Ryan gave her a cold glance, said nothing, and then walked over, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her to the bathroom door, where he promptly tossed her inside.
Standing in the bathroom, Echo didn’t regret not resisting. Struggling would’ve probably led to worse consequences. But what the hell was this about?
Confused by Ryan’s intentions, Echo quickly washed up, got dressed, and came out, only to find Ryan leaning against the bed, giving her a cold look.
“Come here,” he ordered.
Echo’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Ryan. “Mr. Ryan, I was forced to agree to be your servant, but I never agreed to be your bedmate.”
Even if she hadn’t understood his intentions earlier, the situation was pretty clear now. Echo’s carefree attitude vanished, replaced by a serious demeanor.
Ryan’s eyes darkened, and he spoke in a low voice, “I don’t repeat myself.”
Seeing the deadly seriousness in Ryan’s eyes, which were a deep, chilling blue, Echo felt a surge of defiance rise within her. Being a servant was one thing-this world respected strength-but being his bedmate? No way.
Echo stood her ground. “If this is what you want, Mr. Ryan, then I’ll find somewhere else to stay. If you need a bedmate, I’ll let Hawk and the others know. Goodbye.” With that, she took a step back, turned, and headed for the door.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve.”
Echo barely had time to react before a surge of anger exploded in her ears.
Suddenly, her neck throbbed with pain as a strong hand clamped down on it, yanking her backward with such force that she was flung across the room, crashing onto the bed.
As soon as she hit the bed, Echo’s head spun, her vision blurred. The grip on her neck had only lasted a second, but it felt like it had pierced her very bones, cutting off her breath. Lying there, gasping for air, she finally felt like she could breathe again, like she had been given a second chance at life.
But before she could even take another breath, a heavy weight slammed down on her. The pressure on her chest and stomach was suffocating, forcing a muffled groan out of her. Despite the fog in her mind, Echo’s senses snapped into sharp focus as she felt those steel-like fingers clamp around her neck once more. Her mind knew what was happening, but her body instinctively started to struggle.
It was no use. Ryan’s massive frame was like a mountain, she couldn’t even make him budge an inch.
Amid her struggle, Ryan easily pinned her arms behind her back with one hand, while one of his legs completely subdued her legs. His other hand tightened around her throat, his cold eyes fixed on her closed ones as his grip slowly increased.
Echo could feel the air being squeezed out of her lungs, the pressure in her chest growing unbearable. She locked eyes with his icy gaze and bit down hard, refusing to make a sound, refusing to beg.
She might have been carefree most of the time, but in this moment, her deep-seated stubbornness and defiance shone through. If he wanted to talk, they could negotiate. But if he tried to force her, she’d rather die than give in.
Ryan watched the stubbornness on Echo’s face, noticing that even as death loomed near, she didn’t cry, panic, or show fear. All he saw was that unyielding defiance. Slowly, a cold smile curled on his lips as he began to squeeze her neck tighter.
Echo’s throat burned with pain, and her breath became more and more strained. Her face flushed deep red, her mouth gaping in a desperate attempt to breathe, but no sound came out. The air in her chest grew thinner by the second, and her consciousness started to fade.
Ryan looked down at Echo, her face now a shade of blue. He knew exactly how much pressure he was applying, enough to push her to the brink but not enough to kill.
Even as her mouth gaped open, she didn’t beg for mercy. She knew she was close to death, yet she still showed no sign of backing down. It was something even many men had failed to do under his hand. His eyes softened slightly as he let go of her neck, a rare hint of amusement flickering in them.
As soon as she could breathe again, Echo collapsed beneath Ryan, gasping desperately for air. She knew she had just taken a trip to the edge of death and barely made it back. She was too close, far too close.
Ryan stared down at her, his voice cold and deliberate as he said, “You have no right to bargain with me. When I tell you to do something, you do it.”
Echo, still struggling to breathe, met his gaze with unwavering determination. She tried to speak, to respond to his words, but all that came out was a raspy, broken sound.
That grip had been no joke-Ryan had truly meant to kill her, and he hadn’t held back, leaving her throat damaged.
Ryan saw Echo weakly slumped in his arms, yet her expression remained so resolute that it exuded a certain radiance.
His brows twitched slightly with a flash of something unreadable in his eyes as he said slowly, “You’ve got guts.” As he spoke, he shifted to lie beside Echo, wrapping an arm around her to pull her close.
Echo, still dazed and light-headed from lack of oxygen, could only focus on catching her breath. She heard Ryan’s words but didn’t respond, nor did she have the strength to resist his actions.
Ryan held Echo close and said in a calm tone, “Having a backbone is a good thing, but if you use it against me, you’ve picked the wrong person.”
After a brief pause, he looked down at Echo and added in a serious tone, “I don’t accept rejection, and don’t think you can throw a tantrum with me. With me, there’s no difference between men and women-there are only enemies and those who belong to me. You’d better understand that. I never go easy on women, and I don’t pity the weak. If you want to survive working with me, you need to have skills and you need to obey. Got it?” His voice carried an undeniable authority that couldn’t be ignored.
As Echo’s breathing gradually steadied, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Ryan’s arrogant words.
In a raspy voice, she replied, “I don’t have the skills, and I’m not one to follow orders. I just stole a ruby from you. Whatever it’s worth, I’ll pay you back. Why make me your servant? I don’t believe you’re short on help.”
Ryan listened to Echo’s hoarse voice, noticing the dark bruises on her neck from his grip. He reached out to gently touch them, feeling her flinch beneath his fingers. His brow furrowed slightly as he cupped the back of her head to keep her still, his hand continuing to stroke her neck.
In a cold tone, he said, “You didn’t just steal a ruby; you stole the Dark family’s reputation. You think you can pay that back?”
Echo was momentarily speechless. If she had known it was Ryan’s property, no amount of money would have made her take the job. Everyone knew Ryan was fiercely protective of his people and possessions-crossing him meant he’d hunt you down no matter where you hid. She wasn’t foolish enough to mess with him.
Seeing Echo’s silence, Ryan pressed his fingers slightly harder against her injured neck, watching as she winced and gasped.
He gave a cold smile and said, “If you hadn’t proven useful by driving me around on this trip to Southeast Asia, you wouldn’t even have the chance to stand behind me, let alone be spared.”
Echo heard the underlying threat in Ryan’s words-no, it wasn’t just a threat, it was a statement of fact. She raised her eyebrows and, with a raspy voice, said, “You’re just trying to increase your chances of survival.”
Ryan burst into laughter, patting Echo’s cheek. “I like smart people. That’s one of the reasons I’ve let you off the hook.”
Echo bit her lip. The Dark family’s power had always dominated Europe and America, ruling as the ultimate authority. But Southeast Asia, with its wealth, had long been a battleground for various factions. The region’s deep-rooted, intertwined forces made it far from easy to conquer.
The Dark family had finally secured this lucrative territory, but no matter how powerful the Dark family was, in this new and unfamiliar land, they were bound to face challenges. That was probably why Ryan had come personally.
Clearly, Ryan understood how chaotic this region was-two attacks on his first day here made it obvious that even the Dark family couldn’t take this place lightly.
By hiring the underground racing queen as his driver, someone specialized in escaping death, Ryan was undoubtedly increasing his odds of survival in case of an attack. Realizing this, Echo couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
When Ryan noticed a hint of mockery in Echo’s expression, his eyes grew cold as he pressed on her injury and said, “Are you mocking me?”