The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 41: [Volume 1] - 41- what do you want.

Chapter 41: [Volume 1] Chapter 41- what do you want.

A woman, her face obscured by a black mask and a wide-brimmed hat, sat silently in the back seat of a parked car. Beside her, Esme sat in quiet contemplation, her presence commanding the space around her.

"Did you find out?" Esme asked, her voice calm but laced with an undertone of authority. The woman in the mask nodded and silently handed over a file.

Esme opened it, her eyes flicking over the footage and papers inside. As the contents became clearer, a sly, almost predatory smile curved on her lips. "Ha! These bastards..." she murmured, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

It was as if something had snuck into Esme’s mind, plucked one of the photos from the file, and crumbled it in her grasp. In that image, Mr. Valhalla was shown speaking with the elders, and as she continued flipping through, the connection became undeniable. There were numerous photos, each one making it clearer—Mr. Valhalla was part of the reason the elders had come today.

Esme’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the woman sitting beside her. The woman noticed Esme’s sharp focus and continued speaking in a measured tone.

"They said Mr. and Mrs. Valhalla met with the elders earlier this morning. Apparently, they’ve been spreading rumors about you... about how you’re not who you claim to be, especially not... Rose."

Esme’s jaw tightened. The implications were clear—this wasn’t just gossip, it was a deliberate move, a calculated attack on her reputation. The woman’s calm voice hung in the air, but the tension it stirred was unmistakable. Esme shut the file with a snap, her mind already turning over.

Esme had anticipated this moment ever since the Valhalla family learned she was alive. It was no surprise to her that they’d immediately try to ruin her, pulling strings and leveraging their influence. What puzzled her was how foolishly they had moved—sending the elders after her, as if that would be enough. She must have overestimated their cunning, she mused, her lips curling into a subtle smirk. They had no idea who they were truly dealing with.

She glanced at the woman beside her, a silent nod exchanged between them. The woman, ever the shadow, slipped out of the car without a word, disappearing into the streets like a wisp of smoke. Esme didn’t need to watch her go; her trust in her was absolute.

Moments later, a different car pulled into the same parking lot—Kai in the driver’s seat, Ray and Jay seated in the back. As the car coasted to a stop, Kai rolled down his window. Esme’s gaze, sharp and unyielding, met theirs from across the lot. Without a word, she passed a file through the open window.

Ray accepted it, exchanging a brief glance with her before their cars parted ways—Esme and her team driving one direction, the Aaron brothers in another.

Since the incident with Ray, they had taken no chances with security. No drivers, no unnecessary risks. The car was always monitored under CCTV, and every precaution was taken to ensure no one tampered with their vehicle. The stakes were far too high for anything less.

...

Soon after, Esme stepped out of her car in front of a high-class building, her presence commanding attention. The moment her feet touched the ground, a wave of employees emerged from the building, lining up in perfect formation to greet her.

"Welcome, Boss," they chorused, their voices unified and respectful, creating a palpable atmosphere of reverence and formality.

A man in a dark blue suit stepped forward, his face partially obscured by shadows that seemed to cling to him, as if he belonged to the very atmosphere around them. His approach was quiet yet deliberate, each step measured, his posture upright, but there was a subtle air of something concealed beneath the surface.

"President," he began in a low voice, smooth but lacking any trace of familiarity. His eyes, unreadable behind the gleam of polished lenses, briefly glanced at the file in his hand. Without hesitation, he extended it towards Esme. "Here is the report from today’s meeting."

Esme’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the figure before her, a sense of unease prickling at the back of her mind. There was something different, something off about this man. She didn’t take the file immediately.

Her voice was quiet, but sharp as a blade. "Who are you?"

The man’s fingers twitched slightly, the only crack in his otherwise composed demeanor. "I’m here on behalf of the office, President," he replied, his voice maintaining an even tone, though there was a faint tremor lurking beneath.

Esme’s gaze remained unblinking. "Where is Secretary Jin?"

The question hung in the air, its weight palpable. For a fleeting moment, the man’s expression faltered, as if searching for the right mask to wear in this moment.

"Secretary Jin was... indisposed, Madam," he finally answered, but the way his words slipped out, too rehearsed, too clean, only deepened her suspicion.

Esme let a chilling silence fill the space between them, her eyes locking onto his, as though she were peeling back the layers of pretense, stripping away the veil that he clung to so desperately.

"Indisposed," she repeated, her tone icy. "Or removed?"

The man stood frozen, the shadows seeming to cling to him tighter now, the room thick with tension. Esme didn’t need to say more; her silence was more oppressive than any threat she could have voiced. Slowly, she took the file from his hand, her fingers brushing against the cool surface.

"Tell whoever sent you," she said, her voice low but laced with deadly intent, "come to my office ."

Without waiting for a reply, Esme turned her back on him, flipping open the file with a calculated calmness, her focus shifting as if the masked figure behind her was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

.....

As Esme sat in her office, carefully reviewing the documents in front of her, a knock broke the silence. The sound was deliberate, as if the person on the other side was measuring their approach. Without looking up, she responded, her voice smooth and controlled.