The Heiress's Comeback

Chapter 171: [Volume 1] - 171- Dark Secrets

With a sharp bang, Ray slammed his hands against the table, causing the dishes to rattle. "Stop eating your damn pudding and tell us if we’re right or wrong!" His voice was a mix of frustration and fear, his eyes fixed on her, searching for the truth.

Esme paused mid-bite, her spoon lingering in the air. She blinked once, twice, before finally setting it down with deliberate slowness. Her eyes flicked up to meet Ray’s, a spark of amusement glimmering behind them. She leaned back slightly, exhaling softly as if she were indulging in their rising panic.

"Well," she began, her voice light and teasing, "what do you think?"

The silence that followed was deafening. The brothers’ faces fell into various stages of shock, disbelief, and anger. Ryan’s hand dropped to his side, his confusion now replaced with an icy realization. Kai’s pale complexion deepened into a sharp frown, his eyes narrowing as the pieces began to fit together.

"You..." Ray’s voice faded, his mind racing. "You were the one who made the poison?" He glanced at Jay, who appeared taken aback. Ray pressed on, saying, "Wasn’t it you who brewed this toxin?"

Jay was still trying to process everything as the tension in the room thickened. His gaze flickered between Esme and the others, his mind racing. Yes, he had made the poison, but only because Esme had given him the formula. When she handed it to him, he assumed it came from a well-known scientist or some secretive expert in the field. But now, realizing that Esme herself had created it? That shook him to his core. He looked at her in disbelief. How was this woman—who ran a company with such precision and confidence—also knowledgeable enough to craft a poison?

He didn’t know what to feel in that moment. Admiration? Fear? Maybe both. There she sat, calm and poised, like nothing was out of the ordinary. A woman who could navigate the cutthroat corporate world and also manipulate poisons so effectively—what kind of danger had he unknowingly allied himself with?

Ray’s voice cut through Jay’s swirling thoughts. "The hell, tell me!" Ray shouted, his frustration finally boiling over. "You damn both of you, what the hell is going on here?" His eyes bore into Jay, demanding answers, while Esme remained calm beside him.

Esme didn’t flinch at Ray’s outburst. Instead, she slowly stood, as if completely unbothered by the rising tension. She put her spoon down with deliberate ease, dabbing her mouth with the napkin before setting it aside. Her expression was one of mild amusement, like Ray’s anger was little more than a child’s tantrum.

"Why does it matter who did it?" she said, her voice calm, even. "What matters is that your aunt, even after losing control of her emotions, is still smart enough to cause us problems."

Kai, who had been silent until now, nodded thoughtfully, clearly picking up on Esme’s point. "Yeah, I think so too. After all, she called on the landline—probably so we couldn’t record her. If we’re right, she’s likely used another number altogether."

Ray, still fuming, slammed his hand on the table. "That’s not the point, Kai!" he snapped, his voice trembling with frustration. "We’re not talking about how clever Aunt is—we’re talking about this!" He gestured wildly between Jay and Esme, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Esme gave Jay a formula for poison! Poison! And neither of them thought to mention it?"

Jay finally spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. "I—I didn’t know she made it herself. I thought it came from some professional. She didn’t exactly tell me."

Ray shook his head, incredulous. "How could you not ask questions, Jay? You’re a scientist. How could you just do it what if that formula fe—"

The moment Esme handed him the formula, doubt clouded his mind. How could he, in good conscience, create something so dangerous? A poison, no less, based on a mere formula. But the shock that followed Esme’s revelation had shaken him deeply, rattling him to his core. It brought back memories from his childhood, memories that stung even now.

He had always been different, more vulnerable than his brothers. From a young age, his second aunt made sure he knew it. She would whisper cruel words, telling him he was the worst of the bunch. To say such things to a five- or six-year-old child was a form of brainwashing, and over time, he began to believe her words. It wasn’t that his parents or brothers had abandoned him—not really. But Ryan’s illness demanded their constant care, and there were moments when he felt utterly alone, with no one to turn to.

Still, whenever that thought arose, it was swiftly silenced by the unwavering love of his brothers. Ray, especially, had always been more than just a brother. He was a protector, almost a father figure, despite their minimal age difference. Ray had shielded him from countless hardships, stepping in front of him whenever danger or scolding threatened, even if his own body trembled in fear. And Ryan, despite his illness, would try to be a barrier between him and the world’s cruelties.

As he reflected, his mind drifted to darker memories—memories of his second aunt. The woman who had tormented him had also spent far too much time around Ray in their childhood. He remembered how she would stare at Ray with unsettling eyes, her gaze cold, almost as if she were looking at a lifeless doll. It made his skin crawl even back then. She had a habit of calling them dolls, but it wasn’t until much later that he realized the true malice behind those words. The way she looked at Ray filled him with dread, as if she were plotting something sinister.

One day, unable to keep silent, he had confided in his mother. He didn’t know what his mother had discovered, but soon after, the doors to their house were closed to guests and relatives. His mother had shut out the world, ensuring that his second aunt was never left alone with them again. Whatever she had found, it was enough for her to sever ties.