After a moment of hesitation, Echo decided to let it go.
Echo wasn’t naturally curious, and right now, she was too hungry to care whether it was some ghost or enemy. With a shrug, she turned and kept walking.
But there it was again-a flash of white, moving in her peripheral vision.
Echo rolled her eyes.
What now? She seriously doubted anyone would dare mess with her while Ryan was around. Whoever this was had to be looking for trouble.
This time, the figure stopped at the base of a tree in the distance, half-hidden in the shadows, as if waiting for her to follow.
Echo narrowed her eyes, standing still for a moment.
It was clear that whoever this was wouldn’t leave her alone unless she followed.
Rubbing her temples, she let out a long sigh.
Fine. She’d play along and see what this was all about-better that than getting stuck with some weirdo trailing her all night.
As soon as she took a step toward the figure, it disappeared again, darting deeper into the woods.
Echo’s brow furrowed. Now this was getting annoying. A cold huff escaped her lips, and she quickened her pace, chasing after the white blur.
The figure didn’t seem to be playing games, though. It kept just enough distance between them-not too far, not too close-so Echo had no trouble keeping up.
After a few twists and turns through the trees, the figure finally led her to a villa not far from Ryan’s.
Darkness.
All Echo could feel was darkness.
Sure, Ryan liked black, but the Dark family estate was usually lit up at night.
A villa this pitch-black-darker than the night itself-was definitely unusual.
The only explanation? Its owner wasn’t home.
Standing on the steps of the villa, Echo said calmly, “I’m not in the mood to play hide-and-seek. If you’ve got something to say, say it. But if you’re just messing with me, don’t blame me for not playing along. I’ll leave right now if you keep this up.” She started to turn away, making it clear she was serious about walking off.
Echo wasn’t the curious type. She didn’t care about digging into other people’s secrets, nor did she have the patience for this kind of nonsense.
Honestly, the fact that she’d followed whoever this was was already more than generous. But if they kept this up, she wasn’t wasting any more time. She was hungry-and right now, food was her top priority.
She didn’t believe anyone in the Dark family would dare move against Ryan so blatantly.
And if someone was foolish enough to target her, even though she hadn’t fully earned her place yet, they’d still be going up against Ryan’s publicly recognized sixth-in-command.
As for secret plots or being dragged to see some creepy place? Sorry, but Ryan had already drained every bit of mental energy she had.
If it didn’t threaten her life, she had no interest. She wasn’t going to waste her time playing detective.
Just as she was about to leave, a gust of wind rushed toward her from behind. Echo’s eyes narrowed, and she instinctively dodged to the side.
She might not have any formal martial arts training, but after years of sparring with Skye, she knew how to avoid a hit. Skye had always told her that if she couldn’t fight back, the next best thing was learning how to dodge. And Echo had gotten pretty good at reading movement and avoiding blows.
Before she could fully turn around, though, a sharp blade pressed against her neck. She froze, her expression barely shifting in the darkness, though a subtle frown flickered across her face.
“This is what you call skill?” a cold, dissatisfied voice said, dripping with judgment.
Echo arched a brow.
A woman. The voice belonged to a woman.
Without missing a beat, Echo replied flatly, “Yes.” Not a word more.
“So pathetic,” the woman muttered, her voice low and cold, but it didn’t escape Echo’s sharp hearing.
Echo raised her brow slightly, unimpressed.
What the hell? Ryan never gave her grief over her lack of combat skills-who did this woman think she was?
“With your skills, you think you deserve to be by Ryan’s side?” The woman’s icy tone was laced with harsh criticism.
Echo’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.
She just called Ryan by his name? That was unheard of. No one in the Dark family addressed him so casually-Ryan was absolute authority here. Anyone bold enough to drop his name like that had to have some serious guts.
That one little detail shifted Echo’s mindset. She had approached this whole situation casually at first, but now she straightened up slightly, her demeanor sharpening.
If this woman was addressing Ryan like that, she had to either be an outsider or an enemy. Neither option seemed likely, but the facts were right in front of her.
“Whether I deserve it or not is between Ryan and me. What’s it got to do with you?” Echo’s tone was just as cold, but she didn’t get angry, nor did she find it funny. It was a simple statement of fact.
“Bastard! Who do you think you are, calling Ryan by his name?” The woman’s voice dripped with pure rage and cruelty-like the edge of a blade pressed against Echo’s neck, sharp and even colder in the night.
Hearing that, Echo’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
It felt like the woman was projecting her own insecurities-like a thief crying thief. That tone, laced with possessiveness and annoyance, amused Echo and made her smile turn a little bitter.
Seriously? Did Ryan have a secret admirer?
Was this woman blind, or just thick-skinned to the extreme?
The jealousy in her voice was unmistakable.
Echo couldn’t help but want to turn around and see what this woman looked like.
“So, what gives you the right to call him Ryan?” Echo shot back without missing a beat, as if the words came naturally. As she spoke, she tapped the blade resting against her neck. “Not like I could fight you off, and there’s no one else here to help. What, are you afraid I’ll run off?”
Echo hadn’t cared much at first, but now she was genuinely curious.
Ryan’s admirer? She needed to get a look at her.
The woman behind her didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. She kept the blade steady against Echo’s neck without a hint of hesitation.
“Pathetic,” the woman said coldly.
Echo’s expression darkened instantly. No one had ever called her pathetic before. Sure, she wasn’t proud of the things she’d done, but compared to the people in the Dark family, she was practically a saint. Whether she was pathetic or not? Nobody had the right to judge that.
Her face hardened as she said, “What do you want with me? I’m in a bad mood, so you better show me some damn respect.” She was no longer in the mood to meet this admirer.
The woman didn’t even flinch. Her voice stayed as cold as ever. “A loser is still a loser. With skills as useless as yours, what good are you to Ryan?”
Echo’s gaze turned icy, and her voice dropped low. “Just because my skills are rusty doesn’t mean I can’t take you down.”
“You? Take me down?” The woman scoffed, her mocking laugh cutting through the silence.
But just as she was about to say more, she suddenly went quiet.
The night grew still, leaving only the sound of their breathing.