Hawk, Cobra, and the others at the table saw everything and exchanged glances without saying a word. From the day Echo showed up, they knew she was different.
In their world, kindness didn’t exist. But with this woman, they learned what kindness was-she had even taken a bullet for someone who could easily be considered an enemy. That spoke volumes. They didn’t think much of kindness, but they didn’t have anything against it either. Ryan, without realizing it, went softer on her because of it, and they found themselves doing the same, even if there wasn’t much need for it at the moment.
As the sun set and the moon rose, the night had just begun.
Echo sat in the back of a stretch Cadillac, frowning at Ryan, who was resting his head on her shoulder with his eyes closed.
Why did she have to come along? She hadn’t even fully healed yet.
Was Ryan so short-staffed that he needed to drag an injured person just for show?
Any little bit of gratitude she had for him had vanished the moment he decided to take her along for what could be a deadly outing.
“You’ll be safer with the Boss,” Hawk said quietly from across her, noticing her confusion. It wasn’t like the villa wasn’t safe, but if Ryan had decided this, there was nothing else to say.
Echo gave Hawk a puzzled look. Was he out of his mind? Safer with Ryan? The last two times she went out with him, she’d nearly ended up dead. Sure, she’d messed up, but Ryan was the reason she’d gotten into those situations in the first place.
Safe? Where exactly was the safety in that? The villa, on the other hand, had guards everywhere-who’d be crazy enough to mess with them there?
“You’re not happy?”
Ryan’s cold voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned her head to look at him, still resting against her shoulder with his eyes closed.
Forcing a fake smile, she said, “Not at all. It’s my duty to follow you, Mr. Ryan. I haven’t forgotten your rule that I’m not allowed out of your sight. Don’t worry, I’ve got that memorized.”
Ryan let out a cold snort. “Then lose the fake smile.”
Echo’s eyes widened. How did he know she was smiling if he hadn’t even opened his eyes? Was this guy even human? She let out a helpless laugh and obediently settled in as Ryan’s pillow.
Before long, three luxury cars pulled up in front of the gates to Pensax, which was now the Archer family territory.
The entrance had been heavily secured, with neatly dressed guards lined up on both sides.
Three people stood at the gate: an elderly man with silver-white hair, smiling as he approached the cars, flanked by two middle-aged men who looked similar to each other, both grinning broadly. Behind them stood a crowd of others.
Echo noticed how the three men approaching were dressed formally, more formal than anyone could be. She glanced down at her own jeans and T-shirt, then over at Ryan and the others. Well, no surprise there-Ryan seemed to only wear suits, and Hawk and the others were all in suits too.
She shrugged, whatever, she liked her outfit. Seeing the guys stepping out of the car, she opened the door and got out herself.
As the three men walked over with smiles, Echo casually reached to shut the car door behind her, but Cobra quickly grabbed the door, stopping her. He shot her a hard glare, leaving Echo confused.
Before she could make sense of it, Ryan’s cold gaze flicked her way. Echo froze, seeing the warning in his eyes. She glanced at Cobra, who stood slightly hunched, fingers curled in a respectful pose.
Then it hit her-shit.
She forgot she was supposed to be a servant. Ryan was the boss. Quickly, she stepped aside and bowed slightly, making way for Ryan, with a humble gesture.
Ryan gave her a brief glance before stepping out of the car.
“Mr. Ryan, it’s truly an honor for you to grace us with your presence tonight. Please, come in,” the silver-haired man, Dean Archer, greeted Ryan with a wide smile, extending his hand.
Ryan gave Dean a cold glance, completely ignoring the outstretched hand, and walked straight past him. Dean let out an awkward chuckle and followed beside Ryan to guide him inside.
Echo couldn’t help but shake her head. The guy knew exactly who Ryan was and how he acted, yet still tried to maintain face in front of everyone. Now, he lost face and respect. Did he really expect Ryan, who didn’t care about anyone, to shake hands with a subordinate of his rival? Must’ve lost his mind.
Following them inside, Echo noticed the room was already packed with people. As soon as Ryan walked in, everyone stood up to greet him.
Ryan didn’t even acknowledge them, not a glance toward the Archer family’s representatives or any other guests. He just walked straight through, making Echo smirk. He was so cocky!
Dean, meanwhile, kept smiling, nodding at everyone as they passed, not missing a single greeting, but still led Ryan toward a private room. Ryan had the highest status here, with the biggest ego and darkest presence, so that was expected.
When they reached the third floor’s private room, Echo raised an eyebrow. The place was decked out in luxury. The first level looked like a lounge area with a pool table, a stocked bar, and a line of women kneeling to serve.
The second level was a dimly lit massage room, with a setup that looked pretty sleazy. The women kneeling here wore even more revealing outfits, but nothing shady was going on-yet. Probably because Ryan had no interest and walked right past, shutting down any chance for things to get weird.
The third level, though, was the dining room, decked out in a weird mix of elegance and a hint of something wicked. The massive white table in the center had a peculiar charm to it, but when Echo saw it, all she could think was how much it killed her appetite.
So “classy.” Too classy, in fact. Classy enough to make anyone lose their appetite.
On the large dining table lay a naked woman, her skin smooth and pale, with a slim and delicate figure. Her face, fully exposed, showed a beautiful woman with closed eyes and trembling lashes, giving off a fragile, helpless air, as if inviting domination.
Various dishes were arranged on her body, even in her most private areas. The red and green decorations brought the whole scene to life, making the display of her body even more vivid, but to Echo, it only felt more obscene.
Standing next to Ryan and staring at the “white table,” Echo glanced at his expressionless face as he sat down like nothing unusual was in front of him. It made her wonder if Ryan was just born cold-blooded or if he had become that way.
“Mr. Ryan, please, this is one of our most famous local specialties. You have to try it today, it’s something special,” Dean smiled widely as he sat across from Ryan, gesturing toward the naked woman.