The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 271: [ Volume 1] Chaper 271- What’s the plan?

Chapter 271: [ Volume 1] Chaper 271- What’s the plan?

Ray, still lying motionless on the bed, had been pretending to be in a coma-like state. He’d been sprawled there dramatically, his face a picture of exhaustion, one arm thrown across his forehead. But the moment he heard the sound of food being unveiled, his eyes snapped open. He blinked once, twice, before pushing himself up with surprising speed, his back straightening as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"You," Ray said with exaggerated slowness, as if he were waking from the deepest slumber, "you only care about food, huh?" His voice was a groggy growl, a perfect mix of sarcasm and drowsy humor.

He wiped his face lazily with the back of his hand, still half-dazed. But as his fingers brushed against his skin, he caught sight of the powder smeared across his face, his cheeks now glowing a bright, rosy hue. The action of wiping only made his face look even more ridiculous, like someone who’d just been caught in the middle of a powdered sugar storm.

Jay, who had been eagerly eyeing the bag of food, froze mid-movement. His gaze locked onto Ray, his laughter bubbling up instantly. "Ray!" he said, doubling over with mirth. "You look like a Valentine’s Day card!"

Ray groaned, not quite registering the full extent of his situation until he glanced at the others and saw their faces contorted in laughter. "Shut up," he grumbled, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at Jay. "You guys are impossible!"

But just as the room was engulfed in laughter, Esme, ever the opportunist, dashed across the room and launched herself at Ray. She tackled him into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around him in an exaggerated gesture of affection.

"You!" she exclaimed dramatically, squeezing him even tighter. "Ray, you dramatic fool!"

Ray, still half-dazed from his "coma," blinked in confusion before his arms instinctively wrapped around her in return. "What... What happened to you?" he mumbled, still not fully processing. "You were acting so good, and then—"

Esme pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, her expression shifting to one of playful annoyance. "And this is what I get?" she said, her finger pointing accusatorily at Kai and Rayan. "They hit me too hard!"

Kai, trying to suppress his grin, raised his hands in defense. "Hey, we were just testing your reflexes."

Ryan shrugged, grinning widely. "Yeah, and you passed—barely."

Esme shot them both a look, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "Testing my reflexes? You guys really went for my face!"

Hearing that, they looked up, their eyes drawn to Esme’s face. One of her cheeks was swollen, the redness stark against her otherwise pale complexion. The sight made Ray’s jaw clench tightly, his disbelief flashing into irritation as he turned his gaze toward his brothers.

Kai and Ryan instantly stiffened under his scrutiny, their eyes darting between Ray and each other. Then, as if in sync, they both raised their hands defensively, their faces a picture of guilt and panic.

"No, no! We didn’t mean to—" Kai started, his voice trembling slightly.

"We hit her lightly! Really, we swear!" Ryan cut in, his tone rising as if trying to preempt an explosion from their elder brother.

Kai nodded frantically. "Yeah! It’s not what it looks like! We needed people to believe it was real, so, uh..." His voice trailed off, leaving Ryan to pick up the slack.

"...so we used just a tiny bit of force," Ryan finished, though the words sounded more like a confession.

Esme’s voice broke through their chaotic stammering. "Tiny bit?" she echoed, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Her hands flew to her hips, and she gave them a look that could pierce stone. "You call this a tiny bit?" she demanded, pointing dramatically at her swollen cheek.

Before the brothers could protest further, she turned sharply toward Ray and threw her arms around him. "They’re lying!" she declared, her voice trembling with exaggerated emotion. "If it weren’t for my Beast Protection, if I hadn’t activated my power just in time, they might’ve disfigured me!" She buried her face in Ray’s chest, pretending to sob.

Ray froze for a moment, staring down at her with wide eyes. His gaze shifted to his brothers, who were now looking anywhere but at him. Slowly, his nose flared, and his temper boiled over.

"You little drama queen," he growled, grabbing Esme’s ear and giving it a firm tug.

Esme yelped in surprise, jerking back slightly as she swatted at his hand. "Ow! Ray!"

"Enough!" he barked, his stern tone silencing her fake cries.

He let go of her ear and tilted her chin upward, inspecting her face closely. His fingers gently turned her head from side to side, his eyes narrowing as he took in the swollen cheek. "And this?" he asked, his voice sharp.

Esme blinked innocently, trying to suppress a grin. "Battle scars?"

Ray scoffed, his lips twitching with restrained amusement. "It’ll heal in two days," he said bluntly, releasing her chin. "Stop acting like a coward."

He turned on his brothers next, his piercing gaze making them straighten up like soldiers awaiting orders. "And you two—if you’re going to hit someone, fine. But warn them first! Understood?"

Kai and Ryan nodded quickly, muttering, "Yes, yes, understood," under their breaths.

Satisfied, Ray sighed and turned back to Esme, only to find her already seated by the food she had brought. She was stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth as if the earlier drama hadn’t happened.

"Really, Esme?" he asked, raising a brow.

"What?" she mumbled around a mouthful of food. "I’m starving."

The tension in the room finally began to dissolve as the brothers joined her, taking their share of the meal. After eating, they all sat on the bed, their bodies relaxed but their minds already turning toward the next step.

"So," Ryan said, breaking the silence. "What’s the next plan?"

Esme looked up, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Plan?" she repeated, feigning innocence.