Echo leaned back in her chair, anger written all over her face. “No wonder he hates the Silver family so much. The deeper the hurt, the deeper the hatred. I can’t believe I never thought of that before.”
She realized it wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it; she just hadn’t bothered to think about others. This was the first time she was asking about someone else’s life.
Clement nodded. “Yeah, Little Ryan’s cruelty and ruthlessness came out when he was just three. My sister made him promise at the end not to be too cold-hearted. If someone’s too cold, it hurts others, but it really ends up hurting themselves. My sister was smart. I only now understand what she meant, but Little Ryan has truly turned cold; he’s not that lively, cute kid anymore.”
Echo drummed her fingers on the table, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. She wanted to hit something to release her pent-up emotions. She had always thought that a leader of the underworld wouldn’t have an easy life. She knew Ryan’s past must have been rough, but hearing it all laid out like this stirred something in her that made her uncomfortable-she felt bitter, stifled, and just plain uneasy.
After a long silence, Echo managed to control her emotions and asked Clement, “So how did Ryan end up with the Dark family? How did he become who he is today?”
Her mood had shifted from vague annoyance to genuine curiosity about Ryan’s journey, which was a change for her.
Clement glanced at Echo, noticing the emotions swirling in her eyes. A small, reassuring smile briefly crossed his face as he replied quietly, “After my sister died, my father told me to drop Little Ryan off with the Dark family. My father said that Little Ryan was one of them, not part of the Silver family-he had no reason to be there. I was too weak to fight them off. By the time I got to the Dark family, Little Ryan was already left at their doorstep.”
“He stood there alone for a whole day and night, refusing to come back with me. He said he wanted to hold his own fate in his hands. That’s when I realized Little Ryan truly had the blood of the Dark family in him-the blood of a domineering, arrogant, ruthless, and cold-blooded family. It was clear he was never meant to lead a normal life.”
“I stayed with him for a day and a night until the doors of the Dark family opened for him. His father took him in, and by the time I heard about Little Ryan again, he had become the boss of the Dark family, a top figure in the underworld.”
“I remember it clearly; he was nineteen when everyone in power in the Dark family was killed. He stepped into that position, drenched in blood, and became a legendary figure in the underworld, leading the Dark family to where it is today. No one dared openly challenge him.” Clement sighed at this point, unsure whether to admire Ryan’s abilities or lament his ruthless methods.
Echo exhaled and, seeing Clement pause, asked, “What happened next?”
Clement gave a bitter laugh. “Once he was in the Dark family, I lost all contact with Little Ryan. I have no idea what he went through to become who he is now. I’m not any closer to him than you are.”
Echo raised an eyebrow and nodded after a moment. She realized that the only one who might know how Ryan climbed to the boss position in the Dark family would be Adolph, maybe even Hawk, but they probably didn’t know much either.
Clement noticed Echo raising her eyebrows without saying anything and softly said, “Little Echo, Little Ryan hasn’t been around women for years. You’re the only one. I don’t know why he’s taken to you, but promise me this: Little Ryan isn’t a bad person. Never betray him.”
Echo was taken aback by Clement’s gentle but serious tone. She replied, “I don’t think Ryan is a bad person.”
Maybe to others, he seemed that way, but not to her. He’d risked everything to save her and stayed loyal to his crew. To her, Ryan wasn’t a bad guy.
Clement frowned and thought for a moment. “That’s good to hear.”
Echo frowned again and asked, “Why do I need to promise you not to betray him? I never said I would. He’s my boss. If I betrayed him, I’d be dead for sure-why would I need to promise you?”
Hearing about Ryan’s past made her uncomfortable, and she didn’t really understand what Clement was getting at.
Clement saw the confusion on her face and wanted to laugh, but couldn’t, so he just shook his head slightly. “Just remember my words. You don’t have to understand them now, but you will someday. And don’t tell Little Ryan what I said. If you do, you might be fine, but I might end up getting sent to the Arctic to steal penguin graves.”
He looked at Echo seriously. Ryan wasn’t the Little Ryan of the past anymore. If Ryan found out he was sharing this with her, who knew how furious he’d get?
Clement didn’t want to deal with Ryan’s anger.
Echo laughed and shook her head. “Ryan isn’t who you think he is. If he knew you were talking to me about this, he wouldn’t even bat an eye. He doesn’t care what others say about his past; he doesn’t let it bother him.”
After a pause, she continued in a low voice, “Ryan is ruthless and cold, but he’s also proud. He doesn’t want pity or sympathy; he wants absolute respect and unconditional trust. There’s nothing he can’t do in this world, so all that past stuff is just decoration, not even that. He cares about the present and the future; that’s where his power lies.”
Clement was taken aback by how casually Echo spoke, as if she hadn’t even thought about it. He’d told her about Ryan’s past because he saw how differently Ryan treated her. Clearly, Echo didn’t grasp the significance of that difference. He’d hoped to evoke some sympathy for Ryan’s tragic childhood, but it seemed his approach was off.
With a sigh, Clement said, “It’s been so long since I’ve been close to Little Ryan. It’s surprising that someone who’s only known him for a few months seems to understand him better than I do. But I’m glad Ryan has good taste. They say everyone needs a kindred spirit in life, and having someone like you is his blessing.”
Echo shot him a cold glare, feeling that his comment had ruined her mood.
A kindred spirit? What a joke! She couldn’t be further from that.
She glared at Clement and exclaimed, “Do you really think Ryan sees me as some kind of soulmate? Do you think we could ever be described like that? Stop acting like a wise elder; whether it’s a blessing or not isn’t up to you to decide.”
Clement saw Echo looking like a startled chicken and couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, okay, I take it back. I guess spending too much time in ancient tombs has messed with my modern thinking.”
Echo, noticing Clement’s comical expression, felt her anger dissipate before it could even build up. She rolled her eyes and suddenly changed the subject. “By the way, why would you choose to rob graves instead of being a proper noble? I mean, this field might be profitable, but…”
Before she could finish, Echo caught herself.
Clement noticed she seemed to realize something and chuckled. “What’s so great about being from a family like that? It’s not nearly as freeing as this grave robbing gig. Plus, as you said, it pays well and gives me a lot of freedom.”
Echo nodded. Freedom-that’s what she wanted. But it felt like she was moving further away from it, and with Ryan, would she ever be free? Probably not, but she didn’t feel as opposed to it now, even if she still longed for freedom.
Looking at Clement’s cheerful face made Echo uncomfortable. She stood up and said, “You should rest and take care of yourself. Just tell the servants what you need; they won’t dare mess with you. I’ll head out now.” With that, she walked toward the door.
Hearing about Ryan’s hatred for women unsettled her, even though she knew he wasn’t the weak Little Ryan anymore. She felt a strange mix of emotions-was it sympathy? Not really. It was hard to put her finger on it, and it just left her feeling annoyed and frustrated.
Damn, what was this feeling?
Clement didn’t stop her from leaving and smiled, saying, “Come chat with me when you have some free time. It gets really dull here.”
Echo nodded without looking back as she left.
Clement watched her go, a smile slowly forming on his lips. This girl was kind-hearted, stronger inside than she appeared, with unique and precise thoughts. She could see the essence of things but was naive about emotions.
He thought he could influence her feelings and help her understand, but it seemed that wouldn’t work out as well as he hoped. As she said, Ryan didn’t need sympathy or pity-he just wanted her to understand him better, as someone special to Ryan.
Ryan had many loyal followers-Hawk, Cobra, any of them might even be more devoted than Echo. But Ryan didn’t need so many loyal subordinates anymore; he wanted someone who could truly be with him, love him, and support him for life.
Unfortunately, neither of them seemed to get that. Ryan was emotionally unavailable, and Echo was too straightforward.
Clement shook his head with a sigh; he had a long road ahead of him.