Hawk noticed how shaken Adolph was and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Mr. Adolph, your eyesight’s just fine,” he said, as he and Cobra followed Ryan.
Adolph stood at the entrance of the castle, watching Ryan walk away. It took him a moment to snap out of it. He glanced up at the bright blue sky, shook his head hard, and muttered to himself, “Even if knives were falling from the sky, nothing would shock me more than what I just saw today. My God.”
Sitting in the lavish dining hall of the Mafia boss, Echo stared at Adolph, who was sizing her up in return.
She was pretty stunned. The infamous Italian Mafia-run by this ridiculously good-looking, overly friendly guy who seemed more like a playboy than a crime boss. Adolph didn’t have the slightest vibe of a feared Mafia boss. He had zero intimidation factor.
“Adolph, I don’t mind gouging out your eyes,” Ryan said, his face darkening as he noticed Adolph staring at Echo for way too long.
Adolph laughed and finally pulled his gaze away from Echo. He leaned back on the couch, raising an eyebrow at Echo. “Ryan, your girl was checking me out too.”
Ryan’s grip around Echo’s waist tightened, making her look up at him.
Without much expression, Ryan said calmly, “She’s questioning your looks and your title.” He’d seen the way Echo was sizing Adolph up, and even if he didn’t show it, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
Adolph’s face turned serious as he glared at Ryan. “Ryan, only you would talk to me so bluntly.”
Adolph had a strikingly handsome, delicate face, looking every bit like a rich heir. There wasn’t even a hint of the typical Mafia boss aura. If someone said he was a spoiled trust-fund kid, everyone would believe it. But tell people he was the head of the notorious Italian Mafia? They’d laugh it off. He had no credibility at all.
But Ryan and the others, who knew the real Adolph, understood he wasn’t a fancy, gentle lamb-he was a ruthless, cunning wolf.
So even though Ryan’s words were direct, Adolph didn’t get mad. He just shot Echo a provocative look.
Echo raised an eyebrow but didn’t say a word or react. Instead, she casually turned her attention to the beautiful decor of the hall and focused on the desserts and fruit in front of her.
She was starving-traveling from Southeast Asia to Europe had left her stomach growling. Eating came first. She didn’t care if the guy across from her was a sheep or a wolf.
Adolph was surprised that Echo completely ignored him and went on eating as if this pitch-black underworld setting was her own backyard. He raised his eyebrows in slight admiration-she had guts. She was the first person he’d seen act so carefree in his presence.
Ryan loosened his grip around Echo’s waist, letting her indulge in the desserts and fruit. They were harmless and even beneficial, so he didn’t mind her eating as much as she wanted.
Then, with a cold expression, Ryan turned back to Adolph. “What’s so important that you needed me to come here? Something you couldn’t handle?” He frowned slightly. If Adolph couldn’t deal with it, it had to be something serious.
Adolph noticed Ryan getting straight to the point and didn’t seem to mind Echo being right there. He raised an eyebrow but adjusted his posture, tapping the surface of the couch. “It’s not that I can’t handle it, I just can’t be the one to step in.”
Ryan waited for Adolph to continue, his expression unchanged.
Adolph paused briefly before getting to the point. “Three days ago, we had an issue with a shipment of arms headed to the Middle East. Someone swapped out the goods, and now all we have left in the warehouse are defective pieces, while the Middle East is demanding the real deal.”
As soon as he heard this, Ryan’s face darkened. He slowly leaned back into the couch, crossed his legs, and held his drink tightly, asking in a low, deliberate voice, “Who’s behind it?”
“Ms. Cecily, my dear mother,” Adolph replied with a cruel smirk, his voice cold and devoid of emotion as he met Ryan’s icy gaze. “By the end of today, those goods need to be on a plane to the Middle East, but I have no idea where the originals are. My mother played her cards beautifully.”
Hawk, Cobra, and Bill exchanged glances behind Ryan. It wasn’t a secret that Adolph and his mother, Cecily, held equal power within the Mafia and were constantly at each other’s throats, but getting the Dark family involved? That was Cecily’s mistake.
Adolph briefly explained the situation and noticed Ryan tapping his fingers on his glass, his face tense. Adolph knew from years of working with Ryan that this small gesture meant Ryan was furious-and when Ryan got angry, it didn’t matter who was in the line of fire; they were in for it.
And since it was Adolph’s mess this time, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Ryan, this time you’ll handle it. Whatever you need, I’ll provide, and all the profits are yours.”
That was a big concession. Ryan wouldn’t have to use any of his own forces-everything would come from Adolph’s side. Not to mention, this Middle Eastern deal was a massive one, with profits big enough to buy out a few small African countries. And just like that, Adolph was handing it over. Hawk and the others raised their eyebrows, watching Adolph in silence.
“You want me to get rid of Cecily for you.” Ryan’s voice was cold, emotionless.
A slow, refined smile crept across Adolph’s face, but his eyes gleamed with the ruthless hunger of a desert wolf. “No, I’m offering you the profits as an apology. As for Cecily, she made her own mistake by getting tangled with the Dark family. Ryan, I believe a unified Mafia would be a better partner for you.”
Though he didn’t spell it out, his meaning was clear.
Echo, who’d been quietly filling her stomach, couldn’t help but twitch her lips. Ruthless, she thought. He’s ruthless.
“Has the shipment already left?” Ryan didn’t dwell on the Cecily issue, cutting straight to the point.
Adolph nodded. “The goods were shipped this morning. It’ll take ten days to reach the Middle East, but realistically, we only have seven days to fix this.”
Ryan was silent for a moment. Then, pulling Echo to her feet, he stood up, his voice cold as he said, “I want every piece of intel on Cecily, and I want the best men on this. You, be on standby at all times.” With that, he turned and headed for the door.
Adolph chuckled softly and replied in a loud voice, “Yes, Ryan.”
After leaving Adolph’s sitting room, Ryan and the others headed straight to the luxurious rooms Adolph had prepared for them.
Echo, noticing no one else around, raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ryan, who was practically radiating cold energy.
“If you’ve got something to say, just say it,” Ryan snapped when he saw Echo’s hesitation to speak, his frown deepening.
Echo rubbed her temples and said, “Why help Adolph? A unified Mafia isn’t necessarily a good thing.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Hawk and the others immediately turned their attention to Echo.
Echo raised an eyebrow and said, “Forget it, pretend I didn’t say anything,” then started heading toward Ryan’s-now her-room.
It wasn’t that she had bad intentions, but any divided force wasn’t much of a threat. Once unified, though, it could become a massive one.
Echo, who loved studying history, understood this all too well. Ryan, being in such a high position, should know these things even better than she did.
Right now, Adolph might be a partner, but once he grew strong enough, he could easily turn against them. Echo figured Ryan must have considered all this. She wasn’t really offering advice-she was just curious. Why would someone as cold as Ryan help Adolph?
Ryan didn’t respond or stop Echo as she walked away. This was a tricky situation, and it was better not to involve her.