The Heiress's Comeback

Chapter 169: [Volume 1] - 169 - Jay the Number

"Jay! Where have you been? It’s been two days since I last saw you!" Ray exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.

Jay returned the hug with a firm pat on Ray’s back, his demeanor calm as ever. "I’m fine, brother," he replied smoothly. "I’ve just been waiting for the right moment to come back."

Esme’s voice broke the momentary reunion. "Yeah, I sent him," she said, her tone flat. Her gaze turned toward the Aron brothers, a slight smirk forming once again. "He’s been handling the... modifications."

Hearing that, a shiver ran down their spines. They knew now—Jay was more involved in this than they had imagined. Whatever Esme had planned, Jay had a part in it, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t bothered by the dark nature of his work.

Jay adjusted his lab coat, his expression turning serious as he prepared to explain. His voice shifted into a more clinical tone, the way he always spoke when he discussed his work. "By modification, I mean we’ve altered the poison’s chemical structure," he began, his eyes scanning the room to make sure everyone was following. "The original formula was too obvious, too traceable. But now, it’s virtually undetectable. It won’t show the same signs, and it metabolizes differently in the body. Even if someone were to run tests, they wouldn’t find the exact same compound that was used on Esme."

Kai, who had asked the question, furrowed his brows. "So... it’s not the same poison?"

Jay shook his head. "Not anymore. It’s still lethal, of course, but now it’s more refined. The symptoms will appear similar, but there’s no direct link to Esme’s condition. The beauty of this modification is that it mimics natural illnesses. Slow, gradual, and far less suspicious."

Esme’s smirk returned as she watched their reactions. "You see, I’m not just about brute force. Sometimes, you have to be subtle."

Ray, and Ryan exchanged uneasy glances. The tension in the room thickened as they realized just how deep Jay’s involvement was in this plan. What once seemed like a simple scheme had turned into something far more dangerous—calculated and deliberate.

Ray, still processing, asked quietly, "And no one will be able to trace it back?"

Jay nodded confidently. "Not unless they know exactly what to look for, and trust me, no one outside of this room does."

Esme leaned back in her chair, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "That’s why we have Jay. He takes care of the details."

Esme’s voice carried a playful edge as she spoke, "After all, if we have the number one scientist in our home, why do we need to worry about some poison or whatever? It’s his field of mastery, isn’t it?" Her tone was light, but the underlying confidence in Jay’s abilities was unmistakable.

The Aron brothers, who had been wrapped up in the tension of the moment, suddenly found themselves nodding in agreement. As they turned their gaze toward Jay, a realization hit them with force. It was easy to forget, amidst Jay’s playful nature and the pranks he often pulled, that beneath that cheerful, carefree surface lay a mind that was unmatched in the field of medical science.

Jay stood before them, still wearing his usual mischievous grin, but now the brothers could see the sharp intellect behind his eyes. He wasn’t just their younger, teasing sibling anymore. No, this was the same man who, despite being overlooked and underestimated by many, had quietly climbed to the top of his field. If he weren’t so modest, and if his unconventional lifestyle hadn’t kept him under the radar, Jay would likely have already made history with his groundbreaking research.

Ryan, the eldest and often the most serious of the brothers, took a moment to truly process what Esme had said. He had always known Jay was smart—brilliant, even—but it was in moments like this that the full extent of his brother’s genius became undeniable. He recalled all the late nights Jay spent in his lab, the medical journals he devoured with the same enthusiasm that a child might approach a new toy, and the way his eyes lit up when discussing a particularly challenging case or complex formula.

"You’re right," Ryan finally said, his voice thoughtful, "we don’t have to worry about the poison. Not when Jay’s the one handling it." His words carried a weight of trust that wasn’t easily earned.

Ray, usually more lighthearted, was uncharacteristically quiet, his mind replaying memories of Jay’s early achievements. As children, Jay had always been a little different—always more curious, more determined, and far more intelligent than anyone gave him credit for. It was easy to lose sight of that when Jay’s personality often leaned toward humor and mischief. But now, looking at his brother in this serious situation, Ray realized just how wrong they had been to take Jay’s talents for granted.

"You’ve been handling this the whole time, haven’t you?" Ray asked softly, his voice tinged with both admiration and regret. "And here we were, worrying about how to fix this mess, when you’ve probably had it figured out from the start."

Jay shrugged, but the grin he gave them now was less mischievous and more confident. "I wouldn’t say I had it all figured out, but I knew I could handle it. This isn’t my first time working with poisons, and I’ve made... a few modifications to ensure no one would ever suspect a thing."

His words were casual, but the implications were anything but. The brothers exchanged glances, each of them fully aware that what Jay was saying wasn’t just about skill—it was about survival. He had taken it upon himself to protect them, to keep their enemies at bay with the one weapon they hadn’t counted on: his scientific mastery.

"Jay..." Ryan started, his voice rough with emotion, but he trailed off, unsure of how to express the gratitude and guilt that were warring inside him.

Jay, sensing the mood shift, waved a hand dismissively. "Come on, don’t get all emotional on me. I did what I had to do. Family comes first, right?" His grin returned, though this time it was softer, more genuine.