The man lowered his head slightly under her intense stare. “I don’t know where they are. As for Mr. Bill, he came by yesterday to check on you but left in a hurry. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
“Oh, no. What the hell is going on?” Echo muttered angrily.
The more she listened, the more uneasy she felt. Something was definitely off.
“Awake already?” A calm voice interrupted from the doorway.
Echo looked up to see Bill standing there with a smile on his face.
When she met his gaze, Bill crossed his arms and gave her a slight grin. “I figured you’d wake up around now. You can leave,” he said, dismissing the other man with a wave.
The man nodded and quietly left as Bill slowly walked toward Echo.
Though Bill was smiling, the expression didn’t reach his eyes. It was a smile, but it felt… hollow.
Echo’s gut twisted in suspicion. She frowned as she watched Bill dismiss the man, then asked, “Where’s the boss?”
Bill stopped beside her and grabbed something from a nearby cabinet, his smile never faltering. “If you want to know, come with me.”
His face showed no sign of change-it was the same as when she’d first met him, calm and controlled. But the more she looked, the more wrong it felt. That smile was fake, too perfect to be real.
Without saying anything else, Echo followed him toward the door.
“Put on your smile,” Bill said casually before they reached the exit.
Echo raised a brow at the unexpected comment.
Without turning around, Bill added, “This is the Dark family.”
It was only a few words, but they were enough for Echo to understand Bill’s meaning.
This was the Dark family-a place full of hidden powerhouses, a massive, influential empire. Here, every expression, every move could carry weight. Echo knew she needed to be extra careful because even a slight misstep could send the wrong message.
She loosened her furrowed brow a bit, but forcing a smile?
Yeah, no way.
Her whole body was still aching. What was she supposed to smile about? So people could think something was wrong with her?
Following Bill through winding hallways, she found herself nearly cursing under her breath. This massive villa was practically a castle, and with all the walking, she almost wanted to stomp her feet.
Seriously? She thought. I’m still injured, and Ryan’s got me trekking through this giant place? What’s he need a mansion this big for, anyway?
Clenching her teeth, Echo kept trailing after Bill. They finally made it outside, got into a car, and drove off.
As the bustling cityscape faded into the distance, they reached a misty seaside area. Echo glanced over at Bill, her suspicion growing. “Where are we going?”
“This place,” Bill answered, his tone grave, “is where the boss prefers to stay. That other place? That was the main house of the Dark family.”
Gone was Bill’s fake, charming smile-his face now looked cold and serious, making Echo’s gut tighten. What’s going on? she wondered.
When they entered the new location, Echo felt a chill creep into her bones. The harsh black-and-white decor gave the place a cold, sterile atmosphere, like stepping into a frozen world. Even in the middle of summer, the air seemed to pierce right through her. But the chill wasn’t what truly unsettled her-it was what she saw inside.
Ryan was lying inside a sealed medical machine, his eyes closed. Around him stood Tiger and a few others, all with grim expressions. An elderly man with almost entirely white hair hovered nervously nearby, his hands trembling slightly under their intense stares, though he still managed to stay composed.
“What’s going on?” Echo asked, staring at the machine as it scanned Ryan.
Hawk, who had rushed in from Adolph’s side, stood with clenched fists, staring at Ryan without turning around. His voice was icy when he said, “Boss was exposed to radiation.”
Echo froze.
The memory came rushing back-she remembered how Ryan had thrown himself into harm’s way to shield her. The thought of radiation had crossed her mind before, given how close he was to that intense radiation field.
But she had brushed it off, convincing herself that if Ryan had the strength to keep going, nothing serious would happen to him.
Now, hearing it from Hawk and seeing Ryan lying unconscious in that machine, her mind buzzed with panic.
“Don’t you guys have a cure?” she asked, sucking in a deep breath and clenching her jaw.
Bill glanced at her, his voice low and heavy. “We used the medication-it’s effective on mild radiation exposure. But not this time. It didn’t work.”
Echo’s eyes snapped to Bill, disbelief written all over her face. “Why? Why didn’t it work?” Her desperation was real, spilling out uncontrollably.
The old man, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. “His blood has been directly contaminated. With the current state of medical technology, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Blood contamination…” Echo whispered, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut.
Her heart raced as she stepped closer to Ryan, standing right next to the machine. From there, she could see the deep claw marks on his bare shoulder.
Her breath caught in her throat as realization dawned on her. It was that claw. The one from the native who lunged at her right before they boarded the helicopter. The same one that Ryan shielded her from.
She stared at the wound, her chest tightening. That injury, that contaminated blood… it was all because he saved me.
Ryan suddenly opened his eyes, as if sensing Echo’s presence. She locked eyes with him, noticing the slight furrow in his brow, but his gaze remained steady-calm, emotionless, just like always. There was no anger, no frustration, no resentment. He looked at her as if nothing had happened, like everything was completely normal. But that one look made her chest tighten.
“So, what’s the plan? Is there really no way to cure him?” Echo shot Ryan a long glance before abruptly turning to Bill and the others.
Bill frowned and gave a small shake of his head. “For now, we can only suppress it, but it’s not working well.”
Radiation wouldn’t kill someone right away, but the body’s functions would deteriorate rapidly, leading to various complications. Mild exposure could take a while to show symptoms, but more severe radiation could cause issues within years-or even sooner. And with direct blood contamination? No one could predict the outcome.
“What about me? Do I have anything wrong?” Echo raised a brow, shifting the conversation as she locked eyes with Bill.
Bill stared back at her, shaking his head firmly. “No. There’s nothing wrong with you. Your blood shows no signs of contamination-no radiation effects at all. And if I’m not mistaken, you were scratched in the same attack.”
Echo turned to look at her shoulder. Sure enough, a shallow wound ran across it. She stared at it in silence for a moment before speaking in a low, steady voice. “Tell me what I need to do. Boss saved me. And I’ll do whatever it takes to save him.”
Bill exchanged a look with Hawk before responding directly. “Alright, that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. I need your blood for testing-to find a way to cure Boss.”
“Fine.” Without hesitation, Echo stepped up to Bill, extending her arm.
Bill nodded toward the old man, who swiftly grabbed a syringe and drew blood from her arm.
As the elderly man carefully sealed the vial, Echo looked at Bill with a sharp gaze. “Why didn’t you just take it while I was unconscious? I was out for three days-you could’ve drawn it then. Why wait for my permission?”
Cobra, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. “Because you’re someone Boss has acknowledged. Your status is equal to ours. No one in the Dark family would dare lay a hand on you without your consent.”
Echo turned toward Ryan, seeing him slowly sit up as the machine’s cover opened. She stepped closer, her eyes catching the faint red spots scattered across his skin. Gritting her teeth, she looked into his eyes and gave him a small, determined smile.