Ryan gave her a calm look and said flatly, “Just a scratch.”
But Echo was already pulling up his pant leg, revealing a nasty wound on his calf. A large patch of skin had been scraped off, and blood was trickling down. It wasn’t gushing, but there was enough to pool and stain the ground. Echo’s brow furrowed as she pressed firmly above the wound to slow the bleeding.
Ryan didn’t say a word. To him, this injury was barely worth noticing-it didn’t even register as a real wound. If Echo wanted to fuss over it, though, he wasn’t going to stop her.
His body’s natural healing kicked in quickly, and the bleeding stopped within moments. Echo stood without a word and began unbuttoning Ryan’s shirt. Ryan’s eyes narrowed as Clement shifted closer, leaning on the wall for support.
Ryan grabbed Echo’s hand firmly and said in a low voice, “It’s nothing.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Echo snapped, glaring up at him.
If she hadn’t had the glowing pearls with her, Ryan would’ve never mentioned the injury-he would’ve kept quiet and let it go.
The two locked eyes: Ryan cold and indifferent, Echo simmering with frustration and something she couldn’t quite name.
“That scratch won’t kill him. What matters now is figuring out how to get out of here. If we don’t, I don’t know how long you two can last, but I’m already running out of time,” Clement interrupted, a weak smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he leaned heavily against the stone wall.
Echo bit her lip, trying to shake off the strange wave of emotion that had hit her earlier.
Why did she care so much about Ryan’s well-being all of a sudden?
But Clement’s words brought her back to reality.
Now wasn’t the time for personal feelings.
Pushing down the discomfort in her chest, she grabbed Ryan’s arm tightly, signaling that she wouldn’t insist on fussing over him any longer.
Ryan pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist, and brushed his hand gently through her hair. Then, in his usual cold tone, he asked Clement, “How do we get out of here?”
There was no time for chit-chat or explanations. It didn’t take a genius to understand their situation. Trapped without food or water, staying here meant certain death.
With her mind refocused, Echo finally got a good look at Clement.
Clement seemed to be in his early forties, his entire appearance disheveled and covered in dried blood. It was impossible to tell exactly where he was injured, though it didn’t seem like any gunshot wounds were too serious-he wouldn’t have made it this far if they were. His clothes were wrapped tightly around his injuries in makeshift bandages, suggesting he knew how to handle wounds with some degree of experience.
His leg appeared to be slightly out of place, likely twisted or dislocated from the fall. Whether it was a fracture or just a sprain, Echo couldn’t tell, and she certainly wasn’t equipped to help him.
Clement’s breathing was labored as he leaned against the wall, his face pale and bloodless. His cracked lips were covered in painful splits, making him look almost ghostly.
Yet, despite his appearance, there was a surprising warmth in his demeanor-a softness that stood out against the coldness she was used to from the Silver family. It wasn’t the same kind of warmth she’d seen in others before. No, this was different-gentle, calm, and filled with quiet affection.
It dawned on Echo then-this warmth, this love she sensed in Clement… it was meant for Ryan.
“Hey, girl, you done checking me out? Come over here and light the place up for me-I need to find the mechanism to get us out,” Clement said with a small smile as he leaned against the wall.
It was as if the injuries on his body didn’t exist. There wasn’t a trace of pain on his face, just a bit of satisfaction and amusement.
While Echo had been sizing him up, Clement had also been observing her. He knew better than anyone why Ryan kept women at arm’s length and avoided them entirely.
So seeing Ryan holding her close without a hint of discomfort or rejection was a shock. And when they’d fallen earlier, he’d heard the wind whistling as Ryan shielded her with his body.
Surprised? Absolutely. But beyond that, Clement felt relief and even joy. He didn’t expect Ryan to turn into some Casanova, but seeing someone get close to him was enough to make him happy. Whatever Ryan thought about it didn’t matter-Clement was ready to accept it.
“I’m Echo,” she said, tugging at Ryan’s hand, signaling for him to let her go so she could walk over to Clement.
As she helped search for the mechanism, Echo couldn’t help but think about Clement’s condition.
Three days without food or water would push anyone to their limit, and on top of that, he was injured. The fact that he was still holding on, probably just to help Ryan escape, made his loyalty crystal clear.
Echo always had a knack for reading people, and Clement’s feelings for Ryan were obvious-no words needed.
“We can wait for Hawk and the others to come find us,” Echo suggested.
She frowned as she noticed the sweat beading on Clement’s forehead. He was dragging his obviously dislocated leg along the wall, searching and calculating with every step. Without a word, Echo slipped her shoulder under his arm to support him.
Clement, exhausted, didn’t hesitate to rest his hand on her shoulder. He didn’t care about propriety-he just chuckled softly as he continued his search. “Girl, the stone slab above us weighs 130 tons. Do you think Ryan’s men are gonna blow it up? Or are they supposed to jump down here and give us one more problem to deal with?”
Echo glanced up at the ceiling. It had to be at least thirty feet high. The fact that she’d fallen from that height and only ended up with a few scratches-well, that was nothing short of a miracle. Or, more accurately, Ryan’s doing.
She turned to look back at Ryan, but before she could fully face him, a strong hand grabbed her arm and yanked her aside. She stumbled, falling straight into Ryan’s chest. Clement, suddenly without Echo’s support, collapsed toward the ground.
“What the hell, Boss?!” Echo yelped, instinctively reaching out to catch Clement.
But before she could grab him, Ryan snatched Clement by the collar and lifted him effortlessly.
Echo froze, stunned.
“Stand right here,” Ryan ordered, his cold gaze locking onto her.
He held Clement up like he weighed nothing, clearly intending to take over for her.
Echo arched a brow but stayed put, a sly grin spreading across her face. So that was what this was about-he wanted to help his uncle.
Why didn’t he just say that in the first place? What a stubborn man. Echo crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall, grinning as she watched the two men.
Clement, hanging by his collar in Ryan’s grip, let his weight rest entirely on Ryan. It saved him some energy, and he chuckled softly. “Such strong possessiveness.”
“Get to work, or you’ll regret it,” Ryan warned, his eyes sharp as he grabbed Clement by the throat.
Clement chuckled again, ignoring the threat. “Still… I’m glad.”
His words were vague, but Ryan understood. His expression darkened a bit, but his grip didn’t tighten further.
The room fell silent, with only their footsteps and breathing echoing in the space.
Clement knew Ryan well-when Ryan committed to something, he was all in. It didn’t matter who the other person was; if they weren’t aligned with him, Ryan wouldn’t hesitate to be ruthless. With a bitter smile, Clement continued searching, his hands feeling along the walls with renewed urgency.
“Hey, girl, grab me something to eat. I can’t keep going.” Clement leaned against the stone wall, breathing heavily as dizziness started to overwhelm him.
“Food?” Echo blinked in surprise.
How did he know he’d get trapped here and still manage to bring food? Baffled but curious, she headed over to where Clement had been earlier.
She found a small bag with two packs of crackers left inside. The rest was filled with odd tools-strange, unfamiliar things that Echo couldn’t make sense of, though she guessed they were meant for tomb raiding.
Clement gave her a weak smile when she handed over the bag. “You can’t rob a tomb without packing snacks.”
Echo didn’t entirely understand, and Clement didn’t bother explaining. Tomb raiding wasn’t a quick job-it could take days. Bringing food was essential, especially in the desert. Unfortunately, the high fall earlier had spilled their water supply, leaving him in this sorry state.
After a brief rest, Clement pushed himself to his feet. Without a word, Ryan hoisted him up again like he weighed nothing and kept searching.
Echo watched the two of them, raising an eyebrow. Watching Ryan carry his uncle around like a sack of potatoes-it was hard to tell whether the scene was funny or had some deeper meaning.
“So… whose tomb is this?” Clement murmured as he inspected a seemingly insignificant corner. There, he found a stone panel slightly different from the rest of the wall.
“I thought you already knew,” Echo teased, stepping closer.
Clement glanced at her, his gaze thoughtful.
Echo smirked. “That golden mask… I figured you’d know by now.” She reached out to steady Ryan, who frowned and gave her a sharp look.