The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 121: [Volume 1] - 121 -someone else

Chapter 121: [Volume 1] Chapter 121 -someone else

Cain’s image filled her mind. Her heart clenched, and for a second, it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

She remembered a similar moment, sitting in a theater years ago with Cain by her side.

"What do you want?" she had asked him, her voice light as they browsed the menu.

"Camel Popcorn," Cain had replied with that same bright, mischievous smile that always made her laugh.

"Camel Popcorn? Really?" Esme had teased, arching an eyebrow. "And what about your drink?"

"Green tea," Cain had answered, his grin even wider.

She had laughed, shaking her head. "Who on earth drinks popcorn with green tea?"

Cain had pouted, his boyish charm making her heart flutter. "Me!" he had declared proudly.

Esme had ruffled his hair, affection pouring out of her. "Of course, only you. You might be the only one in the world who likes this unusual combo."

With a grin, Cain had responded, "That’s only because you haven’t met someone like me yet."

Blinking, Esme returned to the present, her chest tight with the sudden rush of emotion. Her gaze lingered on Jay, and without thinking, she murmured softly, "So there really is someone else like that..."

Jay frowned slightly, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Yes? What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, though he hadn’t caught the weight of her words.

Esme caught herself, quickly forcing a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She shook her head gently. "Nothing," she whispered, her voice quieter now, a little strained. "Green tea it is."

Jay, still oblivious to the emotion that had passed through her, grinned widely, thrilled with his drink choice. But as his excitement bubbled over, Esme’s heart ached. The memory of Cain hovered in her mind like a shadow, just out of reach, its presence heavy yet familiar, a bittersweet echo she couldn’t quite shake off.

....

As Esme and the Aron brothers settled into their seats at the theater, she realized she had made a mistake. Instead of picking a romantic comedy or a lighthearted cartoon, she had accidentally booked a ticket for a horror movie. Esme wasn’t worried though. She wasn’t scared of horror films, and she assumed the Aron brothers wouldn’t be either. Besides, this particular movie wasn’t even that scary.

But she was wrong—terribly wrong.

As soon as the movie started and the ghostly heroine appeared on screen, Esme felt sharp nails digging into both her hands. Sitting between Ryan and Ray on one side and Kai and Jay on the other, all four brothers suddenly jumped in fright and clung to her for dear life.

Esme glanced at the screen, unimpressed by the "horror" scene playing out. To her, it was more comedic than terrifying. Yet, here her husbands were, trembling like terrified children. Their hands gripped hers with such force that it felt as if they were scratching her in their panic.

She sighed inwardly, realizing there was no escape from their fear. So, instead of fighting it, she resigned herself to the situation and let them clutch her hands tightly, feeling their tension, their trembling, while she remained calm, inwardly amused at the contrast between the movie and her husbands’ reaction.

As the movie progressed, Esme couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to herself. The brothers were still clinging to her, their bodies tense with every jump scare. Each time the ghost appeared or some eerie music played, they squeezed her hands tighter, and she winced but didn’t pull away. She was their only lifeline in this moment of terror.

When the tension in the movie heightened, Ray let out a sharp gasp, his grip tightening even more. On the other side, Kai had pulled his knees up to his chest, trying to shield himself from the screen while Jay kept peeking through his fingers, acting as though he could handle it but jumping at every loud noise.

Ryan, however, was the worst. He had buried half his face in Esme’s shoulder, muttering under his breath, "God, Buddha, Jesus..." he was muttering whatever holy names he knew.

As they stepped out of the theater, Esme trailed behind the Aron brothers, her eyes brimming with barely contained amusement. Despite their best efforts to act normal, she could see their subtle glances around, trying to gauge if anyone had noticed their earlier panic.

Ray was the first to speak, fixing his jacket and clearing his throat. "Well, that movie was a bit... dull, don’t you think?" His voice oozed nonchalance, as if he hadn’t spent most of the film clutching her arm in terror.

Esme raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Dull, huh?"

Ryan, walking on the other side, nodded quickly, his face set in a mask of indifference. "Yeah, nothing special. Pretty predictable, honestly." He flicked an imaginary speck off his shirt, as though he hadn’t spent the last two hours hiding his face during every jump scare.

Kai, who had remained unusually quiet, finally chimed in, his voice overly casual. "I’ve seen scarier movies on TV late at night."

Esme bit back a laugh, watching them pretend like the entire theater hadn’t heard their screams. She glanced at Jay, who was adjusting his collar as if preparing for a formal event. He caught her look and grinned, but there was a hint of nerves behind his bravado. "Right? I don’t know why they even make movies like that. Not scary at all."

Esme couldn’t hold it in any longer. She let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "You guys are unbelievable."

Ray shot her a look, his tone defensive. "What? It wasn’t scary. Just... surprising. That’s all."

Esme smirked, crossing her arms. "Uh-huh. And I suppose the part where all of you nearly crushed my hands wasn’t because you were scared, either?"

Ryan turned to her with wide eyes. "Crushed your hands? We didn’t do that."

"You did," Esme countered, her voice teasing yet firm. "Ray, you almost jumped out of your seat when the ghost appeared for the first time."