Chapter 115 Carry Him, Not Me

• Looking down at her, Ryan reached out and gently stroked Echo's hair. His voice was low and steady, still carrying that usual commanding edge. "It's over. What's there to be scared of?"
• It was the same old Ryan—cold and authoritative—but with a softness that hadn't been there before, though neither of them noticed it.
• Echo clung tightly to him, holding him as if afraid to let go. For the first time, she had seen Ryan falter, caught in a moment where even his strength wasn't enough.