As the tinted window lowered, Echo found herself choking on her breath, stuck between wanting to move forward or back. She locked eyes with the person inside the car and shivered; this was it.
Inside the black Cadillac, Ryan’s cold gaze fixed on Echo. There was no threat, no malice, but it left her at a loss for what to do with her limbs. She could only stand there and grin awkwardly, feeling completely powerless. No matter how fierce she was in front of others, in Ryan’s presence, she was like a mouse in front of a cat.
“Miss, please come with me,” the servant who had been leading them said, noticing Echo was frozen in place and staring at the approaching guest. He slightly raised his voice, urgency creeping in.
Echo stretched her legs, glanced back at Ryan’s icy eyes, and sighed internally. Since she’d been caught in the act, there was no way to just walk away and disrespect Ryan. Even if she tried to run, it wouldn’t work. So she decided to face him instead.
Ignoring the servant, she turned and headed straight for Ryan.
Brook, standing next to Echo, quickly grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? We need to leave; that guy isn’t someone we can mess with,” he whispered, pulling her aside.
Brook had a keen eye. Even though Ryan only showed his eyes, they conveyed so much power, a kind that not everyone possessed. His cold stare made Brook uneasy, and he worried about whether Echo could handle it.
Echo stumbled a bit as Brook pulled her away, but she quickly shook off his grip. “I know,” she said, stepping toward Ryan.
At that moment, Michael, standing at the entrance of the main house, noticed the commotion. Seeing Echo walk over with a resigned expression made him frown slightly. Before he could say anything, the door of the Cadillac swung open, and Hawk, Cobra, and the others stepped out in an orderly fashion, silent as ever.
Michael had crossed paths with Hawk before, so when he saw Hawk coming through the side door, he immediately understood who had arrived and raised his eyebrows in recognition.
Four men stepped out of the car simultaneously, all striking and exuding a cold aura. One of them glanced at Echo as she approached, raising an eyebrow in her direction. Although Michael had never met Cobra, the way he carried himself as he exited the main vehicle made his status clear.
When Michael saw Cobra walking toward Echo, he frowned. If Ryan was here, then Ryan’s rules and cold demeanor would be quite strict; there was no way he’d allow a stranger to interrupt. Michael quickly moved, flashing a smile as he hurried toward Echo.
“This lady, here….”
“Step aside.” The servants lined up on either side had tried to stop Echo as she moved forward, but before they could finish, Cobra’s cold voice interrupted.
The servant looked up at the Boss of the Brown family standing at the entrance of the main house, who gave a slight nod. The servant promptly stepped aside, respectfully creating a path.
Echo glanced at Cobra. To others, he might seem cold, but to her, he looked like someone with ulterior motives and was mocking her. Feeling a bit annoyed, she shot him a glare. She was already in a bad mood, and now he had to come along and make fun of her; he really wasn’t a good person.
“Sorry, it was my oversight that my friend interrupted you all; I hope you can forgive us,” Michael said, offering a polite smile to the group as he positioned himself in front of Echo.
Cobra raised an eyebrow at Michael and then glanced at Echo, blocked by Michael. A smirk crept onto his lips, but he said nothing.
With an elegant smile, Michael turned slightly toward Ryan, who remained in the car, and gave a slight nod of apology. “My apologies, Mr. Ryan. My father is still waiting for you. It’s a rare occasion for you to visit the Brown family, so let’s not ruin the mood; my friend was being presumptuous. Please let her go,” As he spoke, he subtly gestured for Echo to step back. He couldn’t understand why Echo had approached, clearly unaware of how ruthless and formidable Ryan truly was.
Ryan shot Michael a cold glance but remained silent.
Meanwhile, Echo, standing behind Michael, noticed a flicker of irritation in Ryan’s eyes. She couldn’t help but smile brightly, thinking, what was going on? When did she need Michael to defend her? Asking Ryan, her boss, to let her go was like challenging Ryan.
Deciding to sidestep Michael, Echo stepped up to Ryan’s car. She smiled at his icy gaze, maintaining her composure as she opened the car door and bowed slightly.
Michael frowned at her actions, surprised, while Brook, Frank, and the others stood at a distance, equally astonished.
“Boss,” Echo called softly.
Ryan shot her a cold look before slowly getting out of the car.
Michael, standing closest, quickly masked his surprise with a calm smile, as if Echo being Ryan’s subordinate was not entirely unacceptable to him.
“Mr. Ryan, welcome, welcome,” said a middle-aged man standing at the entrance of the main house, greeting Ryan with a faint smile.
Ryan nodded and walked toward him, replying coolly, “Mr. Brown.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Mr. Brown and Ryan walked side by side into the main house, while Echo remained silent, following closely behind with Hawk and the others.
Michael followed his father, and when he noticed Echo trailing behind Ryan, he raised an eyebrow. He glanced down at the bandages Echo had apparently removed from her fingers, and the wolf ring on her hand caught him off guard. He couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, shaking his head slightly, but his gaze grew more intense.
From a distance, Brook took a deep breath and said, “No wonder I felt she was someone special. Mr. Ryan recently promoted her to the sixth leader of the Dark family. How did I not see that? Echo really has some serious connections.”
Frank smirked and said, “Looks like he’s got a worthy challenge now. Let’s go; that guy has an intense vibe.” He shivered a little, still feeling uncomfortable from Ryan’s icy glare.
Inside the main house, Ryan and Mr. Brown took their seats, and after some coffee was served, Mr. Brown dismissed the servants, leaving only Michael and Echo.
Mr. Brown looked at Ryan and said with a polite smile, ” Mr. Ryan, I know you are a straightforward person, so I won’t beat around the bush. What brings you here this time?”
Ryan nodded and said, “I need to borrow a path.”
Echo realized these two were indeed direct-one was bluntly stating his point while the other was outright making a request. There was no beating around the bush at all.
She raised an eyebrow but remained silent, standing behind Ryan, contemplating how she would explain things to him later. She noted that she hadn’t been too badly hurt, but Michael’s comment about her being a friend might lead Ryan to think she was just here for a social visit, disregarding his orders. If that happened, she’d be in deep trouble.
Mr. Ryan asked, “Borrow a path? What exactly do you want?” Though he didn’t finish, he thought Ryan would understand the implication, even if others might not.
Ryan nodded slightly but didn’t respond to Mr. Ryan’s question. Mr. Ryan furrowed his brow, hesitating.
Michael, sitting beside Mr. Brown, suddenly smiled at Ryan and said, “Mr. Ryan, the Brown family doesn’t have much business with the Dark family. Now you suddenly want us to clear a path for you? That doesn’t really benefit us. Business is business-there’s gotta be something in it for us, and this isn’t a small matter.”
Ryan shot Michael a cold look, and when he saw Michael still smiling confidently, showing no signs of intimidation, he replied in a low voice, “Fine, let’s be direct. Just name your price, and if I find it reasonable, we’ll talk.”
Michael’s eyes lit up at this, and he quickly cut off Mr. Brown, who was about to speak. With a raised eyebrow and a smile, he said, “Mr. Ryan, since you are being so straightforward, I won’t hold back either. Although the Brown family doesn’t have the same history in arms as the Dark family, we’re not a bunch of street thugs either. Extorting others isn’t our style; we believe in reciprocity, and we all get something out of it.”
He paused for a moment, glancing at Echo, who seemed a bit anxious, and then with a smirk said, “I’ve heard a lot about the talent in the Dark family. Mr. Ryan, your four men like Hawk and Cobra are exceptional, and losing or gaining one doesn’t matter much to them, but for me, it’s crucial. I want Echo.”
The room fell silent at his words.