Chapter 8 The Reward

Click-the faint sound of the last lock opening echoed in the tense silence, crisp and clear.

In an instant, everyone in the hotel rushed out, pushing and shoving in their desperation. Echo was nearly knocked off her feet, but Ryan's eyes flashed with a deadly edge. He scooped her up around the waist, then sped out alongside Hawk and Cobra.

Just as everyone burst out of the hotel, a deafening roar erupted from within. The explosion's force shook the ground, with flames roaring out of the hotel doors, reducing everything in front of it to ash in seconds. Dust flew everywhere, glass shattered, and screams filled the air in the ensuing chaos.

Echo felt the blast's overwhelming power and fearfully curled up in Ryan's arms, burying her head deep into his chest, which felt as solid as steel.

"Drive," Ryan ordered as soon as he burst out.

The Dark family members immediately rushed up to him.

Amid the chaos of the explosion, Ryan, with a stony expression, held Echo tightly as they got into a Dark family car and sped away from the scene.

Hawk and Panther, knowing what needed to be done without being told, stayed behind to clean up. No one who crossed the Dark family ever lived to tell the tale.

It took Echo a while to snap out of it, her head still buried in Ryan's chest. Thinking back on what just happened, she couldn't help but feel a thrill. It had been so close-too close. That kind of life-or-death danger wasn't something she wanted to repeat. It was only her first day as a servant, and she'd already faced death twice. If things kept up like this, she'd be shaving years off her life for sure.

"Uh, does this mean I did something good?" Echo asked, glancing up at Ryan's stern, murderous face. She forced a smile.

Ryan looked down at Echo, who had been scared out of her mind just moments ago, but now seemed to be perking up. His voice was low as he asked, "What do you want?"

Echo grinned sheepishly and said, "I just stole a tiny little ruby pendant from you. How about we call it even for saving your life? You go your way, I go mine, and we part ways for good."

Ryan stared at her bright smile for a moment before responding coldly, "As a servant, saving your master is part of your duty."

"Duty? You've got to be kidding me," Echo's eyes widened at the word.

Ryan noticed her glare. Since he became the head of the Dark family, no one had ever dared look at him like that. This woman had some fire in her.

His eyes narrowed as he shot her a chilling look. "I haven't even punished you for sneaking off. You'd better stay in line."

Echo cursed under her breath. She'd practically confessed. If she hadn't planned to leave, she wouldn't have ended up there in the first place.

Damn it, Ryan wasn't someone she could fool easily.

If she'd known, she wouldn't have saved him. She should've let him die and avoided nearly getting herself killed. She felt like she'd lived her years in vain, unable to even protect herself. Next time, she wouldn't care if the sky fell.

"If you manage to escape, make sure I never catch you again. Otherwise, you'll regret ever being born." Ryan's voice was ice-cold as he watched Echo's expression shift.

She realized then that he wasn't joking. Back when he saw her trying to leave, he hadn't reacted. Now she understood how terrifying that was. He knew she was about to make a mistake, but he let her. He'd just been waiting for her to cross the line, so he could have a reason to destroy her. He was ruthless, far more than the rumors suggested.

Echo gritted her teeth. Ryan wasn't merciful; he was a devil. She'd thought he wasn't as cruel as people said, but he was worse. He wasn't sparing her out of kindness. He wanted to see those who wronged him meet the most miserable end.

Ruthless, truly ruthless.

Realizing this, Echo decided to stop overthinking. She closed her eyes and curled up in Ryan's arms, trying to sleep. She needed to rest, gather her strength, and then plan the sharpest, most decisive strike to end this once and for all. She'd endured years in the Theft Organization; she refused to believe she couldn't find a way out of this.

Ryan glanced down at Echo, who had been fuming just a moment ago, but now had closed her eyes and fallen asleep. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Not bad, she was smart. He liked smart people; they were the ones worthy of standing by his side, even if it was as a servant.

"Eliminate all of them," Ryan ordered, his voice cold and emotionless. "I don't want to see a single one of those people alive."

They dared to present him with two "gifts" as soon as he arrived in Southeast Asia?

He'd return the favor, doubled.

"Understood," Cobra immediately replied.

If it hadn't been for Echo, he and his Boss would've been in real trouble. Even if those present weren't directly involved, they were still guilty. As leaders in the Southeast Asian underworld, such a colossal failure was unforgivable. They deserved to die.

The car sped through the streets, quickly leaving the city behind and heading toward the outskirts.

Echo stirred, feeling sore all over. She frowned and opened her eyes, realizing she had fallen asleep without even noticing.

Damn Ryan, where had he dumped her? She felt like she'd been crushed under something heavy. She couldn't even get a good sleep-how stingy.

"Shh." An exaggerated shushing gesture startled Echo.

She looked up to see Cobra in the front seat, turned around, and signaled her to be quiet and stay still. He seemed a bit surprised, glancing at something behind her before quickly turning back.

Echo widened her eyes and stayed still, sneaking a glance at the weight on her shoulder. Unbelievable-Ryan had fallen asleep leaning on her!

He could sleep at a time like this? She had to admit, she was impressed. Being a boss like him must've been easy.

No wonder she felt so uncomfortable. It turned out Ryan had been using her as a human pillow. Even though it was just his head resting on her shoulder, it was anything but light. Echo rolled her eyes and looked away, but the awkward angle made her eyes water after just a few moments.

She looked out the dark window, noticing the car had stopped in front of a villa. Guards were stationed all around, with Hawk and another unfamiliar man standing on either side of the car, back to the door, keeping watch.

Echo raised an eyebrow-this was too much. A whole team guarding the car while the boss took a nap? That was some serious boss-level behavior.

Her shoulder ached, her back hurt, and she was starving. After ten minutes of enduring the rumbling in her stomach, Echo couldn't take it anymore. She was just about to turn and wake Ryan when he suddenly lifted his head, his face cold and unbothered. His eyes were completely clear, not a hint of sleepiness.

"You were pretending to sleep," Echo blurted out, then fell silent.

Ryan pretending to sleep? It didn't make sense, not even if it did.

"Boss," Cobra said respectfully as soon as he saw Ryan's eyes open.

Ryan glanced at Echo, who was rubbing her sore shoulder and scowling. He looked out the window at Hawk and the others before asking, "Hungry?"

Echo was surprised. Ryan's asking was beyond weird, but she was too hungry to care. No matter what was going on, hunger was hunger. So, she quickly nodded and rattled off a list of dishes.

As soon as she said it, Echo realized she might have made a mistake.

Was Mr. Ryan the kind of person who'd actually listen to her? Probably not. She figured she shouldn't be picky and would just eat whatever was offered. After all, Ryan hadn't even mentioned food. Ugh, she suddenly felt a bit sorry for herself. It was just a ruby she had stolen, was all this really necessary?

Sitting at the table, she watched as the chef seemed to perform magic, whipping up every dish she had listed in just a few minutes. The aroma alone told her they were authentic, the real deal.

"This is your reward for today."

Echo turned to look at Ryan, who was calmly eating his steak with a blank expression. She couldn't help but feel a bit of despair. She had saved his life, and all she got in return was dinner.

She pouted and muttered, "What a bargain."

Ryan's face darkened, and he shot her a sharp look. Echo immediately lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and started eating quickly. If there was food, she might as well eat it. A reward was better than nothing. There was no point in arguing with him-she couldn't win in a fight, a debate, or even a conversation.

When under someone else's roof, she had to keep her head down.

The meal passed in silence. With Ryan at the table, the atmosphere was nothing but serious, serious, and more serious, to the point of feeling almost lethal.

But faced with the delicious taste of home-cooked food, Echo didn't care about anything else. His seriousness was his problem; her enjoyment of the meal was hers. So, the table became a strange mix of cold winter severity on one side and the warmth of spring on the other, making the atmosphere incredibly bizarre.

After eating her fill, Echo started feeling sleepy. It had been the most intense day of her life, so she sensibly asked Ryan for a room to sleep in.

"Clean yourself up," he said, tossing a towel at her.

Echo instinctively caught it and frowned, standing in the doorway, looking at Ryan, who was sitting in the middle of the room with his usual indifferent expression.

What was this about? Wasn't this room supposed to be hers? Why was Ryan here?

"Mr. Ryan, this is my room," she said, raising an eyebrow when she realized he had no intention of leaving.