The Heiress's Comeback

Chapter 170: [Volume 1] - 170 - Poisonous Truth

As the Aron brothers spoke among themselves, deep in thought about their next move, the shrill ring of the phone sliced through the tension in the room like a blade. It wasn’t just any phone—it was the landline. The one only a few people had access to, making its sudden ringing ominous.

Everyone turned to look at each other, their expressions tight with suspicion. They knew this phone was linked to Esme’s dealings, and nothing good ever followed its ringing. Esme, however, only smiled. That same, cold, knowing smile that sent shivers down their spines. Her eyes flicked toward the phone, her amusement barely concealed.

"See?" she said softly, her voice lilting with an almost playful undertone.

The brothers exchanged glances, understanding that whatever was about to happen, Esme had anticipated it. Kai, the calmest among them, stood up with an air of reluctance. His hands were steady, though a hint of tension showed in the clench of his jaw. He walked over to the phone, picking it up slowly, almost ceremoniously, before placing it on speaker.

The room held its breath.

The line crackled to life, and then a voice erupted from the speaker, harsh and venomous.

"You bitch! I will kill you! How dare you!"

The voice was unmistakable—it was their second aunt. The venom in her words was unlike anything they had heard from her before. Normally composed, manipulative with her every move, she now sounded unhinged, rabid with rage.

"You ruined everything!" she screamed, her voice breaking with fury. "It’s all your fault! Everything I planned, all my hard work—it’s destroyed because of you! Do you hear me? It’s all your fault!"

The Aron brothers stiffened, shock rippling through them. Ray clenched his fists, anger and disgust mingling on his face. Ryan’s jaw set in a hard line, his body taut as he listened to the madness on the other end. Kai’s expression remained neutral, but his eyes flicked to Esme, narrowing slightly.

Esme, however, appeared unfazed by the tirade, her smile widening ever so slightly. She sat back in her chair, crossing her legs with an elegance that sharply contrasted the chaos spilling from the phone. She almost looked like she was enjoying the spectacle.

The brothers watched her with a mixture of awe and apprehension. They had seen Esme play this game before—subtle, manipulative, and always ten steps ahead. But hearing their aunt’s voice, filled with such primal rage, it was clear now what she meant by "modification."

The second aunt’s voice continued to tear through the air, escalating into shrieks that barely sounded human. "I’ll make you pay, You Bitch! You think you can get away with this? I’ll rip everything from you—everything!"

But then, just as suddenly as it began, the line went dead. The silence that followed was deafening.

The brothers turned to look at Esme, their expressions demanding an explanation. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she uncrossed her legs, her posture relaxed and utterly unconcerned.

"Well," she began with a soft chuckle, "it seems the poison worked... better than expected."

Ray’s brow furrowed, confusion and disbelief warring on his face. "What did you do to her?"

Esme tilted her head slightly, that ever-present smile still dancing on her lips. "I simply adjusted the poison. You see, I didn’t just want her to suffer physically. That would have been too easy, too predictable." She paused, her eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. "I wanted her to lose control of herself. To lose that carefully constructed mask she’s always worn. So, I made a few tweaks to ensure she would spiral... emotionally."

Kai raised an eyebrow, his mind processing the implications. "You manipulated her emotions? Made her... unstable?"

Esme shrugged, feigning innocence. "Something like that. It’s a rather delicate balance. Push the right buttons, adjust the right chemical compounds... and even the most composed person can become a raging lunatic." She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "She’s going to tear herself apart before anyone else even gets the chance."

The room fell into a heavy silence as the Aron brothers absorbed what Esme had done. The second aunt, once their most dangerous adversary, had just become her own worst enemy—and it was all Esme’s doing.

Ryan, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke, his voice low and measured. "

Hearing her words, Ryan interrupted, raising his hand slightly, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Wait a minute. I have a question." His voice held a note of uncertainty as he turned to Esme, his gaze searching her face. "Why are you explaining it like you were the one who made the poison?"

The room went silent as the weight of Ryan’s question hung in the air. As soon as the words left his mouth, Esme’s smile froze—just for a second. But that fleeting moment was enough for the Aron brothers to notice. Her lips shifted into an innocent, almost playful smile, as if she didn’t understand what he was implying. Yet, there was something about that smile that sent chills down their spines.

Kai’s face turned pale, his expression growing tense as realization dawned. Ray, who had been the quietest of them all, looked at her with wide eyes, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Please... please tell us we’re wrong. We’re thinking wrong, right? Right?"

His voice cracked with a desperate edge, searching Esme’s face for any sign of reassurance. But instead of responding, Esme’s smile only brightened, like someone blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation. She lowered her eyes, focusing instead on the dessert pudding that had somehow made its way to her plate. Calmly, she picked up a spoon, dipping it into the soft dessert as if the room wasn’t teetering on the edge of chaos.

Ray’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles whitening as he watched her put the spoonful of pudding into her mouth with slow, deliberate ease. The audacity of her calmness ignited something in him. The tension that had been simmering finally snapped.