Chapter 5 She Became A Servant

"Let go! Let go! It was me! I stole it! Just let go!" Echo gasped, her face turning red as she struggled to breathe. Mr. Ryan's grip was too strong.

With a disdainful snort, Mr. Ryan released her.

Echo collapsed to the ground, her legs giving out beneath her. Her pale neck was already turning a deep shade of purple as she gulped down the air she thought she'd lost forever.

"From today on, you're my servant," Mr. Ryan said icily, tossing the words at her before striding out of the room without a backward glance.

Hawk, following behind Mr. Ryan, took one look at Echo's pale face and shook his head slightly. "No one's ever taken anything from the Dark family and lived to tell about it. You should be grateful you once did a favor for the Dark family-that's the only reason you're alive today. Keep your head down from now on. The boss isn't exactly known for his patience. He's already let you off easy today. I'd hate to see them carry your body out in a few days."

Echo watched as Hawk left the room, leaving her alone in the large space. She reached up to touch her neck-thankfully, it was still there.

Rumor had it that Mr. Ryan was ruthless, with a heart of stone.

Considering she'd stolen from him, it was a miracle she was still breathing. Maybe luck was on her side after all.

For the first time, Echo felt a wave of gratitude toward Michael. If he hadn't dragged her to watch his friend's car race, where she ended up helping the Dark family win the game, she'd probably be saying goodbye to the world right now.

After thinking about how much she owed Michael, Echo let out a sigh and decided to just lie down on the floor. How had she gone from being a celebrated racing queen and a legendary thief to this-reduced to being someone's servant? Life was definitely going downhill; her carefree days were over.

She completely forgot that surviving an encounter with the head of the Dark family was a miracle in itself.

Sitting in the empty room, Echo stared at the half-open door, debating whether she should sneak out or stay and be a servant.

After a few minutes of weighing her options, she decided to drop the idea of escaping for now. If the Dark family was letting her stay alone so easily, they probably weren't worried about her running off.

It was better to play it safe and figure things out first. After all, this was the home of the underworld kingpin. Getting shot while trying to escape wasn't worth it.

The next day, when Echo woke up, it was almost noon. She rubbed her eyes, realizing it had been ages since she'd slept so peacefully. No worries about the Theft Organization coming after her, no looming threats-just pure, undisturbed sleep. It felt amazing.

But then it hit her-she was supposed to be a servant now. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Glancing out at the peaceful surroundings, she had never wished more for time to rewind.

She hurried into the villa's living room, where she spotted Mr. Ryan sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee beside him. Echo immediately tried to tiptoe back out.

"Come here," Mr. Ryan's cold voice stopped her before she could even lift her foot.

Echo pouted but shuffled over to Ryan. "You never told me what I'm supposed to do. No one here told me anything. I've never been a servant before, so I don't know what to do." She decided to lay it all out first-her usual strategy of taking the initiative. Plus, it was true; no one had given her any instructions.

"Come here. I won't say it again," Ryan said, his eyes still on the newspaper, but his voice was as icy as winter, with a hidden edge of fire.

Echo gritted her teeth. This was his territory, not hers. Fine, she'd just play along for now-she was good at pretending anyway.

She slowly moved two steps closer, standing right in front of him, her expression cautious and guarded. After all, she was facing someone who could end her life without breaking a single law. Staying calm in this situation would be a miracle.

Ryan didn't even glance at her, just ordered coldly, "Pack my things. We're going to Southeast Asia this afternoon."

That's it? Just like that?

Echo stole a side glance at Ryan, who was still focused on his newspaper. She had been expecting a storm, but everything was oddly calm.

Wiping a bit of nervous sweat from her brow, she realized maybe this crime boss wasn't as cold-blooded as the rumors said. She quickly turned to leave.

"If I can't see you in my line of sight, you'll be reporting to the King of Hell next time." The icy words floated out as if he were just making a casual comment, but they sent a chill down Echo's spine.

It wasn't a threat-it was a simple statement of fact. A fact he could easily make happen.

Echo quickly dashed to Ryan's room to pack his things. This wasn't just a warning; it was a final ultimatum. She knew all too well that while she valued her life highly, to Ryan, it was probably just slightly more important than an ant's-having one more or less made no difference to him. So, she ran faster, determined to protect her life.

Southeast Asia was notorious in the underworld as a chaotic region, and now the rulers were going to be the Dark family, the kings of the criminal world.

As Echo drove the car, she was feeling pretty frustrated. She had never been to this area before. Why did she have to be the one driving?

Glancing in the rearview mirror at Ryan, who was resting with his eyes closed in the backseat, and Hawk, who was on high alert, she wondered when she went from being a thief to the chauffeur for a crime lord.

"Just focus on driving." Hawk's emotionless voice carried a warning, making it clear to Echo-no funny business, no unnecessary thoughts, just drive.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how strict they were.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as a tire blew out.

The luxury car in front of them, which was the same model as the one Echo was driving, shook violently. With her professional eye, Echo quickly diagnosed it-a blowout.

Shaking her head, she thought, How could a Cadillac have such terrible tires? This is ridiculous, especially for a custom order. It's an insult to the brand's reputation.

But before she could even finish the thought, she heard Hawk's quick command from behind her, "Turn left, speed up, and push through."

Echo was momentarily stunned-there wasn't anyone blocking the road, was there?

But before she could shift gears, the sound of gunfire erupted, and the Cadillac in front was turned into a sieve. Her mind exploded with panic, and without thinking, she slammed the gas pedal and yanked the steering wheel, speeding forward like a flash.

Gunfire erupted on the street, with a sudden and intense firefight breaking out. The pedestrians along the road, as if they were used to this, quickly ducked to the ground, not even bothering to scream. It all happened as quickly and intensely as a scene straight out of a movie.