Devil's Prisoner

Chapter1 -Part V

Ria stands up from the ground, straightens out her silk shirt and pencil skirt, and slowly turns back to face the three gentlemen again. Her sudden movement surprises everyone. Keeping her gaze fixed on them, Ria gradually and carefully extends both arms forward, opens her hands slowly, and lets her palms face up. It's a sweet way to indicate that she has no weapons and is unarmed. The man on the right almost burst out laughing at Ria's silly actions. She is such an interesting girl.

He uses all his strength to suppress his laughter but fails. His grin is as warm as the sun in spring, radiating positive energy constantly. Ria smiles back at him. He raises his dominant hand, and his index and middle fingers wave slightly to the back. With this hand signal, twenty bodyguards put down their guns. The threat is gone, and Ria can finally breathe freely. The "Sun" has a perfect smile arc, his lips naturally curving upward, and he always seems to be smiling. He is a nice person. If Ria were to air kiss him, it would be easier, but she is not lucky. She sighs.

Ria's trick works for everyone except the overweight man on the left.

"Don't move! I will fire if you take another step closer." He slaps the table in front of him, stands up, puts out his gun, and aims at Ria. His sudden movement causes the cups, spoons, and saucers to collide, making a sharp and unbearable sound. With his threat, Ria has to stop moving forward.

It works so well, which is beyond the overweight man's expectations. He can't believe he is this powerful. After a pause, he turns to the "Sun" and says, "Don't worry. Let me handle it. I will throw this bug out now." He has no patience for Ria at all.

At his command, two bodyguards dash towards Ria.

The "Sun" and the gentleman in the middle exchange their thoughts with a single glance.

The "Sun" grabs his napkin and throws it towards the overweight man. It lands right on his face. "Charles, calm down, please!"

Upon the stern glance of the "Sun," the two bodyguards stop immediately and return to their original position. As the napkin slides off Charles' face, he warns, "This girl is a professional killer and could pose significant threats. Keeping her here is too risky, so we must be careful."

"Charles, you cannot speak without your brain. She stands among us without any weapons and doesn't seem afraid. We have 20 fully armed guards; there is no reason for us to be scared of her." The "Sun" scolds.

Charles sits back in his seat like a deflated balloon, completely speechless. Ria thanks God for not making him her adventure target.

As the threats disappeared, Ria finally had a chance to look closer at her target. The gentleman in the middle has striking amber eyes that shine with vigilance, coldness, and arrogance. The proportions of his facial features are nearly perfect, as if God had carved them with the utmost care. However, he appears a little too thin, making his jawline unnaturally sharp. His complexion is as white as snow, reminding Ria of winter's ice and snow sculptures from her hometown.

He exudes a natural nonchalance and vigilance, creating a frigid atmosphere around him. Under the extreme cold, the surrounding air condenses into layers of solid ice walls, shielding him tightly inside. The icy cold air storm pushes everything and everyone away and makes it impossible to approach. Ria couldn't keep her eyes on him for too long, as his cold aura would freeze her gaze instantly.

Simultaneously, both the "Sun" and "Ice" reciprocate Ria's attention and gaze back at her. She has a baby face, which has nothing to do with beauty but is sweet and cute. Her black hair is tied up into a top knot. Dark brown eyes sparkle with innocence and simplicity. Rosy cheeks, plump pink lips, and a small nose make her look adorable. She wears a white silk blouse paired with an aqua-blue pencil skirt, which looks professional and vibrant. Her warm and amiable smile exudes a childlike radiance, making it impossible to associate her with aggression. She doesn't wear any jewelry except a simple leather cord necklace with a wooden sculptured pendant.

The "Ice" tries to look away from Ria, but his gaze lingers on her tightly.

"Why don't you run away?" The "Sun" couldn't help asking.

"Running away is not a good choice for me," Ria answers honestly.

"I guess you don't know how dangerous it is to stay here?" the "Sun" says, sipping his wine.

"You are such a nice gentleman. I don't believe you are going to hurt me." Ria says.

"I won't, but it doesn't mean I will help you." The conversation with the "Sun" continues.

"Yes, you do," Ria says with confident affirmation.

"Oh," said the "Sun", raising his voice. "What makes you so sure about it?" Ria's words spark his curiosity.

"The partition blocks the vision, but not our voice. Our tables are close to each other, so I believe you know why I'm here. There are so many guards inside. If you don't want me to enter, I will be stopped at the entrance from the beginning and won't even have a chance to stand in front of you. In other words, you authorize and grant me an opportunity to come in, so I need to use it wisely and not waste it." Ria explains her theory.

The "Sun" is impressed by how Ria handles the current crisis. She is smart. The "Sun" realizes he underestimates Ria's ability.

The "Ice" suddenly glances at a bodyguard standing closest to Ria with his command. The bodyguard rushes over and seizes Ria's arm from behind, pushing her down onto the dining table. Ria winces in pain, unable to move at all. The bodyguard acts mercifully, but it still hurts. She is being thoroughly searched to ensure she is not carrying any weapons.

"She's clear," the bodyguard reports, after finding nothing on her. " The "Ice" signals to release Ria.

This particular bodyguard is the tallest and most robust member of the group. His expressionless face gives him a severe demeanor. There must be many tattoos on his body. Although his shirt covers most of them, Ria can still see some portions of the patterns on his neck, hands, and fingers. Caught by him, Ria had no chance to fight back, explaining why her arm hurt like it was broken.

She massages her sore shoulder and pleads with the "Ice." "I don't mean to take advantage of you, but my boss is outside, and I need to ask you for a favor. Can I come closer to you and make an air-kissing gesture? I promise not to touch you. Can you please help me out?" The "Ice" remains unreadable. Ria couldn't tell his thoughts at all. She prays for his mercy.

The "Ice" remains silent, but his gaze fixates on Ria. The deadly silence returns. Ria suddenly enters his life, invading his personal space recklessly and easily breaking through his solid line of defense. Everything she has done to him is unforgivable, yet surprisingly, he doesn't hate her intrusion and even enjoys her presence. It doesn't make sense, but at the same time, it all makes perfect sense. Because of her, his ice walls start to crack, and his ice shields begin to collapse. A ray of bright sunshine shines in and warms his space.