“How are you holding up?” Hawk’s sudden voice startled Echo as she walked down the hallway, lost in thought.
Echo looked up, seeing it was Hawk, and frowned as she pointed to her neck, asking, “Can’t you see for yourself?”
Hawk had already noticed the dark bruises and bite marks on Echo’s neck. Her calm expression was unsettling-it was too calm, a stillness that didn’t belong on her face. This kind of quiet meant something was brewing beneath the surface, and that wasn’t good. When someone as vibrant as Echo suddenly went quiet, it was a bad sign.
Echo shot Hawk a glance as she walked past him without stopping. She hated being threatened or controlled. With Ryan, she had no choice, but with Hawk, she had no reason to put on a friendly face, especially when she was already in a foul mood.
“Boss has a habit of insomnia,” Hawk called out after her. “He doesn’t sleep well, but he slept soundly holding you.”
Hawk’s steady, low voice from behind made Echo stop in her tracks and turn to look at him.
Hawk met her gaze and spoke slowly, “Don’t resist him, and don’t think about leaving. Boss takes care of his people, but if you become his enemy… This isn’t a threat, just a reminder. Sometimes death isn’t the end. You know what I mean.”
Echo frowned slightly, her voice cold as she replied, “You’re threatening me??!!”
Hawk shook his head. “You should know this isn’t a threat. Boss is very sensitive to auras, and yours makes him feel calm.”
The scene in the car yesterday had shocked him. In all these years, he’d never seen Mr. Ryan get close to anyone-not even his closest aides got within a meter of him. But Echo could get that close, and after sharing a night together, they all realized that she actually had a calming effect on Ryan.
Echo raised an eyebrow at Hawk’s explanation. No wonder Ryan had only held her last night without doing anything else. He really did treat her like a pillow. With that realization, her anger towards Ryan eased a bit. Being used as a pillow and a sleep aid wasn’t too bad.
“Stay here and behave. As long as you’re by Boss’s side, neither the Street family nor the Theft Organization can touch you. And whether you like it or not, you’re already tied to the Dark family. Everyone in Southeast Asia’s underworld knows that Boss, who never gets close to women, now has one by his side. Without Boss’s protection, your fate would be easy to guess. And anyone who tries to mess with Boss’s people will pay a heavy price. Staying close to him is the safest place for you. Just don’t cross him, and you’ll be fine.”
Hawk gave Echo a final look before turning to leave. He had already said more than his duty required. If it hadn’t been for the surprising calmness Echo brought to Mr. Ryan, he wouldn’t have spoken at all. This was as much advice as he could offer.
Watching Hawk walk away, Echo pouted slightly at his retreating figure. She hadn’t expected him to say something like that to her. It seemed he really thought she was Ryan’s woman. She touched the bite mark on her neck, raised an eyebrow, and then turned toward the dining room. Let them think what they want.
“You’ve got two minutes.” Cobra, heading from the main house to the garage, noticed Echo walking toward the dining room and raised an eyebrow at her.
Echo paused, then said, “What for? I haven’t even had breakfast.”
Cobra patted the newest model of a handgun on his waist and kept walking. “Boss’s word is law. If you don’t want to listen, it’s simple.” He turned to look at her, making a shooting gesture with a cocky smile before continuing on his way.
Echo muttered a curse under her breath. Ryan’s rules were way too strict. She glanced at her watch-one minute and fifty seconds left. Her eyes flashed as she suddenly turned and sprinted toward the kitchen.
Cobra, hearing the sudden movement, looked back in surprise, raising an eyebrow. Did she really dare defy Boss’s orders?
Outside, two Hummers and two Cadillacs were already parked at the villa’s entrance. Everyone was in their places, even Ryan, who was seated in the car. But there was one person missing: Ryan’s driver, servant, and now, apparently, his part-time pillow-Echo, the master thief.
“What’s she doing? Making everyone wait on her?” Hawk watched the front gate with a stern expression.
From the rearview mirror, Cobra noticed Ryan leaning back in his seat, expressionless-neither angry nor relaxed, just cold as ice.
After a brief pause, Cobra said, “Ten seconds left.”
A whirlwind suddenly swept through the villa just as Cobra finished speaking. It was Echo, racing toward them at lightning speed.
In three seconds flat, she opened the door, jumped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and floored the gas pedal.
She added, “Where to?”
Cobra raised an eyebrow. Her timing was impeccable. With a wave of his hand out the window, the lead car roared to life, and Echo immediately followed suit.
“What are you doing?” Ryan finally frowned, his tone laced with irritation.
Echo, still driving, waved her breakfast in the air.
Ryan’s frown deepened, but he didn’t say anything.
Cobra noticed this and quipped, “Your timing’s pretty spot on.”
Echo, munching on her breakfast, rasped, “Don’t forget what I do for a living.”
Becoming a thief wasn’t hard, but becoming a master thief? That required a precise sense of timing. Without it, you’d never reach the pinnacle of the trade. One of the reasons she was such a successful thief was her impeccable time management. She operated on seconds, not minutes.
Cobra rubbed his forehead, realizing he’d almost forgotten that this woman was one of the world’s top thieves and a black-market legend racing queen known as Storm. Her reputation alone, in both the criminal and legitimate worlds, far outshined his own. Yet, being stuck by Ryan’s side, he’d nearly overlooked her impressive background.
Cobra glanced at the bruises and bite marks on Echo’s neck, then at her legs, which had just sprinted with incredible speed. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. No matter how famous she was, when she was with Ryan, she still had to bow down.
Hawk, noticing Echo’s relaxed yet out-of-place demeanor, frowned and snapped, “Put that down. What do you think you’re doing?”
Echo ignored Hawk’s scolding and retorted, “I’m not your servant; you’ve got no right to order me around.”
She wasn’t about to take crap from Hawk just because Ryan had her cornered. If they were heading into another battlefield with missiles and tanks, she needed to eat up to make sure she could run faster when it came time to escape.
Though she spoke with defiance, her eyes never left the rearview mirror, carefully watching Ryan’s reaction. Hawk couldn’t kill her, but Ryan sure could.
Ryan, who had been sitting with a stern expression in the backseat, caught Echo’s glance in the mirror. He raised his head and shot her a cold, warning look-one glance was all it took to convey his message.
Seeing that Ryan was clearly unhappy with her behavior but only issued a warning without taking action, Echo couldn’t help but chuckle.
She quickly offered a piece of her sandwich to Ryan. If she was going to be a “good” servant, she’d do her job well. Winning Ryan’s favor could help her gain his trust, and once he let his guard down, she could start looking for clues about Skye. This was a tactic she had perfected in the Theft Organization.
Being the most obedient, the top performer, and the most attentive to the higher-ups’ needs was what had earned her the chance to escape in the first place.
Hawk noticed Echo offering Ryan a piece of her breakfast and couldn’t help but frown slightly. Surprised and amused, he exchanged a glance with Cobra in the front seat through the rearview mirror. In all these years, he’d never seen a scene like this. He turned his head to pretend he was admiring the scenery outside, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Ryan frowned at the sight of Echo’s outstretched hand and coldly said after a moment, “Just focus on driving.”
Seeing Ryan’s indifferent expression, Echo shrugged. If he didn’t want to eat, that was fine-at least she offered. No one could accuse her of being a bad servant. She pulled her hand back and continued eating her breakfast while driving.
They sped through the countryside to another remote area, surprisingly without encountering any violence along the way. Echo felt both puzzled and relieved-no one wanted to live in constant danger.
When they arrived at a seemingly desolate place, Echo was stunned by the sight before her. After passing through several checkpoints, they came upon a sea of flowers that stretched to the horizon, vibrant and enchanting, with exotic blooms that were breathtakingly beautiful.
“Mr. Ryan.” A row of men in gray suits stood by the edge of the flower field, bowing respectfully as Ryan got out of the car. The middle-aged man leading them looked reluctant but had no choice but to greet Ryan and guide him forward, explaining as he went.
Echo, who had also stepped out of the car, was overwhelmed by the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of the flowers. She shook her head, trying to clear the sudden dizziness. The scent was far from normal.