Owned By The Billionaire Mafia King

Tick-tock, tick-tock, ding-dong, it was exactly nine in the morning. Along with the crisp ding-dong sound, a bulletproof glass case made a faint popping noise and slowly opened.

A delicate hand casually reached in and picked up the ruby from the open display pedestal. She held it up to the light, letting it shimmer, and said softly, "Such a vibrant color, you can see the brilliance like fireworks, with the facets reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors. This is indeed something precious."

"Is this thing really worth forty million dollars?" came a dismissive voice from the exhibition hall entrance.

The girl standing by the display pedestal smiled slightly, not turning around. She tossed the ruby she was holding toward the source of the voice and slowly turned, saying, "This kind of ruby is extremely rare and precious. What do you think?"

The girl not far away caught the ruby in mid-air, raising her eyebrows as she looked at the ruby in her hand.

The girl standing in front of the pedestal was dressed in white pants and top, with a light yellow scarf of the same brand around her neck. She wore a calm smile, her bright eyes and teeth shining, her eyebrows bright as stars. That faint smile made people feel like a spring breeze but also carried a hint of disregard. Her whole demeanor exuded a sense of freedom, elegance, and nonchalance, making people forget her beauty at first glance and only notice her unique presence.

"This thing is really valuable, even sold for a hundred million. But unfortunately, with us around, it's only worth thirty million." The woman at the door glanced at the ruby and casually put it in her pocket.

The girl in white chuckled, shook her index finger, and said seriously, "No, no, with us, it should be worth nothing. It's only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it."

The girl standing at the hall entrance laughed at this. They were master thieves, stealing whatever they wanted. Why would they need money? No matter how valuable an item was, it was worth nothing to them because they never paid for anything they stole.

The girl in white glanced at the many treasures in the exhibition hall, shrugged, and said, "Luckily, we have professional ethics, so you're safe this time."

She always adhered to the rule of not touching items that were not on the list. Though the owners of these treasures might not be good people, it didn't mean others deserved to have them more.

In New York's most famous exhibition hall, all the items displayed were antique masterpieces, precious items from around the world. Their total value could probably buy a small impoverished city.

Because of this, the most advanced technology was used, with visible and hidden surveillance everywhere. But they seemed to forget that relying too much on technology made it the most vulnerable point, easily breached by experts.

And the girl in white was clearly an expert in this field.

A minute might be too short for others, but for her, it was long enough to leisurely take whatever she wanted.

High-tech defenses often had primitive countermeasures; an uncut diamond easily scratched through the nano-material glass, making it effortless to get the priceless ruby.

"Echo, you've got ten seconds left." The stunning girl standing at the entrance of the large exhibition hall glanced at her watch and raised an eyebrow at Echo Black, who was leisurely admiring the exhibits.

"Skye, ten seconds is too much." The girl named Echo smiled nonchalantly and walked unhurriedly toward the door.

The two of them, one dressed in white and the other in red, strolled out the door as if they were just out for a casual walk.

Echo glanced back at the now silent exhibition hall and smiled brightly. With a casual wave, she tapped the touch-sensitive wall in the hall, and immediately, a sharp alarm sounded. Chaos erupted as footsteps and shouts echoed, with people rushing toward the exhibition area.

Skye Black raised an eyebrow but said nothing, seemingly accustomed to Echo's actions. With a swift chop, she knocked out a guard standing nearby.

Echo elegantly brushed her hair back and laughed, "The esteemed guests are about to leave, and no one's here to see us off. How rude."

In an instant, New York's largest, supposedly most secure exhibition hall, equipped with the finest security, sprang into action. It was the shift change time, and the entire building buzzed with activity. High-end security measures were activated, and all side doors, back doors, upstairs, and rooftop accesses were monitored and sealed. But no one noticed the two stunning girls casually slipping out through the main entrance amid the chaos.

"Such a letdown. They call this top-notch security? We got what we wanted so easily, it's no fun at all." Sitting in a red Ferrari convertible, Skye looked at the ruby in her hand with satisfaction.

Echo had one hand on the car door and the other on the steering wheel, the breeze lifting her hair. She looked spirited and laughed happily, "Is there anything in this world we can't get our hands on?"

They called it top-notch, but with her hacking skills and theft expertise, and Skype, the martial arts master, what could possibly stop them? They breached their top-tier security in under a minute; it felt like walking into an empty house.

Skye burst out laughing and said, "Exactly, exactly! With our combined skills, not even the White House could stop us!"

After a while, the laughter died down. Skye, now serious, looked at Echo and asked, "Since we're planning to retire from being master thieves, what do you plan to do next?"

Echo smiled faintly and said, "Whatever I feel like doing."

Seeing Echo's carefree attitude, Skye chuckled, shoved the ruby into Echo's hands, and said, "Don't think you can slack off. You're handling the delivery this last time. After that, the world is our oyster." She stretched lazily and patted Echo on the shoulder.

Echo slowed the car down, and before it even came to a complete stop, Skye had flipped out of the door. Her wavy hair and stunning appearance drew countless whistles.

Snapping her fingers, she called back to Echo without looking, "I'll be in touch."

Echo nodded, parked the car, and got out, saying, "Take care of yourself."

Skye waved her hand and quickened her pace, disappearing into the crowd.

Echo watched as her partner of so many years left, leaning against the car door with a slight smile. The future world was wide open for them.

The breeze blew her long hair, making the yellow scarf around her neck flutter. A gust of wind blew by, and Echo felt a coolness on her neck. Turning around, she saw the yellow scarf floating in the air.

Across the street, a black Cadillac sped by against the wind. The yellow scarf floated right into the open car window. As the cars passed each other, Echo caught a glimpse of a pair of cold eyes that glanced at her before moving on.

Echo shrugged. It was just a scarf, no big deal. She got back in her car, hit the gas, and her sleek car and the black Cadillac sped off in opposite directions.

******

A few days later, in Rome, Italy, inside an old-fashioned castle, two middle-aged men were sitting in a study. They looked distinguished.

One of them, a man in his forties, was playing with an order slip and smiled, "Echo and Skye have never disappointed me. They're real gems."

The other man, who was slightly younger, nodded and smiled, "We trained them ourselves. Being ranked fifth in the world has earned us quite a bit."

"It was worth raising them," the older man chuckled. Both men laughed together.

"Sir, sir..."

The man in his forties frowned and said sternly, "What is it? Don't you know we're having a conversation?"

The man outside the door said nervously, "It's a package from Echo."

The tone inside the room immediately changed to a gentle one, "Come in."

The man in his forties smiled broadly as he opened the package, took out the ruby, and examined it closely. He nodded and smiled, "Not bad, not bad. This is the first time I've seen such rare ruby. Echo and Skye haven't let us down."

The younger man looked at the ruby from the other side and smiled, "I'm growing more fond of Echo. She's truly our treasure. If we want to keep her permanently, shouldn't we..."

The older man laughed heartily, "I was thinking the same thing. She is getting better and better, her wings are growing stronger. She'll be free of her sixty-million-dollar contract in a couple of years. I don't want to lose our hold on her. When she comes back, we'll proceed with our plan."

Lewd laughter filled the old-fashioned study, suggesting nothing good.

After a while, the man in his forties noticed there was a letter in the package. He smiled, "What's Echo up to now? Sending letters... Hey, what the...?! Fuck!"

His face turned livid in an instant, and he slammed his fist on the table, shattering a crystal wine glass on the floor.

The other man saw his sudden change in expression and quickly grabbed the letter, asking, "What's going on?" as he read it.

The letter didn't contain any extra words, just a 120-billion-dollar promissory note and a single sentence, "120 billion dollars from a Swiss bank, Echo and Skye. Here's the payment, we're done with you."

The man's face turned extremely grim upon reading it.

"Well, Echo, you think you can just fly away now that your wings are strong? Hmph, it's not that easy. This isn't a place where you come and go as you please." He crumpled the check in his hand, turned around, and stormed out the door, shouting, "Someone, get in here...."

San Francisco, in a seaside townhouse, a girl with a gentle demeanor stood at the kitchen door, smiling at another girl lounging in the living room, watching TV and leisurely eating fruit. "Echo, go buy some ketchup. We're out."

Echo, curled up on the sofa, raised an eyebrow. She had rented one of these seaside houses for the nice view and fresh air. The landlord seemed refined and of the same heritage, so Echo thought she wouldn't be much trouble. Little did she know, this landlord was incredibly friendly-too friendly, in fact. The landlord treated her like a sister, being overly warm and familiar without caring if Echo liked it or not.

Echo glanced at the overly sweet smile in front of her. That unguarded smile left her defenseless, so she took the chance to tease, "I want roast meat."

Ivy laughed, "Go on, go on. If you're late, I won't make them." She waved her hands, urging Echo to hurry up.

Seeing Ivy's dismissive gesture, Echo felt both annoyed and amused. She slowly stood up from the sofa. She was wearing a shirt that was neither a T-shirt nor a blouse, with one sleeve torn off and the other looking like it had been chewed by a dog. Her jeans were so tattered even a beggar wouldn't wear them, and she had large black and silver accessories hanging down to her chest. Despite the rough outfit, it didn't look tacky on her. Instead, it seemed like this casual, effortless style was made for her.

Ivy frowned at Echo's outfit, "Echo, why are you wearing those clothes again? This style..."

Before Ivy could start her commentary, Echo quickened her pace towards the door.

Ivy treated her like a little sister, and Echo knew once she started talking, she wouldn't stop anytime soon.

Echo liked wearing whatever she wanted, and no one could interfere, but Ivy's constant nagging was daunting.

As soon as she hurried to the door, the doorbell rang.

While changing her shoes, Echo said, "It's your friend."

Ivy, drying her hands as she walked over, asked, "Why can't it be your friend?"

Without looking up, Echo replied, "I don't have friends."

Ivy paused, slightly taken aback, but saw Echo stand up casually, as if she had just commented on the weather, with no trace of sadness or loneliness.

Echo saw Ivy looking at her with endless warmth in her eyes.

Leaning against the doorframe, Echo crossed her arms and said, "Do you think I'm really your type? If you love me, I wouldn't mind a GL relationship."

Ivy squinted her eyes and glanced at the figure from the monitor, quickly opening the door for the guest. Grabbing Echo by the arm, she shoved her out the nearby glass door, saying with a fierce expression, "Go buy ketchup, or there'll be no roast meat for you."

Seeing Ivy's angry glare, Echo shrugged.

Sympathy? She didn't need it. Friends were just a self-imposed title, and their presence or absence made no difference. She was perfectly fine navigating the world on her own.

"Ivy, long time no see," came a slightly magnetic voice with a hint of a smile.

"Michael, what brings you here today?" Ivy asked, her tone both teasing and slightly unimpressed.

Echo glanced back, seeing a man and a woman entering through the door. The woman seemed to cling to the man like a soft-bodied creature, looking innocent and demure.

The man, standing about six-foot-three, had distinct, sharp features. With his shirt unbuttoned at the top, revealing a bronze chest, and his hair gently tousled by the wind, he exuded an undeniable sex appeal.

Michael noticed Echo looking over and gave her an elegant smile. She glanced briefly before heading to the garage, completely ignoring the two newcomers. Echo had no interest in making small talk with the likes of him.

Since entering, Michael had been watching Echo, and when she turned away without any further reaction, he raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her.

"Michael Brown, what are you looking at?" Ivy asked loudly, biting her lip.

Turning his head, Michael raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who is she?"

Ivy's face darkened, and she huffed, "Don't you dare make a move on her. You've got enough on your plate. The people here are off-limits."

She was clearly annoyed by his straightforwardness, not even sparing a glance at the sulking beauty on his arm. He was the epitome of a playboy.

Michael laughed heartily and said, "I..."

Before he could finish, the red Ferrari roared away, with Echo at the wheel. She waved to Ivy but completely ignored Michael and his companion, not even sparing them a glance.

Michael's words stuck in his throat as he raised his eyebrows high. Whether intentionally or not, this woman had ignited his anger. For years, no woman had ever disregarded him like this. She intrigued him.

"Ketchup, ketchup, where on earth can I find ketchup?" Echo muttered to herself as she sped along the coastline...

Echo pulled up in front of a small shop.

"Hey there, I'd like to buy a bottle of ketchup," she said.

"Sure thing, here's your ketchup..." The shopkeeper was just about to hand it over when a screech of tires pierced the air.

A bright light flashed from around the corner as a modified motorcycle sped towards them.

Echo squinted against the light, her brow furrowing.

The shopkeeper screamed and dropped the bottle as the motorcyclist swerved to avoid him, but the inertia carried the bike right to Echo's feet.

The rider skillfully stopped the sliding motorcycle right in front of Echo, who frowned even more.

The screeching sound of cars came from the corner as headlights approached. The motorcyclist quickly took off, with cars chasing him closely.

It all happened in an instant. As the scene returned to its dimly lit state, the shopkeeper was still screaming.

Echo stood there, her brow furrowed tightly. Her right hand was clenched in a fist, holding something the motorcyclist had discreetly passed to her when he stopped in front of her.

******

Echo stood by the window, caressing the huge diamond in the velvet box she held, the Pure Gold Crown, a treasure of the British royal family.

"Echo, long time no see." A calm male voice suddenly broke the silence.

Echo slowly turned around to see the uninvited man. He looked exhausted, his once composed and handsome face now weary. She responded softly, "Long time no see, Gavin."

The moment Echo saw that familiar motorcycle, she knew who it was. Gavin, the top male thief in the organization, was known for his steadiness and never having failed a mission. An expert in gold, diamonds and other jewels, and one of her childhood companions.

The man named Gavin glanced at the Pure Gold Crown in the box, shook his head, walked over to the sofa, collapsed into it, and poured himself a drink, which he downed in one gulp.

After a moment, he said, "I didn't expect to run into you here, Echo. I just got word. The Lord found Skye."

Echo sat up straight, her curiosity piqued. "Is it true? Where?"

"Not sure if it's true. Got the info from Doris, seems to be in New York. You help me this time, I'll give you this lead. Then we're square," Gavin said, cutting the connection before Echo could respond.

Echo sat on the bed, her brow furrowed deeply.

Skye hadn't contacted her in so long. They had agreed to stay in touch, and she had even adjusted their frequency of communication. If there had been any contact, she would have received it, but nothing had come through. This was very unusual.

The more Echo thought about it, the more worried she became.

Skye had been her partner for over ten years. Their teamwork and bond had grown beyond that of mere friends; they were like sisters. If Skye had truly been found, the consequences would have been severe, and the situation she would have faced would have been be dire, something Echo could easily imagine.

However, Skye wasn't someone who could be easily captured. Plus, they had a special way of contacting each other. If anything had happened, Skye should have been able to notify her immediately. The whole situation was perplexing.

"Shit." After a moment of silence, Echo burst out with a curse.

She couldn't just ignore Skye. Even if the information was uncertain, she couldn't stay calm.

"Get me a ticket to New York." Disguised simply, wearing a baseball cap, Echo appeared at the airport alone.

She needed to go to New York and confirm the news herself.

On the highway leading to the airport, a silver sports car sped along. As Michael saw the plane taking off, he punched the steering wheel in frustration. Damn it, Echo had slipped away again.

When he went to call her for breakfast in the morning, the large suite was empty except for a neatly made bed and a note saying she had to leave for something urgent.

She had said she would stay for a while, but now she had left in a hurry. Something must have happened.

Damn it, even though he confessed to her last time and got rejected, they were still friends, right? Couldn't she have waited to discuss it with him? Did she Michael cursed under his breath.

Watching the plane disappear into the sky, Michael clenched his fists.

Las Vegas was a place where he could protect her, but she never stayed out of trouble. She was so mysterious, so independent, always handling things on her own. But he wasn't someone to be easily dismissed. Even if she went to the ends of the earth, he would find her.

In New York, in the dark alley known as Black Street, the seemingly quiet place was actually the most chaotic part of the city. Here, you could buy any information, find out about the latest arms shipment from the world's largest arms dealer, or get the travel route of royalty. As long as you could pay, you could get any information here.

It was also a hub for selling cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, with frequent murders, shootouts, and debauchery, making this ordinary alley a notorious spot in the underworld, known as Black Street.

Echo stood at the entrance of Black Street, leaning against the dark wall, playing with a lighter. She didn't light it or make any moves, just idly fiddled with it. The dim light reflected off the silver surface of the lighter, casting weak glimmers.

"Here to buy more information?" a sinister voice suddenly spoke behind Echo. A shadow hid in the darkness of the wall, appearing silently.

Without turning around, Echo replied calmly, "I want to know what's been going on with the Theft Organization lately."

"One million."

"Deal," Echo agreed as quickly as the offer was made.

"Follow me." Seeing Echo's prompt agreement, the person turned and led the way, with Echo following closely behind, clearly familiar with the route.

"The Theft Organization recently took on a job..." The cold voice in the dimly lit room made Echo's brow furrow even more deeply.

Strolling through the brightly lit streets of New York, Echo's brow remained furrowed since she left Black Street.

The information she received there was unusually clear. She knew her organization well and knew that no operation was ever so fully disclosed. It seemed like someone wanted to make it an open secret, practically inviting others to walk into a trap. It was as if someone within the organization wanted Skye dead.

Black Street didn't specify who was responsible for the theft, but if it was a woman and one of the top thieves, it had to be either herself or Skye. Stealing from the Dark family's territory was either a way to force her out or a death sentence for Skye. The Dark family was not to be trifled with.

"Damn it," Echo muttered. The heist was set for tomorrow, leaving her no time to prepare.

Should she go or not? Was it true or false? How could she tell? If Skye was involved, how could she remain calm? What had Skye done to end up in the organization's hands, and why was she ordered to steal? It made no sense.

Before dawn, Echo considered her and Skye's habit of striking when people were least prepared. If Skye was involved, she would choose this time. Echo looked up at the sky, decided to take a gamble, and headed out. If Skye was there and she didn't go, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

The financial building's 108th-floor vault held an ancient ruby, recently purchased from France. Its value was comparable to the ruby stolen during their last job, which made Echo think it was Skye's doing since only she and Skye specialized in antiquities.

"I'm not stealing; I'm just looking," Echo told herself, disguising as a staff member and casually entering the financial building, pretending to be a cleaner.

As she nonchalantly wiped the entrance doors, she noticed the cameras had been tampered with, likely Skye's handiwork. Frowning slightly, she naturally moved towards the upper floors.

On the 108th floor, Echo pressed all the elevator buttons before stepping out, as if to make the elevator wait for her.

As she passed the vault door, Echo frowned. It was too easy. There was no guard in sight. Had Skye cleared the area, or was there another reason?

Before she could ponder further, she noticed the slightly ajar vault door. Raising an eyebrow, she realized this was the professional touch of their organization, only recognizable by insiders.

Echo bowed her head and pretended to clean the distant glass, observing carefully.

Click.

The sound was barely audible, but in the silence, Echo heard it clear as day. She clenched her teeth and cursed under her breath.

The vault door, controlled by a timed mechanism, had just closed. It was airtight in there, and if someone didn't open it before work hours, whoever was inside would suffocate.

Echo tightened her fist as the cameras around her slowly started coming back online, their lights blinking back to life. She realized she hadn't planned well enough-she had overestimated the person who'd gone in.

Gritting her teeth, she quickly pressed a button on the watch she wore. It was a compact computer program designed to disrupt all the surveillance systems. With time running short, she couldn't hack into the computer system, so she had to use a strong interference. It would be obvious, but it would also buy her only a little bit of time.

The interference worked, and for a brief moment, the entire building's monitoring system went down. But in that same instant, everyone who was watching the feeds knew that the vault had been breached. They immediately rushed towards the 108th floor.

Click.

The vault door opened easily, but Echo couldn't afford to hesitate.

She shouted into the room, "Skye, get out of there! Wait, what-why are you here?"

She had expected to see Skye, but instead, it was Doris and her mentor trapped inside.

A trap. The whole thing was a setup.

As soon as Echo saw her mentor, she realized this was a classic "bait and switch" ploy, using her concern for Skye to lure her in.

Seeing Doris smirking and her mentor's dark expression, Echo quickly spun on her heel and bolted.

"Damn Gavin," she muttered to herself. "You'll pay for this someday."

"Echo, you're not getting away this time! This place is sealed tight, where do you think you can run?" Her mentor, second in command of the organization, started shouting threats. But as she followed Echo out, she was met with alarms blaring everywhere, and her face darkened even more.

Echo dodged Doris's kick with a quick sidestep. She wasn't a fighter, but after being Skye's sparring partner for years, she could at least avoid a hit or two.

Seeing her mentor's face turn even darker, Echo couldn't help but chuckle. "You thought you were so clever, didn't you, mentor? But you forgot one thing-Skye is important to me. Did you really think I'd let anything happen to her? Let's see who comes out on top this time!" With that, she turned and darted down the hallway, shouting, "Thief!"

Doris and her mentor's faces turned pale. They had banked on Echo coming to save Skye, but they hadn't expected the bond between the two to be this strong. Using such extreme measures was now backfiring-if they didn't catch Echo before the authorities arrived, they were all in big trouble.

The mentor quickly signaled, and every hidden member of the Theft Organization sprang into action, rushing to capture Echo before anyone else showed up.

This was going to be a real test of their skills.

The thieves were well-prepared, and their gear was way beyond anything Echo had.

Just as it looked like they were about to catch her, the elevator dinged, and security finally showed up.

Echo immediately screamed at the top of her lungs, "Thieves! They're trying to kill me! Help!" She scrambled towards the security guards, half crawling, half running.

In the chaos, Echo's cleaner disguise actually worked in her favor. All the guards, security, and police turned their attention to the thieves, and a bright smile tugged at the corners of Echo's mouth. She took advantage of the confusion, swiftly darting towards the end of the hallway.

But just as she rounded the corner, Echo didn't even have time to react before a pair of arms suddenly blocked her path. She couldn't stop in time and crashed right into them, a strong, overpowering scent flooding her senses.

Her last thought before losing consciousness was, "Damn, got caught in a trap."