The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 29: [Volume 1] - 29-Gift worked

Chapter 29: [Volume 1] Chapter 29-Gift worked

Kai had shown them that he was not someone to be trifled with, and they knew, without a doubt, that he could—and would—drain them dry if they ever made the mistake of underestimating him.

The chaotic tension that had enveloped the room began to dissipate, leading to the early end of the party. Guests, still buzzing with the intensity of the earlier exchange, made their exits, their conversations hushed and cautious. Kai and Esme, satisfied with how things had unfolded, turned to leave as well.

As Esme approached the door, a strange feeling washed over her—like a persistent gaze had been fixed on her since the moment she entered. She paused, her instincts tugging at her to glance back. Kai, noticing her hesitation, also turned, his eyes following hers.

Standing near the back of the room was a figure that made Esme’s heart clench with a mixture of old memories and lingering unease—her ex, who was now Diana’s fiancé. His eyes were glued to her, intense and unwavering, as if seeing her for the first time all over again. The air between them seemed to thicken, laden with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

From the day he could remember, at just ten years old, he and Esme had been engaged. Esme had always looked at him with a smile—one that held the innocence and devotion of a girl who believed her future was set. He recalled a particular memory with painful clarity: once, during the heart of winter, he had casually mentioned wanting a water lily, a flower that bloomed out of season. Without a second thought, Esme had ventured into the freezing pond, risking her health just to bring him that lily. To her, he had been everything, and her actions had shown it. But then everything changed when that bastard Cain entered their lives.

Cain had stolen Esme from him, pulling her away like a thief in the night. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, she began to drift from him, her smiles less frequent, her gaze distant. He had watched helplessly as the bond they once shared unraveled, replaced by something darker, something that revolved around Cain. And now, as he stood there watching Esme with Kai, the bitterness of those old wounds tore through him with renewed force.

In his mind, the image of Cain and Kai began to blur, merging into one hateful figure. Even if people said it wasn’t Esme—if they insisted she was someone else entirely—he knew better. The way she looked at Kai, the tenderness in her eyes, the protective way she held him... it was the same as when she had held Cain.

He clenched his fists, the realization cutting deep: the woman who had once been his world was now irrevocably bound to another. The Esme he knew might as well have been a ghost, her love now a possession of the very men who had torn her away from him. The anguish of that truth left him hollow, his heart a battlefield where memories of past love and the sting of present loss waged a war he was destined to lose.

When he realized she had caught him staring, he didn’t falter. Instead, he walked toward her, his gaze locked onto hers as if trying to decipher something in her expression. But Esme, with a calm and deliberate motion, turned away from him. Without a word, she reached out and wrapped her arm around Kai’s waist, pulling him close.

Kai, sensing the shift in her mood, responded immediately, his arm naturally settling around her shoulders. Esme looked up at him and gave a loving smile, one that spoke of contentment and unshakable trust. Together, they walked out, leaving behind the remnants of a party that would be remembered not for its grandeur but for the power play that had unfolded.

As the doors closed behind them, the figure of her ex remained, his eyes still fixed on the space where she had stood. He had been ready to confront her, to say something—anything—but the sight of her with Kai, so intimately connected, had stopped him in his tracks. The realization hit him hard: the Esme he once knew was gone, replaced by a woman who was completely opposite to the Esme he knew.

.....

In the car, as they were driving away, Kai and Esme sat side by side, the tension of the earlier events still lingering between them.

"Well, your family is really something," Kai remarked, removing his coat and revealing his relaxed demeanor.

Esme, also in the process of removing her coat, smiled softly. "Well, they are Vallahe’s after all," she said, her tone both affectionate and resigned.

As she took off her coat, her bare arms revealed a bandage where blood had been drawn earlier. She glanced at the spot, her expression growing serious.

Gently, she began to pull at the bandage, and as she did, a thin, transparent layer of what looked like skin came away, revealing a faint, blood-filled substance beneath it. The sight was unsettling but oddly intriguing.

As Esme clenched the transparent layer in her fist, it rolled up and she opened the car window, tossing it out into the wind. The discarded piece fluttered away before being carried off by the breeze and landing in the sea.

"Your target was really good," Esme said with a smirk, turning to look at Kai.

Kai smiled in response, the mutual understanding clear between them. As the car continued down the highway, they opened their windows and tossed their own vials out, watching as they were swallowed by the vast expanse of the sea.

"Well, we should thank your youngest brother for it," Esme said lightly, her tone suggesting a hint of playfulness. She pulled out her watch, its elegant face catching the light.

"How about buying him a gift?" she suggested, her eyes glinting with mischief and gratitude.

"Don’t worry about it," Kai said calmly, raising a small, sleek device. "I’ve recorded everything that happened earlier. This will be a much more valuable gift than anything else. His wedding gift will come in handy."