The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 27: [Volume 1] - 27-Eldest daughter.

Chapter 27: [Volume 1] Chapter 27-Eldest daughter.

Dianna rushed towards her father, her hands gripping his shoulders as she tried to steady him. Frustration gnawed at her insides—what on earth had happened to her father? He had always been wild and shrewd, but today... today, it was as if he had truly lost his mind.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" she asked through gritted teeth, forcing herself to maintain a calm demeanor. She couldn’t afford to let her carefully crafted image as the kind and gentle woman slip, not now, not in front of everyone.

"Baby, believe me... she is Esme," Mr. Vallahe repeated, his voice desperate as he pointed shakily at Esme and Kai. His words were frantic, filled with a conviction that only served to make him seem more unhinged.

Smack!

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the room, silencing the murmurs of the onlookers. Madam Vallahe, who had been standing quietly in the background all this time, had suddenly stepped forward and struck her husband across the face. Her hand remained poised in the air for a moment, her face a mask of cold fury.

The room fell into a stunned silence, all eyes now on the matriarch of the Vallahe family. Dianna’s mouth hung open slightly, shock evident in her wide eyes as she looked between her parents. Even Mr. Vallahe seemed momentarily dazed, his hand coming up to touch his reddening cheek as if he couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.

"Enough of this madness!" Madam Vallahe snapped, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "You’re embarrassing us all. Keep quiet, or you’ll regret it."

Dianna’s heart pounded in her chest, her grip on her father tightening as she struggled to process the chaos unfolding around her. The weight of her mother’s words hung heavy in the air, leaving everyone in the room on edge, uncertain of what would happen next.

Madam Vallahe didn’t care whether this woman was Esme or not; it hardly mattered if she and her husband had come with some hidden agenda.

What did matter, however, was the mere possibility—the slightest chance—that this woman wasn’t Esme, but Rose, the wife of those unpredictable, dangerous brothers. If that were true, the Vallahe family could face a storm like no other.

The Aron family was no ordinary business dynasty; they were a genius family in the world of commerce, formidable enough to stand toe-to-toe with the Vallahe family. Sometimes, they were even considered more powerful.

But when Esme inherited the company, she managed to control the Aron Group and fought against them on equal footing. In the end, when the matriarch of the Aron family passed away, the family weakened, allowing Esme to lead the Vallahe family to unprecedented growth.

They became stronger, consolidating their power, and although the Aron family had been quiet ever since, thinking of them as weak was like taunting a sleeping lion.

The most troubling aspect of the Aron family wasn’t just their business acumen, which flowed through their veins like a second nature. It was their love and devotion to their spouses—a devotion so intense it bordered on madness.

It was well-known that they would go to any lengths, even murder, to protect those they loved.

This loyalty, fierce and unyielding, was something Madam Vallahe couldn’t afford to ignore. The consequences of misjudging this situation could be catastrophic, not just for her, but for the entire Vallahe family.

"You—you hit me?" Mr. Vallahe stammered, his face frozen in disbelief. He never imagined his wife would strike him, especially in front of so many people.

"Shut up!" Madam Vallahe snapped, her voice seething with rage. She turned sharply to Dianna, her eyes blazing. "Take your father back to his room and make sure he doesn’t come out until I say so."

Dianna, caught off guard by her mother’s fury, quickly grabbed her father by the arm. Her heart pounded as she nodded, not daring to argue. She passed him off to the servant standing nearby, who took Mr. Vallahe by the shoulders and began leading him away.

As they left the room, Mr. Vallahe looked back, his expression still a mix of shock and confusion, while Dianna clenched her teeth, trying to keep her composure. She had to maintain her image as the kind and gentle woman, but inside, she was fuming. Her father’s outburst had not only embarrassed her but also put their family in a precarious position.

Madam Vallahe turned to Esme and Kai, her expression transforming into one of contrition. Clasping her hands together, she spoke in a warm, almost pleading tone, "Please forgive my husband for his outburst." Her voice quivered as she continued, a tear glistening in her eye. "Losing our eldest daughter shook his mental stability deeply. It doesn’t matter whether that girl was an impersonator or not—to a father who raised her with such care from childhood, the loss is unbearable. Seeing Miss Rose, who looks exactly like our Esme, must have been too much for him to bear."

Her words hung in the air, a mixture of apology and explanation, as she looked at Esme and Kai with a sorrowful gaze.

Soon, the room’s atmosphere shifted as everyone’s previously suspicious and irritated expressions softened into pity. The crowd murmured among themselves, their tones now laced with sympathy.

"Yes, after all, she was still the woman they raised for twenty-three years," some whispered, and others nodded in agreement, their gazes turning compassionate toward the Vallahe family.

Esme and Kai, who had been observing the scene closely, felt a mix of irritation and frustration. But there was also a flicker of admiration—they couldn’t help but respect how Madam Vallahe had deftly turned the entire situation in her favor.

What had been a moment of potential disgrace for the Vallahe family had now transformed into one of understanding and empathy, all thanks to her quick thinking and carefully chosen words.

Kai leaned closer to Esme, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, "Your mother is really smart." A smile tugged at his lips, a mixture of amusement and grudging respect.