For an entire day and night, Echo remained unconscious.
Her body kept running on the bare minimum, so still that anyone not paying close attention might think she was gone. But everything was functioning-just barely. The only problem was how incredibly weak she was, far beyond anything they could have imagined.
Ryan, on the other hand, recovered rapidly. With the serum derived from Echo’s blood, there was no need to take any more from her. His body, once on the brink of collapse, was healing at a staggering pace. His organs quickly resumed full function, and the red patches on his skin faded away entirely. The only thing that hadn’t returned yet was his strength.
“Boss, Chieftain Adam called,” Cobra reported, casting a glance at Ryan’s cold expression.
Without looking up, Ryan replied flatly, “You handle it.”
Cobra gave a sharp nod and turned to leave. He limped slightly as he walked, the result of taking forty lashes for defying Ryan’s orders. The enforcer had clearly been overzealous-probably never expecting to see all five leaders take punishment together.
“Don’t worry too much, Boss. Mr. Adolph will definitely find it,” Bill said as he checked Ryan over. He glanced at Echo, still unconscious on the bed, and lowered his voice to offer some reassurance.
Ryan’s eyes flicked toward Echo, a flash of cold anger in them.
Worried?
There was no need for that.
If Adolph was on the case, there was nothing he couldn’t find and no one he couldn’t get his hands on.
Echo wasn’t going to die-not as long as she could hold on for just one more day. Death wouldn’t touch her. But once she woke up, they’d have some things to settle.
The low hum of a helicopter’s rotors suddenly filled the air.
Bill’s face lit up with relief. “Mr. Adolph is back!” he announced and rushed outside to greet him.
In the Dark family, only Adolph had the nerve to land a helicopter directly on the family estate.
Adolph showed up bold as ever, dragging two people along with him. Bill didn’t waste any time-he grabbed the two and started checking their blood types and health conditions.
Adolph strode into the room and stood in front of Ryan.
Ryan stared at him, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. Normally, Adolph could go seven nights without sleep, but this time, it looked like he was truly spent.
Seeing Ryan’s silent stare, Adolph’s lips twitched into an awkward grin. “Ryan, punish me however you see fit. But first, give me a day to sleep-I swear, this was more exhausting than anything I’ve ever done.” With that, he flopped onto Ryan’s couch and immediately passed out.
Ryan gave him a glance, then turned and walked over to Echo.
Adolph had scoured five continents, called in countless favors, and burned through every connection to find those two people.
Let him sleep for now. When he woke up, though, they’d be having a “little conversation”.
The blood transfusion began.
Ryan stood by, watching as the color slowly returned to Echo’s cheeks. Her sickly pale face, nearly translucent before, gradually gained a healthy flush.
Seeing that, Ryan gave Bill a dismissive wave.
Without a word, Bill turned and left, knowing better than to stick around. There was something cold and bloody in Ryan’s gaze as he looked at Echo-it was better to leave before things got ugly.
Ryan stood beside the bed, watching Echo’s lifeless form slowly start to bloom with signs of life. His expression darkened.
She was about to wake up?
Good. That was exactly what he’d been waiting for.
In her hazy state, Echo felt the exhaustion weighing down her body, but suddenly, warmth surged through her veins. It was like a spark in the dead of winter, reviving her from the cold that had seeped deep into her bones. The heaviness lifted, and with it, her eyelashes fluttered open.
Am I… alive? Echo stared at the sharp, cold lines of the ceiling above her.
Yeah, this was definitely Ryan’s room.
A faint smile curved her lips.
Alive-thank God. She hadn’t really wanted to die, after all.
Sure, she’d been all noble and self-sacrificing at the moment, but it was a relief to still be breathing.
She was young. She still had a lot of life left to live.
Lying there, she stared at the ceiling, and memories of her earlier bravado flooded her mind.
She mentally cursed herself. If she had to do it all over again, there was no way she’d be so willing to throw her life away for Ryan.
What a joke?! Facing death once was more than enough to understand how terrifying it really was.
Sure, she hadn’t technically died, but the experience left a bad taste in her mouth.
Next time-if there ever was a next time-she was absolutely not risking her life for anyone.
The whole thing had been a dumb, impulsive mistake, fueled by the heat of the moment.
Never again.
“Thought it through?”
A cold voice suddenly came from beside her.
Echo froze and turned her head, only to see Ryan standing by the bed, his face as cold as ice. The look he gave her sent a chill down her spine, like a lion ready to devour its prey.
What the hell?
She saved his life, and he had the nerve to look at her like that?
Was something wrong with this guy?
Had too many people risked their lives for him, so he didn’t care anymore?
Raising her eyebrows, she rasped, “I saved your life, you know. What’s with that look?”
Ryan’s cold eyes locked on Echo, his gaze hard and unyielding.
Her raspy voice was as unpleasant as a duck’s quack, and though her cheeks had some color, it wasn’t much. She lay there weak and drained, looking pitiful.
But instead of softening, the sight only made Ryan’s anger flare even more. His eyes burned as he glared at her.
Seeing the fire in his gaze, Echo’s body gave an involuntary shudder.
Had she made a mistake by saving him? The way he looked at her, it was as if she had ruined his life instead of saving it.
“You disobeyed my orders.” His words, cold and sharp, hit her like a slap to the face.
Echo’s anger surged.
She shot him a furious glare and snapped, “Disobeyed your orders? Are you kidding me? I saved you, you idiot! If I’d followed your orders, you’d be having coffee with the Grim Reaper right now. What is wrong with you? Just because you think my life isn’t worth as much as yours doesn’t mean it’s worthless to me. I treasure my own life too, you know! And instead of thanking me, you wake up and start grilling me? What the hell is your problem?”
She got it all out in one breath, but the effort left her gasping. Her chest tightened, and she rolled her head to the side, coughing violently into the pillow. She was beyond pissed now.
Ryan’s expression only darkened as he watched her rant. His eyes burned with fury, but when she started coughing so hard she could barely breathe, the anger in his gaze turned sharp and dangerous. He stepped forward, climbed onto the bed, and pulled her against his chest, holding her firmly while rubbing her back to soothe her.
Echo coughed so hard she felt like her lungs were about to explode. The blood wasn’t her own, and though it wasn’t being rejected, it hadn’t fully synced with her body yet. She slumped into Ryan’s arms, exhausted, as he continued to gently help her catch her breath.
Even though she was still mad, she could feel the tenderness in Ryan’s touch. His hands were steady and careful, his movements gentle.
She leaned into his chest, panting and rolling her eyes.
What was this guy’s deal? He sounded cold and heartless, but his actions were weirdly soft and caring. It didn’t make any sense.
“I didn’t ask you to save me,” Ryan’s icy voice whispered from behind her, just as her breathing settled.
The words jolted Echo, and she almost jumped out of his arms.
What the hell?! He was really going to act like this now?
Fine-if he didn’t want her to save him, he could damn well give her blood back!
The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but before she could spit them out, Ryan tightened his grip, keeping her from moving.
His arm locked her in place, and with one hand, he gripped her jaw, forcing her to look at him.
His anger was written all over his face, clear as day.
Before she could even process what was happening, Ryan leaned in close and hissed, “Did I ever ask you to risk your life for me?”