Cobra quickly responded and left to carry out the order.
Bill and Tiger exchanged a glance, both raising their eyebrows slightly. They were being strong-armed. Glancing at Ryan’s cold expression, they shook their heads to themselves. Whoever was threatening Ryan would pay for it later, no matter if he was the most powerful in the Middle East.
Ryan suddenly grabbed Echo and started heading out.
Echo immediately grabbed onto him, struggling. “I’m not going, Boss. I’m sick, I can’t go!” she protested.
She barely survived their trip to Southeast Asia, then followed him to Australia and was left with just a third of her life.
Going to the Middle East? She figured that would be her final stop.
Ryan held her around the waist, carefully avoiding her scarred back. He gave her a cold glance and, without hesitation, let her go, saying calmly, “Things will change here.”
Then, without another word, Ryan walked ahead, not looking like he was making it hard on Echo at all.
Echo was surprised that he let her off so easily. She hadn’t even had time to smile before Bill, following behind her, chuckled and said, “Don’t forget, Boss just killed Cecily. Things are about to get messy around here.”
Echo froze. “What do you mean?”
Bill smiled, his expression sharp with a hint of bloodlust, though his gesture was graceful as he waved her goodbye and followed Ryan out.
“What exactly do you mean?” Echo asked again, confused.
Tiger, standing beside her, pointed at the ring on her hand and said calmly, “Mr. Adolph’s forces will be taking over Cecily’s. This place is about to be torn apart and put back together. In the next few days, it’s going to be a bloodbath. If you stay, no one’s going to stop you, but you’ll have to watch your own back.” He pointed to her ring again, adding, “You’re Boss’s person. People here will take care of you.” With that, he followed Bill out, leaving Echo standing there alone.
“Shit,” Echo muttered, realizing the situation.
Ryan had killed Cecily, and now that he was leaving, the people Adolph’s forces were clearing out would definitely “take care” of her. Furious, she threw a punch in Ryan’s direction and hurried after him.
“Wherever Boss goes, I go. That’s my duty as a servant,” Echo said seriously as she caught up to Ryan, falling into step beside him.
Without looking back at her, Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist and said casually, “You’d better remember you said that.”
Italy wasn’t too far from the Middle East, so Ryan didn’t use a military plane. Instead, they took a regular flight toward that war-torn, chaotic region.
Sitting on the plane, Echo found herself in Ryan’s arms. She glanced at his closed eyes as he rested, then turned her head to watch the clouds pass by outside the window. She took a deep breath, hoping this trip wouldn’t be another wild adventure. She didn’t have many lives left to live through these close calls, and if it kept up, she’d be reporting to the Grim Reaper twenty years early.
Turning her gaze from the window, Echo shot a glare at Ryan, who was dozing off. If she died young because of all this chaos, she swore she’d drag Ryan down with her, no matter what. Climbing mountains, crossing seas, or destroying the world-whatever it took. She wouldn’t let him outlive her and would take him down to settle the score.
The Middle East-a land rich in oil, yet constantly at war because of it-made Echo think of that old saying: “What made you strong will also be your downfall.”
This vast desert, with its precious resources, was both a blessing and a curse, bringing both wealth and endless destruction.
“Identify yourselves or be shot down.”
Echo kept hearing the same warning repeatedly as they flew, though she’d lost count of how many times they’d been asked. She glanced at Ryan, who was still using her as a pillow, and Cobra, who coldly gave the same rehearsed answer each time. Echo shook her head slightly.
There were too many factions in the Middle East. In other airspaces, it wasn’t as bad, but the moment they entered Middle Eastern territory, the warnings and signals wouldn’t stop. If Ryan weren’t onboard, Echo was sure this plane would have been blown out of the sky ages ago. This place was nothing but a battlefield.
As they entered Chieftain Adam’s airspace, the interrogations finally stopped.
Upon hearing that it was Ryan’s plane, there was a brief pause before Chieftain Adam’s voice came through, “Mr. Ryan, I’m pleased you’re coming.”
“Chieftain Adam, open your airspace,” Ryan said directly, with no pleasantries.
“Of course, no problem, Mr. Ryan. I’ll be waiting for you at the Adam Palace,” Chieftain Adam replied just as straightforwardly, then promptly hung up.
Before long, Ryan’s plane hadn’t even reached Chieftain Adam’s airspace when a fleet of planes passed by them, heading west. Almost simultaneously, Adolph’s voice came through, “Ryan, thanks. Seems like your name still carries weight around here.”
Ryan grunted coldly, “You’d better be careful.”
Echo raised an eyebrow, surprised that Ryan seemed to care about someone’s safety.
“Ryan, come on, we can work things out. No need to get all hostile, right?” Adolph’s voice came back, sounding both helpless and a bit pleading. It was clear Ryan’s “care” had a hidden meaning.
“Get back and head to Africa to work the mines,” Ryan said, unmoved by Adolph’s attempts at flattery, his tone as cold as ever.
Adolph let out a loud, dramatic groan, but before he could voice any objections, Ryan signaled to cut off the communication.
Echo, amused, rubbed her nose and buried her head against Ryan’s chest. Sending Adolph, a powerful and infamous leader, off to Africa to mine with just one sentence-whatever that involved, it couldn’t be good. Judging from Adolph’s miserable groan, Echo was sure it wasn’t.
Bill, sitting next to Ryan and flipping through some documents, chuckled softly at Echo’s reaction. Adolph had messed up big time, and now Mr. Ryan had to clean up after him. Anyone else would have been sent straight to hell by now. Lucky for Adolph, his ties to Ryan’s business ventures were strong enough that he got a second chance-even if that meant being exiled to Africa to oversee the mines. It was the harshest punishment Ryan could’ve given.
******
The Adam Palace.
Ryan’s private jet landed on the grass in front of the palace, and a middle-aged man who had been waiting there immediately approached to greet them.
Echo walked beside Ryan, noticing that the man was dressed in traditional Muslim attire, his eyes filled with a warm smile. He gave Ryan a formal Muslim greeting, and to her surprise, Ryan returned the gesture with a bow.
Echo’s eyes widened-was she seeing this right? Ryan, actually returning a greeting?
Before she could fully process it, Cobra, who was walking behind her, gave her waist a slight pinch, snapping her out of it. Echo turned to look at Cobra, who was also bowing respectfully to the man. His eyes signaled her to follow suit. Echo, a little confused, quickly mimicked the gesture.
Even though she’d been to this region before, she didn’t realize how crucial these customs were. Money and power were negotiable, but any sign of disrespect could turn friends into enemies instantly. The more important the person, the more strictly these rules were followed.
“Welcome, Mr. Ryan,” the middle-aged man said, smiling at everyone. When his gaze landed on Echo, he paused for a brief moment, but being polite, he quickly moved on without lingering.
“Please, my father is waiting for you, Mr. Ryan. Follow me,” he said, beaming as he led the way.
Ryan gave a slight nod and followed.
“Just do what we do,” Cobra whispered to Echo as he walked behind her.
This place had a lot of rules and customs. While Ryan’s influence was strong, there were still many taboos to be mindful of.
Echo barely nodded in acknowledgment-if there was one thing she was good at, it was reading the room.
As they walked toward the palace with the man, who seemed to be some sort of prince, Echo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when they entered.
It was luxurious, extravagant-beyond imagination. Gold doors, jade railings, and decorations inlaid with agate and emeralds. Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but opulence.
However, it all felt a bit tacky. There was just too much gold-on the floors, the doors, the railings. The sheer amount of it made the place feel gaudy rather than elegant.
As they continued, every servant they passed bowed deeply to Ryan and the group, but now Ryan didn’t return the gesture. He walked with his head held high, his steps brisk.
Echo’s eyes narrowed as she noticed women whose faces were completely covered, even their eyes hidden behind a thin veil. When they saw Ryan’s group approaching, they knelt down until everyone had passed before they stood up and left.
Echo raised her eyebrow again-she couldn’t believe that such customs still existed in this part of the world.
“Mr. Ryan.” After walking through a shaded garden, they entered the main hall of the palace, where a man in his fifties greeted them warmly.
“Hi, Chieftain Adam,” Ryan responded as he approached.
“Mr. Ryan, it’s been a while. Huh, and who’s this woman?” Chieftain Adam asked, shaking Ryan’s hand and looking at Echo with a puzzled expression.