The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 21: [Volume 1] - 21-Family Matter

Chapter 21: [Volume 1] Chapter 21-Family Matter

"What?" Mr. Vallahle was trembling in fear as he stuttered, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Esme noticed this and greeted him with a warm smile and walked up to him.

Upon spotting her drawing near, Mr. Vallah’s eyes widened in fear, prompting him to immediately step back.

"What are you doing? Why are you...",his words trailed off as Esme persisted in her steady approach, sending shivers down his spine.

As Esme’s smile continued to widen and she drew nearer, Mr. Vallahle couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread creeping over him.

With each step he took towards her, his heart pounded in fear. And just as he was about to reach out to her, he stumbled and fell onto his buttocks.

"Ahhh"

Diana quickly moved to her father’s side and bent down to help him as he fell, calling out "Daddy, Daddy are you okay".

As she reached out to him, she glanced at Mr. Valhale, who was quivering with fear. Her gaze then landed on Esme, whose sinister smile sent chills down her spine. In a split second, Esme crouched down, extending her hand with an eerie glow in her golden eyes, causing Diana to recoil in terror and tumble to the ground.

The idea of her potentially reaching out to Beom once more, especially in the presence of numerous witnesses, not only instilled fear within them but also sparked dread at the impending embarrassment they were bound to endure.

Immediately, her gaze shifted to Esme’s outstretched hand, a sense of dread filling her as she slowly lifted her own hand and swung it.

Slap

Clink clink clink

Before long, the sharp, frightening clang pierced through the eerie silence of the hall, sending chills down everyone’s spines as a metal object crashed against the ground.

"Are you crazy?" This time, the shout didn’t come from Esme or anyone in the Vallahe family. It was Kai, who had been silent all this time, that finally burst out. His usually calm demeanor was shattered as he rushed to Esme’s side.

In an instant, he grabbed her hand, which had turned an angry shade of red, the result of her reckless actions.

His voice was laced with concern as he asked, "Darling, are you okay?" The pain in his expression was palpable, his eyes fixated on her reddened palm with a mix of worry and guilt, as if he blamed himself for not acting sooner.

Esme, who had expected him to maintain his stoic exterior, was momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone.

But on the outside, she masked her surprise with a tender smile, as if she were genuinely touched by his concern. She leaned into the role of the doting wife, her eyes softening as she looked up at him.

Inwardly, though, she was in awe. ’Wow, what an actor,’ she thought, impressed by the way he could so effortlessly switch from being the quiet observer to the protective husband.

But she knew better than to let her thoughts show, keeping her expression warm and affectionate as she allowed him to tend to her hand, feeling the weight of his gaze as he carefully inspected her injury.

As Kai finished examining Esme’s hand, he released it gently, ensuring she was alright before turning sharply on his heel to face the Vallahe family. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced with a stern, almost icy glare that swept across each of them.

"If all of you have gone nuts, then just tell me," he said, his voice laced with a cold edge that made the room feel a few degrees cooler. His gaze was unwavering, daring anyone to challenge him.

"I’m more than willing to send you to a mental asylum. And don’t worry about the fees—the Aron family would gladly handle it. But don’t you dare act like crazy people in public."

"What the heck...," Mr. Vallahe began, his voice rising in anger as he stood up, clearly ready to unleash a tirade. But as he did, his eyes locked onto Esme, who was standing just behind Kai. Her cold, unwavering glare froze him in his tracks.

The fiery words died in his throat, replaced by a sudden chill that sent a shiver down his spine. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he abruptly clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had miscalculated.

Kai, sensing the shift, turned slowly to face Mr. Vallahe, a sharpness in his eyes that matched the tone of his voice.

"What? Do you have something to say?" His words were cutting, each syllable precise and loaded with a challenge.

"Then say it. What are you stuttering for now, huh?" He crossed his arms over his chest, his posture relaxed but his gaze penetrating, daring Mr. Vallahe to speak.

The room seemed to shrink around them, the tension thick and suffocating as everyone waited to see if Mr. Vallahe would dare respond.

But the older man’s bravado had evaporated under Esme’s glare and Kai’s pointed words, leaving him standing there, caught between pride and fear, with nothing more to say.

Diana, who had been watching the confrontation unfold, couldn’t stay silent any longer. Seeing her father pushed back both figuratively and literally, she stepped forward with measured grace, positioning herself beside him. Her expression was calm, but there was a fire in her eyes that hinted at the resolve beneath her polite demeanor.

"Mr. Aron," she began, her tone soft and respectful, though there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it, "please forgive my father for his rude words." She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. As she spoke again, her gaze sharpened, narrowing on Kai with a newfound intensity.

"However, we are speaking to my sister, and this is a matter within our family. It would be best if you didn’t interfere in our personal affairs."

Her words were carefully chosen, teetering between courtesy and challenge. There was a subtle but clear line drawn in the sand, a reminder that despite the tension, this was Vallahe family business, and she expected it to remain that way.

Yet, behind her poised exterior, there was a hint of unease, knowing that any wrong move could escalate the situation further.