Michael had tagged along on this trip mainly to find an algae-based alternative to oil. Now that he’d found it, his mission was complete. Sure, he’d been through some ups and downs, but he’d also come to understand Echo’s true feelings.
There was no point sticking around any longer; he wasn’t the type to cling onto something hopeless. Knowing when to let go was just part of who he was, so leaving felt natural.
Ryan, hearing this, just said coolly, “You handle it.” He was not interested in seeing Michael. He couldn’t stand the guy.
“I’ll go,” Echo piped up, immediately heading out.
She had at least some history with Michael and Ivy, after all, and it’d be pretty rude not to at least say goodbye.
Ryan frowned slightly but didn’t stop her.
“Echo, awake at last?” Ivy greeted her at the door of the spacious villa, her face a bit less pale as she gave a warm smile.
Echo raised an eyebrow, grinning. “You know me too well.” She turned to Cobra. “I’ll handle the send-off. Go get some rest.”
Cobra nodded at her, then gave Michael a nod before walking off.
Ivy held Echo’s hand and said softly, “Take care of yourself, alright? Stop getting hurt all the time. You’re a girl; you need to protect yourself. Mr. Ryan’s a man, and a tough one at that. Let him handle the danger. You hear me?”
Echo laughed, holding Ivy’s hand as she met her friend’s worried eyes. “I know, I’ve never thought I should be the one to jump in front of danger. I’d much rather ‘let someone else go down than me,'” she joked.
“As long as you get it,” Michael interrupted with a small smile. When Echo looked his way, he shook his head. “Why didn’t you choose me? If you were with me, I’d never let you get hurt. You don’t want to reconsider? I may not be as ‘superhuman’ as Mr. Ryan, but at least I know how to care.”
Seeing Michael’s smile, Echo couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows and laugh. “Sure, if you could rewind time, I’d reconsider.”
Michael chuckled bitterly. He knew he was just joking-there was no room for him between those two anymore. With Ryan’s cold attitude and obvious dislike toward him, Michael understood that if he somehow swayed Echo, he’d be a dead man. No question about it.
“Alright, enough kidding around. I waited for you to tell you one thing,” he said, getting serious. “With your position in the Dark family, don’t let yourself be shortchanged. If you’re that close, then make sure you’re recognized officially-as Mrs. Ryan-or else stick to your role as a subordinate. Hanging in limbo like this isn’t a good position to be in.”
Echo raised an eyebrow, but before she could respond, Michael continued. “I know you might not have thought about this, and no one might’ve brought it up, but society is realistic. No matter how unique you are to Mr. Ryan, there’s a fundamental difference between being his mistress and being his wife. This distinction? Only you can figure out how to handle it.”
As soon as Michael finished, Ivy added quietly, “I was just about to bring this up too. You’re alone in the Dark family with no close confidant. You rely on Mr. Ryan’s support, but in a family like his, just being loved or capable isn’t enough. High-society families have their own survival rules. No matter how close or in love you two are, status and position are essential. We’ve all thought about this, and I’m sure no one in the Dark family would tell you-after all, their loyalty is to Mr. Ryan, not you.
“As close as you are to him now, those with power above you can still put you down, teach you a lesson, because your title limits you. But if you became Mr. Ryan’s wife, no one would dare disrespect you or go against your wishes.”
“Echo, I know it sounds like I’m tarnishing the sacred idea of love here, but reality is what it is. Especially in a powerful, century-old family like Dark’s, they value tradition and order. Don’t believe that love alone will protect you. If there’s a place to claim or defend, you need to go for it. Those titles you call ’empty’? They’re the very thing that’ll let you keep everyone in line.” Ivy’s words came with a gravity that struck Echo.
Honestly, Echo had never thought about this before. To her, whether it was a big-name family or an average one, they were all just people with some extra cash or power. She hadn’t considered the need to plan things out so thoroughly. Hearing this from Michael and Ivy, she raised her brows slightly but didn’t respond.
Michael, seeing her silence, understood that Echo was smart enough to get the point. He nodded. “Just be careful. Don’t let Hawk or Adolph pull one over on you. I believe they’re loyal enough to Ryan to avoid hurting you, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Echo laughed. “I get it; don’t worry about me. I’m not some fairy who doesn’t get her hands dirty, and I’m not some purist who cares about appearances. I’m just an average person, flaws and all.”
Michael and Ivy both smiled. Echo wasn’t naive; she just hadn’t been told these things before. Now that she knew, she’d process it faster than anyone else.
Echo held Ivy’s hand, glancing only at her and saying softly, “From now on, don’t get involved with the Dark family. Take care of yourselves. That’s it; I won’t be seeing you off.” She raised her voice just slightly, giving Ivy a warm smile, then waved to Michael and the others as she turned and walked away.
After a slight pause, Ivy exchanged a look with Michael. The whole group understood Echo’s meaning.
They knew the Dark family wasn’t exactly a “good” family. Tying themselves to the Dark family meant a lifetime of entanglement-getting mixed up with them would only bring complications. For a family like Dark’s, capable of ruining others on a whim, cutting ties was safer than trying to keep close.
Echo might be caught in it, but that was because she was alone, without other attachments. For the rest of them, things weren’t so simple.
This was a wake-up call; now that they’d seen the Dark family’s true power, sticking around would only lead to their eventual consumption.
Michael glanced at Brook, Frank, and the others. With a shared understanding, they exchanged glances and, without another word, headed to the waiting plane.
“You look pleased,” Ryan raised an eyebrow as he watched Echo walk back with a bright smile.
Echo walked over to Ryan, nodded, and said, “Yep. Hey, what’s this? An invitation?” She noticed the large, bright red card with a gold border on the stone table.
“A Ford family invitation? Adolph, didn’t you destroy the Ford family? What’s this about?” Echo was surprised, noticing the Ford family’s name at the bottom.
Adolph chuckled. “Ford’s a big family with tons of side branches. You can’t wipe them out completely. I took care of the main branch-the one working with the Street family. But, remember, when a branch is in power, it’s the main family. When it’s not, it’s just another side branch. That’s a universal truth.”
“So, what’s this supposed to be? Animal-watching? Are they inviting Boss to a zoo? Are they kidding?” Echo frowned and frowned again as she read the invitation’s details.
Bill burst out laughing. “Not that kind of animal, Echo. You’re missing the point.”
Hawk smirked. “It’s obvious this Ford family branch wants us to help them gain control. If we could put the Ford family under our influence, it’d be like cutting off one of the Street family’s arms.”
Echo gave the invitation a suspicious look, both puzzled and intrigued.
Ryan, rare as it was, let out a slight smile and gently ran his hand over Echo’s hair. “Want to go see these ‘animals’?”
Echo immediately nodded; the location was in Hawaii, right on Ryan’s turf, so there was no reason to worry about outsiders causing trouble.
“Inform them. I’ll accept the invitation,” Ryan said calmly.