Ryan heard what Echo said and gently stroked her hair, giving her a soft pat on the back, almost like a word of encouragement or support. His subordinates just had to please him, but his wife needed the loyalty of every person in the Dark family. He could marry her just because he loved her, and no one in the family would dare to object. But a weak woman who didn’t even understand the underworld could never command respect.
The Dark family was an old, powerful institution, with rules, systems, and traditions. Ryan could disregard those rules because he was strong.
In the underworld, strength meant everything. As long as you were strong enough, you could make everyone bow to you, no problem. That was just how the world worked in the dark side of things-if you were strong, you could shape the world however you wanted.
But weakness had no place. In a world where the strong thrived and the weak were devoured, trying to force a weak person into a position of power wasn’t love or affection-it was harm.
Ryan couldn’t always be by Echo’s side. The Dark family couldn’t have a woman who knew nothing about the world of crime as its matriarch. A leader without anyone’s loyalty could never be respected, and putting such a title on her too soon would only lead to destruction.
To love someone in this world meant making them stronger, so they could survive the traps and plots around them. If Echo couldn’t survive in the world of scheming, then loving her would be the same as condemning her.
Ryan didn’t understand the concept of pampering or doing things for someone else’s good. He only knew one thing-what path was the best and had to be followed. He wanted Echo to be with him for life, but not just for protection-he needed her to be strong, to spread her wings and face the storm.
From the moment he met her, he’d been quietly working toward this. If she wasn’t strong enough, then he’d make her strong.
Sensing Ryan’s thoughts and emotions, Echo looked up and met his deep, intense gaze. “I’ll do my best,” she said softly.
Ryan lowered his gaze to meet hers, and after a long pause, a pleased smile tugged at his lips. “The position of matriarch is not far, but it’s not close either. I want you to hold it for life.”
Adolph, who had been listening, looked at Ryan in surprise. Was he actually saying he would marry Echo? Ryan was serious about this, it seemed. The surprise lasted only a moment. Adolph had already suspected it-Ryan was cold and unyielding, and when he paid attention to someone, he never let go.
Adolph had once thought it was special between Echo and Ryan, maybe even hoped Ryan would keep her as a mistress, because everyone who’d met Echo knew she wasn’t suited to be the matriarch.
The Dark family had existed for over a century, and its roots were deep and complicated. Without the strength to handle the position, the result would be destruction. If Ryan loved her, then at least she could be his mistress, safe and secure for life.
But Echo’s personality turned out to be soft on the outside but strong on the inside. Ryan didn’t see it as a flaw-if he wanted her, he wanted her officially, and he wanted it to be thorough. That was Ryan’s style.
Adolph shook his head slightly, realizing Ryan had thought it all through. He was seriously considering Echo’s future, and Ryan had placed his trust in her.
A hawk needed to soar through the sky, and it wouldn’t take a little bird with it. If that was impossible, then Ryan would make sure she had the wings of an eagle.
“Okay,” Echo said, hearing Ryan’s words. The sparkle in her eyes was impossible to hide.
She understood exactly what Ryan wanted, what he was worried about. Even though he never showed it openly, she just knew. She knew exactly what she had to do.
“Alright, alright, we’ve been talking all morning, and now I’m starving. Ryan, I’m gonna report you for abuse,” Adolph suddenly interrupted with a playful grin, cutting through the moment between Echo and Ryan.
Ryan turned around and shot him a cold look. Adolph shrugged, giving him an innocent expression.
Echo, hearing Adolph mention food, suddenly realized she was hungry too. She raised her eyebrows, then remembered something and quickly stood up.
“I’ll go call for it,” she said, walking out with quick steps, leaving Ryan frowning. Did she really need to go do it herself?
She took a couple of steps toward the room next door, where she and Ryan were staying. When she opened the door, she saw Edward curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed. As soon as he saw her, he scrambled toward her and jumped into her arms, tears streaming down his face.
“Don’t cry,” Echo said quickly, wiping away his tears. “What are you crying for? Real men don’t cry. Stop it.”
She gently patted him on the back to comfort him. She’d flown back to the U. S., taken a break for a night, and was back at the main house early in the morning for a meeting, forgetting all about this little guy. Echo felt a pang of guilt.
Edward tightened his grip around Echo’s waist, biting his lip, trying to hold back his tears. He looked so pitiful, yet there was something so obedient and endearing about it that it made her heart ache.
Echo shook her head, about to say something, when she heard a loud growl from Edward’s stomach. His pale face flushed slightly. Echo finally noticed how pale he was, with hardly any color in his cheeks.
“How long has it been since you ate?” she asked, raising her voice slightly.
Edward hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and gestured the number three.
Echo cursed herself silently. She hadn’t bothered to check on him after bringing him here. She’d been so caught up in everything else, neglecting him for over a day.
She took his hand, concern in her voice. “How long have you been awake? Why didn’t you ask one of the servants for food?”
From the way Edward was alert, she could tell he’d been awake for a while.
Edward lowered his head, shaking it slightly. His body trembled.
Echo sighed softly and patted him on the back. She’d forgotten where they were. This was the Dark family’s main house. Everyone here was as sharp as knives, their eyes and hands everywhere. Since she was with Ryan, there were people looking out for her, but if she were on her own, she knew no one would have cared for her.
And now, who would care for the child of an enemy? The best she could hope for was that no one made things worse. Asking anyone here to actually help him-well, that was a fantasy.
She reached down and gently patted his head, which reached her waist. “Since I brought you here, I won’t just leave you. I wouldn’t have brought you back if I wasn’t going to take care of you. Come on, let’s go eat.”
She took his hand and started walking toward the door.
“Who told you to bring him?” Ryan’s gaze darkened as he saw Echo holding Edward’s hand, with Edward tightly pressed against her. His voice turned cold.
“I brought him to eat, Boss. Don’t tell me you’re gonna cry over a little food?” Echo raised an eyebrow and shot Ryan a teasing look.
What was he so upset about? Seriously, was the Dark family really struggling for food?
Ryan furrowed his brow, stood up suddenly, and in two quick steps, he grabbed Edward by the neck and, with one powerful motion, threw him across the room. There was a loud thud as Edward hit the ground.
Echo spun around and saw Edward trembling, trying to get up at the door of the main house.
His hands and feet, visible through his white clothes, were stained with blood, and he looked a mess.
Echo frowned. “Boss, what are you doing? He’s just a kid.” She started walking toward Edward.
Ryan snorted, grabbed Echo’s arm, and firmly said, “Eat.” He then pushed her down onto the dining table.
Echo was about to frown, but Adolph spoke calmly from the side, “This main house isn’t for everyone. And this table? It’s not for just anyone to sit at. A mere servant doesn’t have the right to come in.”