The Heiress's Comeback

Chapter 178: [ Volume 1] Chaper 178- Cold Contracts.

"Contract?" Helga repeated in disbelief, her eyes narrowing as she studied Esme. The words felt cold, calculated, and yet Esme nodded with a matter-of-fact expression. "Yeah, contract."

Helga’s mouth twitched slightly, but she held her ground, though a deep frown etched her face. "And what? You think I’m someone who just falls in love or something?" she asked, her voice tight with restrained emotion.

Esme didn’t flinch. Her gaze stayed steady, the calmness in her demeanor only further fueling the fire that was building in the room. Aron, standing beside Helga, couldn’t take it anymore. His face flushed red with anger, the muscles in his jaw twitching as his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

"What the fuck?" Aron burst out, slamming his fists on the table so hard that the sound reverberated through the room. The tension in the air thickened as his chest heaved with barely contained rage. He was about to grab Esme by the collar when Helga’s sharp voice cut through the storm.

"Behave." Helga’s tone was bold, commanding, and for a moment, it stilled Aron’s hand in mid-air.

But Aron wasn’t finished. He shook her hand off and shouted, "I will not!" His voice trembled with fury, his eyes locked onto Esme, who remained frustratingly calm. "What the heck do you mean that you just... you just... feel this fulfilling contract?!"

Esme’s eyes flicked toward him, cool and collected. "Why?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as if he was the unreasonable one. "Did I say something wrong? Wasn’t it clear from the beginning that this whole mess started with an agreement?"

Aron stared at her, incredulous. His face twisted with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Just... an agreement?" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, as though the wind had been knocked out of him. "Then all this time—taking them to the amusement park, smiling, laughing, having dinners together—it was all just part of the contract?"

Esme nodded without hesitation, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes. What else?"

Her words ignited something deep in Aron. He felt his blood boiling, the heat of rage rushing to his head as if he were about to explode. He could no longer control himself. His hand shot out, grabbing Esme by the collar, yanking her forward as Helga tried to step between them. Aron pushed Helga away roughly, his voice shaking with fury.

"You’ve lost your fucking mind!" Aron’s voice was thick with disbelief and rage. "How... how dare you use someone like this? Esme, you have—"

Helga, who had stumbled back from the shove, quickly recovered and stepped forward again, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Aron, stop!" Her eyes blazed with authority, but even she could feel the weight of the words Esme had said.

Esme, still held by Aron’s grip, didn’t struggle. Her expression was calm, detached, as if none of this truly mattered to her. She raised her eyes to meet Aron’s, her lips curving into the faintest of smirks. "Isn’t this what you wanted to hear? The truth?" Her voice was cool, sharp, almost taunting.

Aron’s grip tightened, his knuckles white, but his anger was beginning to mix with something else—confusion, betrayal. He looked at her, searching for something in her eyes that wasn’t there. "You—" His voice cracked, but he couldn’t find the words. "You don’t even care, do you?"

Esme’s gaze didn’t waver. "Care?" she repeated, almost with a sense of amusement. "Why should I care? What matters is that the contract was fulfilled. We all played our parts, didn’t we?"

At that moment, Aron’s fury seemed to drain, replaced by a hollow feeling of disbelief. He released his grip, pushing Esme away with disgust. His hands trembled as he stepped back, shaking his head.

"You’re... you’re heartless," Aron whispered, his voice broken. "You used them... used all of us."

Esme straightened her clothes calmly, smoothing out the wrinkles Aron had caused. Her face showed no sign of remorse. "I did what I had to do," she said quietly. "And I’d do it again."

The room was silent, the weight of her words settling heavily between them all. Aron stood there, fists clenched at his sides, breathing hard, while Helga watched from the sidelines, her eyes filled with a strange mixture of anger and sorrow.

Esme, unfazed, picked up her napkin, wiping her mouth with the same grace and detachment as before. For her, it was just another day, another deal.

Hearing her words, Aron was left stunned. He looked at Esme, searching her face for any trace of the warmth she once had, the person he thought he knew. His voice softened, almost pleading, "You... you’ve changed. You can’t act like this. How can you turn so cold-blooded? You were using their feelings for you."

Esme, who had been about to sit back down, froze. The slight shudder that passed through her was brief, but it betrayed a crack in her otherwise indifferent demeanor. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet Aron’s, and when she spoke, her voice was cold, laced with a chilling finality.

"I was always like this. Maybe it’s you who never saw the real me."

Her words struck Aron like a blow. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. The anger that had been simmering inside him began to bubble over, threatening to erupt. He clenched his fists, his voice rising in frustration, "Yes, you’re right! I was the wrong one for not seeing you for who you truly are. It was all my fault!"

He stared at her, his heart pounding, hoping—no, begging—for some sign of remorse, a flicker of the woman he once admired. But all he found was Esme’s cold, unyielding gaze, as if nothing he said mattered, as if his words couldn’t touch her. She remained still, her eyes devoid of any emotion, just watching him as though his outburst was nothing but background noise.

Then she spoke, her voice steady, almost detached, "It’s good that you know now." She paused, her gaze never wavering from his. "Now get used to it."

The room felt colder, the weight of her words sinking into Aaron like a stone. There was no argument left, no plea that would reach her. Esme had become a stranger before his eyes—calm, calculating, and utterly indifferent. And for the first time, Aron realized just how dangerous it was to have misjudged her so deeply.