Just by looking at the dark circles under Adolph’s eyes, she could tell he must’ve been driven nearly insane these past few days. Even someone as resilient as Adolph looked worn out after just a couple of days. This wasn’t like him at all.
When the military planes had landed, Adolph had been the first to storm out, greeting Ryan with a flurry of punches-a pretty clear sign of his frustration and worry.
Now that Ryan was here, having breakfast with Adolph in a garden Adolph liked, it was clear he respected Adolph’s worry and effort.
Ryan wasn’t the type to inconvenience himself for others, so letting Adolph choose the setting meant he genuinely valued him as a friend. Of course, Ryan’s scowl still made it obvious he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be there, though Echo suspected he had his own reason to be in a good mood too, even if he didn’t show it.
As for Hawk and the others, it wasn’t some narrow escape that had them so cheerful; they’d been in the Dark family long enough that danger didn’t shake them. The fact they were happy enough to joke around with her suggested something big. For Ryan and his team, the only news that could have this effect was something about the Street family.
“Smart,” Adolph said, clapping his hands lightly when Echo guessed correctly.
“Is the Street family destroyed?” Echo straightened up, looking at Adolph with surprise.
Adolph rolled his eyes at her, while Bill chuckled and shook his head. “Do you think the Street family is just a flimsy paper tiger? You think a century-old family would fall that easily?”
Echo, realizing her reaction was a bit much, rubbed her temples and muttered, “I mean, I figured it couldn’t be that easy to take them down. But seeing you all so happy, I thought a miracle might’ve happened.”
“Miracle? There’s no such thing as a miracle in this world,” Ryan interjected flatly.
As Tiger approached with a tray, he added, “While Boss was away at sea, Mr. Adolph teamed up with the Brown family to take down the Street family’s top partner, the Ford family.” He set the breakfast down in front of Ryan.
Echo hadn’t been with the Dark family for long, and though Ryan had her studying everything from Dark family operations to their rivals, she still felt a bit out of her depth.
Hearing Tiger’s words, she wasn’t quite sure what it meant for the Dark family. Just one of their partners? Was that really worth all this excitement?
Seeing Echo stare at him in confusion, Adolph shot her a glance, then looked straight at Ryan and said, “Ryan, you really need to train her properly.”
Echo bared her teeth at Adolph, about to snap back, but Ryan nodded coldly, “I agree.”
Echo immediately spun around, glaring at Ryan. “Boss!”
Ryan just reached over, patting her hair calmly. “What you need to learn, you’ll learn,” he said in a tone so steady it left no room for argument.
Echo instantly wilted, turning to rest her chin in her hand and glared at Adolph, who was smiling smugly at her.
Hawk, seeing this, shook his head slightly. “Think about it: if someone took down Mr. Adolph’s influence, how much of a blow would that be to the Dark family?”
Echo’s eyes lit up as it clicked, but Adolph’s face darkened. “Don’t even think about comparing me to the Ford family. They don’t deserve it.”
“It’s just a comparison,” Hawk said, ignoring Adolph’s irritation, knowing he wouldn’t do anything about it.
Now Echo got the picture-she didn’t need to know every detail; the outcome was enough. For once, seeing Hawk and the others genuinely pleased made her feel a hint of excitement too, even as someone who wasn’t deeply connected to the Dark family yet.
“Right now, the Street family is in complete chaos,” Adolph said, taking a leisurely sip of his drink in the sunlight. “If they had the guts to pick a fight, they better be able to handle the consequences.”
Echo glanced at Adolph drinking wine even with breakfast and remembered Ryan never drank. All the time she’d spent with him, she’d never seen him near a drop of alcohol. What a disciplined guy, she thought, raising an eyebrow.
Sitting beside her, Ryan didn’t catch her expression, but Adolph did and smiled elegantly. “Alcohol messes with your judgment,” he said. “Ryan avoids anything that might cloud his decisions. Hopefully, you won’t become like this wine-attractive at first but ultimately something he’ll need to leave behind.”
Echo froze, noticing a shadow in Adolph’s eyes. Hawk and the others had stopped talking too. Though they weren’t looking directly at her, she knew they were waiting for her response.
Adolph’s meaning was clear: if she ever compromised Ryan’s judgment, her days would be numbered. Ryan held too much power and influence; there was no room for any mistakes in his decisions, and any error would be judged by their standards.
She paused for a second, but before she could respond, Ryan suddenly put a firm hand on her head and said coolly, “That’s my concern. Adolph, you’ve overstepped. Don’t make me angry today.” His tone was calm, but Adolph, Hawk, and the others all sensed the underlying tension in his words.
Adolph stayed quiet, and Hawk and Tiger exchanged glances without speaking. They’d just wanted to give Echo a heads-up-if a time ever came when Ryan couldn’t make a tough call, she should end herself.
It was purely precautionary, unlikely to happen, but they wanted her to be aware.
Echo took it all in, smiled slightly, and took Adolph’s wine glass from his hand. Staring at the deep red of the wine, she smirked. “No.”
She knew exactly what they were implying. She’d seen enough of the cliche scenes on TV: the boss’s woman, forced to face enemy capture, either defecting or dying to preserve his face and reputation.
But why should she? She was in danger because of Ryan, not the other way around.
Loyalty, big picture? That wasn’t her style. She was selfish, didn’t care about the so-called “greater good,” and was unapologetically a small-minded person.
As soon as Echo spoke so bluntly, Adolph and the others stared at her in surprise. No one had ever put it that directly or so forcefully. They couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“If I die, Ryan’s going with me,” she said, every word clear and firm, as if it was just how things should be.
Echo turned and looked at Ryan, her smile brighter than ever, and downed the wine in one gulp.
Adolph and the others were shocked, taken aback by her boldness and intensity.
Echo always seemed interested in everything yet truly cared about nothing. They’d never seen her reveal such fierce determination. Her usual calm masked a fierce inner fire, something primal, almost beastly, like Ryan’s.
This moment pulled out her truest self: either they’d live together or die together. Since he’d captured her attention, he’d be tied to her, life or death.
Sacrifice herself? Not a chance.
The crazy yet oddly natural thought surprised even Echo a bit, but she didn’t feel anything wrong with it.
Glancing at the stunned Adolph and the others, she relaxed and smiled. “Why so serious? Isn’t it way too early for this talk? I haven’t even…”
“Spit it out.” The cold command cut in just as Adolph and the others snapped out of it.
Echo felt her jaw seized firmly, her head yanked to the side, and the glass was taken from her before she could finish.
“Gone.” She gave Ryan a wide-eyed, innocent look, wondering what he was angry about.
How could she “spit it out” after swallowing?
“Don’t drink from someone else’s glass,” Ryan said through clenched teeth, fury burning in his gaze as he threw the glass to the ground.
How dare she drink from a glass Adolph had used?
Echo suddenly understood why he was mad. She nodded quickly, looking apologetic.
Ryan, seeing this, gave a cold grunt and pulled her close, arm tight around her waist. “No next time,” he said in a low voice.
Echo nodded again, promising repeatedly.
With that, some of Ryan’s anger finally subsided. He gripped her chin, met her gaze, and let a dangerous smile spread across his face.
“I’m pleased,” he said, word by word.
His meaning was vague, but Echo, Adolph, and the others understood perfectly.
Adolph, Hawk, and the others exchanged looks, expressions reflecting their disbelief and helplessness.
Echo simply nodded, “Good to hear.”
Watching Echo and Ryan, Adolph and the others were left speechless. Two maniacs, two misfits, or maybe even two monsters-no one knew what to make of it. Just like nobody ever expected Ryan to act this way. It was beyond anything they could have imagined.
“Ahem, right,” Tiger cleared his throat, changing the subject. “Michael was just looking for Boss. I think he’s here to say goodbye.”
It was indeed, as Echo had pointed out, way too early to be discussing anything like this. Nothing had even happened yet.