, a rare combination of elegance and untouchability.

That swan-like neck—what would it look like if it were slashed open, blood pouring out?

If this strong, unyielding Alice were to collapse in a pool of her own blood, begging for mercy, how would that feel? It would be… satisfying, wouldn’t it?

Looking around the room, though it had been set up temporarily, it had everything one might need.

For example, the fire extinguisher in the corner—often used as a blunt weapon in certain cases. And if that didn’t work, the scissors on the vanity could easily pierce through skin and tear apart someone’s heart with enough force.

Nella’s mind was racing, unable to stop the flood of violent thoughts. Every time she looked at Alice’s back, she couldn’t help but recall the scene from last night—Alice and Ryan’s intimate interaction as they got out of the car.

That provocative look Alice had given her—Nella had caught it, just like she had caught all the other subtle tests Alice had thrown her way. Not a single one had slipped by unnoticed.

Ryan was hers. He could only be hers. Anyone who tried to take him away would pay a steep price—no exceptions.

Nella clenched her right hand, her gaze locking onto the scissors on the vanity. If she attacked now, she was 80% sure she could take Alice out.

But… it wasn’t the right time. She had just reunited with Ryan. She didn’t want to end up in prison and be separated from him again.

The five minutes passed quickly. Alice closed the file in her hands and let out a heavy sigh. Saying she wasn’t nervous would be a lie. Even though she was used to situations like this, she still felt uncomfortable being in the spotlight in front of the media.

There were two knocks on the door. Alice immediately straightened her clothes and stood up, ready to head out.

But Nella seemed a bit off. It wasn’t until Alice was already on her feet that Nella snapped out of her daze, as if she had been lost in some deep thought.

“Miss Nella, the press conference is about to start. Focus.”

Alice’s voice snapped Nella back to reality. She nodded, a bit stiffly, her gaze shifting to the side to avoid direct eye contact with Alice. In the angle where Alice couldn’t see, a flash of malice flickered in Nella’s eyes.

She had been too impulsive. This wasn’t something that could be rushed. She had let her hatred cloud her judgment and had almost lost control.

In those five minutes, she had imagined countless ways to kill Alice, and she had nearly acted on those thoughts.

Her desire to destroy Alice had become an obsession, just like her need to keep Ryan firmly under her control.

Alice, unaware of Nella’s inner turmoil, sensed something was off but didn’t have the time or energy to deal with it. The press conference was about to begin, and she could only hope Nella wouldn’t mess things up at a critical moment.

The door slowly opened, and the two were greeted by the focus of several cameras.

Alice’s pupils dilated slightly for a moment, but she quickly suppressed her discomfort, forcing a businesslike smile as she stepped onto the stage under the watchful eyes of the cameras.

Nella, standing beside her, helped absorb some of the attention. However, since she had just returned to the country, most people knew of the Langston family but weren’t familiar with the third daughter they had been grooming.

The person in charge tried to hold back the reporters who were surging forward, attempting to maintain order, but he had underestimated their hunger for news.

“Miss Alice, there are rumors that the company is currently facing a financial crisis. Is that true?”

“What caused the recent strike at the construction site? Will it affect the project’s timeline?”

“There were reports of gang member Ryan getting into a fight at the construction site. Were you aware of this?”

One question after another was fired at Alice like bullets. Nella, standing offstage, narrowed her eyes, having fully regained her composure from earlier.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the remnants of her chaotic thoughts. Watching Alice struggle under the barrage of questions, a twisted smile crept onto her lips.

Alice stood on stage, her brows slightly furrowed as she faced the barrage of cameras and questions. But when she heard Ryan’s name, she almost lost her temper.

“This is exactly why I’ve called this press conference. I will address all of your questions one by one.”

She cleared her throat, her voice calm but with a sharp edge that cut through the noise. Though not loud, it carried a weight that silenced the crowd.

Her gaze, cold as a winter wind, swept across the room, sending a chill down the spine of everyone it touched. It was only then that they remembered the person they were interviewing wasn’t just any news subject—it was Alice.

“Now, be quiet.”