As Ivy pulled Echo upstairs, Echo watched her skillfully apply medicine to her wounds. She didn’t get why a few scrapes were worth worrying about, but seeing Ivy’s expertise reminded her of Ryan’s clumsy hands, roughly trying to help her. It made her smile a bit-it was funny and felt oddly natural.
While Ivy worked on Echo’s injuries, she chattered away. “This time, you’re not leaving us again! You had me worried sick, and I missed you. Now that we’ve found you, you have to stick around for a while. And I need your contact info-trying to find you was driving me crazy!” Ivy shot Echo a playful glare.
Echo raised an eyebrow. “I don’t use a phone, and I’m here to take care of something, so I can’t stay long. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“No way!” Ivy shot up from her seat, glaring at Echo. “Whatever you need to do, just tell us. We’ll help you! It’s not fair to see you after so long and then have you leave right away.” She grabbed Echo’s arm tightly, clearly upset.
Echo rubbed her forehead. “I really do have things to take care of.” If Ivy wasn’t genuinely concerned, she wouldn’t be so patient.
Ivy turned to shout down the stairs, “You guys, get up here! Echo says she wants to leave!”
“Why do you want to go?” Michael appeared in the doorway, frowning at Echo.
“I have something to do,” Echo replied straightforwardly, not hiding anything.
Frank rushed up behind Michael and said, “You don’t have to leave just because you have stuff to do! We can help you! This is Michael’s turf-whatever you need, just tell us. We’ll handle it for you.”
Michael nodded seriously. “Whatever it is, I can help you with it.”
Brook shot Michael a look, thinking that was quite a vague promise. Would he really help Echo with anything, even if it meant something extreme? But it seemed like Michael was ready for whatever she needed.
Echo looked up and saw the serious expressions on all their faces, especially Ivy, who kept nodding. After a moment of thought, she said, “I need to find someone.”
After all, she was nothing in Hong Kong, and now that Ryan had ordered all Dark family forces to hunt her down, even if he might’ve retracted that order now, seeking out the regional leader could just send her straight back to the U. S.
She didn’t want to waste the time she had fought so hard for. And looking for someone in a place like Hong Kong on her own wouldn’t be easy. If someone was offering to help, she figured it was worth a shot.
Upon hearing she was looking for someone, Michael smiled slightly. “Just tell me who you’re looking for.”
Finding someone was a piece of cake for him-he could handle anything in this territory. This was just a simple search; how hard could it be?
Seeing Michael’s calm smile, which showed no hint of arrogance or hesitation, Echo raised an eyebrow. “Don’t underestimate this matter. The person I’m looking for has a Level One capture order from the Dark family. You’ve got a maximum of two days to find her. If that’s a problem, I won’t push it.”
It wasn’t just about giving Michael that time; it was the longest she could afford to wait.
Michael raised his eyebrows at her words.
Frank and Brook exchanged serious glances; they knew Dark family was not to be messed with.
Frank said, “Michael, this means you’re going to clash with the Dark family.”
Michael glanced at Echo’s expression, still calm, and smirked. “What’s their name?”
Brook and Frank were taken aback that Michael was actually going to pursue this. They fell silent, and Echo directly stated, “Make me an offer.” She didn’t owe anyone favors, and she didn’t need anyone’s unconditional help; sometimes, those debts were impossible to repay.
Michael studied her intently before saying, “Alright, taking someone from the Dark family isn’t a small deal. It’ll cost ten million dollars. If you don’t have it, I can let you owe me.”
Echo nodded without hesitation. “No problem. I can transfer three million to you right away, and as long as the person comes back unharmed, I’ll send the rest to your account immediately.”
She had that kind of money, and with Ryan’s income from Southeast Asia giving her two percent, it was a fortune. There was nothing she couldn’t cover.
Michael couldn’t help but smile wryly, shaking his head. He had considered Echo might be wealthy, but he hadn’t expected her to be this rich. Ten million wasn’t pocket change, but for her, it seemed like it was no big deal. He realized he should have asked for more; getting involved with her was going to be tricky.
“Alright, now that we’ve got that sorted, you can relax here. Michael will find the person for you as soon as possible. Now let’s go; I’m making your favorite food. Want some? Let’s go!” Ivy, seeing that Echo had given her instructions, cheerfully tugged her along, and Echo let her.
In the room, Frank shook his head with a wry smile at Michael and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Man, turning back isn’t easy. It’s all up to you now.”
Brook added seriously, “You brought this on yourself.” He and Frank led the way out, not really worried about Michael facing off against the Dark family; their tone was more mocking than concerned.
Michael chuckled as he followed them out. He was willing to face whatever challenges lay ahead. It might be difficult, but he was confident. As long as he found the person who mattered most to Echo, he didn’t believe she would still be distant from him.
Time flew by, and soon it was evening.
Echo lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. From what Ivy and Frank had said, it seemed like Michael had significant backing not just in Hong Kong but throughout the East, which was why he dared to compete with Ryan.
If he truly had that kind of power, then it was great news for her. If he could find Skye before Ryan did, that would be a huge win. She just hoped Michael wouldn’t let her down.
Feeling a bit more hopeful about the future, Echo smiled and closed her eyes to sleep.
The clock ticked away, and soon the hands pointed to 3 AM.
After tossing and turning for a while, Echo couldn’t take it anymore. She sat up, rubbing her temples, wondering what was going on. She had never had trouble sleeping before, and she didn’t even know she had a tendency to be sensitive to new beds.
She felt the mattress next to her-soft and warm-but still, she just couldn’t fall asleep. She was really trying, but something felt off, uncomfortable.
Maybe it was too hot? Echo frowned and turned the temperature down to twenty degrees. That should help, right?
But before long, she was shivering.
It wasn’t the temperature, the bed, or her desire to sleep.
What was wrong with her?
Sitting on the bed, frustration washed over her as she tried to figure it out.
Her gaze drifted to the empty half of the bed beside her, and suddenly it clicked. The bed was too big. It felt empty without someone there-a familiar scent, a solid chest to lean against, someone to wrap around her like a pillow.
Echo felt a wave of annoyance. She glared at the spacious bed, letting out a sigh.
Did she have a masochistic streak? Why had she gotten so used to that solid body and its faint scent? It was ridiculous.
Realizing she wasn’t going to sleep, she decided to get up and head outside.
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a bright light over everything. Echo leaned against the dark balcony, propping her head on her hands as she gazed up at the moon.
When had she ever had trouble sleeping? She could usually doze off anywhere. This was the first in twenty years.
It was all Ryan’s fault. She had gotten used to being under pressure. When Ryan wasn’t around in the Dark family, she didn’t mind the lingering scent on the bed. Now, he was the reason she couldn’t sleep. She promised herself that when she saw him again, she’d hold him accountable. It was all his fault, and she couldn’t help but shake her fist in frustration.
Just then, a shadow flickered in front of her. Echo caught a glimpse of someone creeping along the wall toward the villa. She immediately pulled her hand back, freezing in place, and watched the sneaky figure.
One, two, three-Echo counted as she saw more than ten people slink in.