Seeing Kevin’s lack of reaction, Echo knew it was just a casual comment. She paused for a moment before asking, “How long do you plan to keep me here?”
Kevin raised an eyebrow and, stroking his chin, replied in a calm tone, “I’ve been thinking about that myself.”
His tone was so neutral, it really did sound like he was considering it.
Echo propped herself up slightly. Before she passed out, she didn’t know what Kevin had given her to eat, but it seemed to have kept her going.
As she leaned back, she looked at him and asked, “Do I really have that much value?”
Kevin, seeing that Echo was no fool, smiled and said, “Maybe more than I imagined. Want to test it out?”
“I’m not interested,” Echo immediately shot back. Kevin didn’t press the issue, just giving her a cold smile.
Echo saw that Kevin wasn’t revealing much-whether he planned to use her to threaten Ryan or had something else in mind, it was hidden behind that mask of his. Maybe, just as he said, he hadn’t made up his mind yet about using her.
Breathing heavily, her voice hoarse, she asked, “What’s going on outside?”
She spoke a little more, though her throat still hurt, but at least she could speak. The situation was unclear, and she was genuinely worried about Ryan. While she knew that worry might be unnecessary-after all, Ryan wasn’t someone who could easily be dealt with-she couldn’t help but feel anxious. The fact that someone was targeting both of these major players meant they were no amateurs, and it was hard not to worry.
Kevin grinned arrogantly, his eyes darkening with cold intent. “I’m waiting to see what he does.”
Hearing that, Echo understood Kevin’s mindset. She wasn’t an expert in the underworld, but she was familiar with these kinds of power struggles. The game was the same, whether it was between small-time players or powerful figures-it was just the players and the stakes that were different. So it wasn’t hard to understand.
She nodded and said, “Good. Then I’ll take a nap.”
With that, she lay down, curled up on her side, and closed her eyes, starting to fall asleep.
Kevin raised an eyebrow and gave a cold laugh. “You’re quite the charmer. Don’t you want me to send you back to Ryan?”
Without opening her eyes, Echo responded, “Once you’ve worked out the terms, you’ll send me back. There’s no such thing as a deal without profit in this world.”
Kevin laughed heartily, clearly pleased. After a moment, he said, “Right, no deal without profit. But I wonder if Ryan will take the offer?”
Echo smiled calmly with her eyes closed. “You’ll have to ask him about that.”
Kevin raised an eyebrow and, with a smirk, looked at Echo. “So, what if he doesn’t take the deal? What happens then?”
Echo responded quickly, her tone blunt. “It is what it is.”
Kevin’s smile widened. “You don’t seem worried at all. You really think Ryan will care about you? From what I know, Ryan’s not the kind of guy who’ll let personal feelings get in the way of the bigger picture.”
Echo opened her eyes and looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Why should I be the one to affect the big picture? Don’t overestimate me. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when it all blows up in your face.”
Hearing her response, Kevin couldn’t help but chuckle. His dark, cold expression softened a bit, and he gave her a wicked smile. “Interesting.”
Echo closed her eyes again, deciding it was time to rest. She and Ryan’s relationship was personal. Why should she let outsiders see it, or let them talk about it, or try to measure it with conditions?
She and Ryan wouldn’t let outside factors change what they had. There was no such thing as a forced decision in love, and she never believed in that “forced” excuse. She wouldn’t make herself a burden or a condition for anyone.
Kevin noticed she wasn’t willing to say more and gave a cold laugh, but didn’t push it. He had come just to see if she was alive or dead, and now that he knew, he had other matters to attend to. With that, he stood up and left.
Echo didn’t open her eyes or make any attempt to struggle. Even though the room was unfamiliar, she could tell it was part of the castle. Right now, it looked empty, but she knew someone was watching her from the shadows. She didn’t need to feel it or look around to know.
Kevin was the kind of person who wouldn’t pass up a golden opportunity like this. If he didn’t get everything he could out of it, he’d never let go. Even though she wanted to go back to Ryan’s side, and her heart was full of worry for him, she knew the current situation didn’t allow for that. It was better to let things be for now, focus on recovering, and wait until she could protect herself. She didn’t want to be a burden to Ryan.
She reached up and touched the earring on her ear. When she was able to move her hands and feet, the first thing she did was turn off the communicator. She didn’t not want to contact Ryan, but she knew what she was doing, and she was aware that under normal circumstances, no one could hear the signals from her earring. However, in this still silence, where even the sound of hair falling could be heard, even the smallest vibrations could give away a trace.
Also, the people hiding in the shadows gave her an unsettling feeling. She couldn’t take the risk. If they heard her communications and took the equipment, it could have serious consequences. But with the earring turned off, Ryan would know she was still alive. No one else could figure out how to turn it off.
As Echo focused on recovering and adjusting her condition, things on Ryan’s side were just as tense.
Ryan had taken a hit from Kevin.
Kevin hadn’t held back, but Ryan had been careful, minimizing the damage. It looked like he had no chance of surviving, but in reality, he had only passed out for a moment. He woke up soon after.
Hawk, Cobra, and Bill knelt in a row in front of Ryan, listening to him repeatedly try to get information about Echo, but getting no response. None of them dared to lift their heads, silently kneeling before Ryan. Tiger wasn’t there because he was out looking for clues about Echo.
“Ryan, come on, say something. What’s going on here? If this isn’t right, we should at least deal with the current situation first. What good is just kneeling?” Adolph said from the side, his brow furrowed in frustration.
As soon as Adolph spoke, Hawk replied seriously, “It’s our fault. Our oversight is what caused this.”
Cobra and Bill remained silent, still kneeling in front of Ryan.
The communication devices, which had been working before, now showed no signal at all.
Ryan fiddled with his device, quickly realizing it was Echo who had turned it off. He took a deep breath. If she was taking action, it meant she was fine for now. As long as she was alive, that was all that mattered.
With the reassurance that Echo wasn’t in immediate danger, Ryan’s anger and anxiety began to settle. As he listened to Adolph pleading on behalf of Hawk and the others, he glanced at the three kneeling in front of him.
His face was full of anger as he coldly said, “She’s future wife, you matriarch.”
Those words, spoken in an icy tone, made Hawk, Cobra, and Bill tremble slightly.
Ryan’s gaze was sharp-he knew exactly what was in their hearts. They all placed him at the top of their hierarchy, and even though they knew Echo would eventually be the matriarch, they hadn’t truly accepted her as the leader. They hadn’t bowed to her, or even cared about her.
At the crucial moment, none of them had thought about Echo. They were only focused on Ryan. If they had seen Echo as their matriarch, things would have never reached this point.
Adolph saw that Ryan’s single sentence had made Hawk and the others lower their heads even further. He clenched his teeth and said to Ryan, “Ryan, I shouldn’t interfere when you’re handling your subordinates, but this situation is more complicated than it seems. We can deal with it later. Right now, we need to focus on the problem at hand.”
Ryan scoffed coldly at Adolph’s words, raising his eyes to glance at him. Adolph saw the anger in Ryan’s eyes, burning like fire, held back but ready to explode. He furrowed his brow, realizing that he had never seen Ryan like this before. He didn’t say anything else.
“Look up.” Ryan’s cold command made Hawk, Cobra, and Bill quickly raise their heads.
Ryan glared at them with a sharp look that sent a chill down their spines.
He didn’t want to punish them, because they weren’t disloyal, and he especially didn’t want to do it now, in front of others. Although Adolph was familiar to them, he wasn’t a member of the Dark family, and while Adolph was protective of them, his temper couldn’t be contained at will.
“Just this once,” Ryan said coldly, glaring at the three of them.
His expression returned to its usual icy, domineering, and serious demeanor, but the flames of anger still simmered beneath his gaze, threatening to erupt at any moment.
Hawk, Cobra, and Bill were shocked that Ryan let them off so easily. They exchanged quick glances, silently understanding each other. Without a word, they quickly got to their feet.