The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 48: [Volume 1] - 48- Stop blaming me.

Chapter 48: [Volume 1] Chapter 48- Stop blaming me.

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Esme dusted off her clothes with an air of indifference, adjusting her hair as if she had just come from a leisurely walk rather than the chaos that had unfolded moments before. Her movements were slow, calculated, and utterly dismissive of the tension that hung in the room. Without a second thought, she sank onto the sofa, lounging comfortably as if nothing had ever happened.

Across from her, Kai stood rigid, his irritation barely contained. His eyes narrowed as he watched her settle in, her nonchalant attitude only stoking his frustration further. He took a sharp breath, then spoke, his voice laced with barely restrained anger.

"Can you ever..." he began, his tone sharp. "Can you ever make a decision that doesn’t involve pulling us into your mess? Can you stop making trouble for once, Madam?"

Esme’s reaction was instant. She laughed—soft, light, but utterly devoid of warmth. Her lips curled into a smile, but it never reached her eyes. Those eyes stayed cold, bored, as if Kai’s words were nothing more than amusing background noise.

"Oh, how cute," she said, her voice teasing, almost mocking. There was an edge to her tone that made it clear she wasn’t taking him seriously, despite the gravity of the situation. She met his gaze, her eyes glinting with something more sinister, a trace of irritation flickering beneath her carefully constructed facade.

Kai’s frustration deepened. His hands clenched at his sides, and he spoke again, his tone biting. "You knew he was drugged, didn’t you? You knew what he was capable of, and still, you did nothing. Why? Why do you always have to turn everything into a spectacle?"

Esme’s smile widened slightly, but her gaze remained icy. "And why do you always assume it’s me causing the trouble?" she replied smoothly, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "Perhaps the problem lies with how you handle things, Kai."

Kai stood there, fuming, while Esme remained unbothered, lounging as if the entire ordeal was beneath her concern.

Kai’s irritation boiled over the moment Esme’s mocking words hit his ears. His jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder his teeth didn’t crack. His fingers itched with the urge to strangle the woman sitting there so casually, so maddeningly unconcerned with the chaos she had caused.

"And how is this my fault, huh?" he shot back, his voice raised now, brimming with frustration."It was *you* who opened the door to that—" he snarled, his words dripping with contempt, "Mer!" His voice built in intensity with each utterance, "into your office. *You* allowed him in, even when you knew damn well he was trouble!"

His fists clenched at his sides, and he took a step forward, his temper flaring beyond control. "Unbelievable, Esme! You were *fully aware* of his plans, and yet you still chose to welcome him into the office with a personal secretary title, of all things!" The disbelief in his voice was thick, nearly choking him as he paced, trying to contain his rage.

Esme, still seated on the sofa, looked utterly unimpressed by his outburst. Her posture didn’t shift, nor did her calm, almost amused expression falter. She regarded him with the same indifference as before, her head tilted ever so slightly as if he were throwing a childish tantrum in front of her.

"Really, Kai?" she said, her tone bored, but the edge in her voice still there, sharp as a knife. "All this anger for a decision you were just as complicit in. Don’t act so righteous now."

That was it. Kai was practically trembling now, fists clenched, trying to swallow the overwhelming desire to lash out at her smug face. But Esme? She remained untouched, leaning back comfortably, watching him unravel with a smirk barely concealed on her lips.

It was infuriating.

Esme’s eyes flashed coldly as she watched Kai’s enraged expression, and with a voice that cut through the air like ice, she spoke, her tone biting, "Who do you think is at fault for all of this? Do you think I enjoy having to suffer like this, huh?" Her words were sharper than he had ever heard from her, colder, with a venom that dripped into each syllable.

The truth was, Esme hated it. She hated everything about this situation. She hated the world where mers constantly tried to get too close to her, always believing they had the right to her. And worst of all, she hated when anyone questioned her, made her feel like she had somehow invited this hell into her life.

She continued, her voice steady but full of contempt. "You think I have any say in this? You think I wanted to be drugged and assaulted?" Her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward slightly.

"There was a time when I hated every mer’s touch—*every single one*—including yours, and your brothers. But I still took time, practice, and patience to tolerate you guys and endure the way you would invade my space, just like the others. Do you think this is something I enjoy? That I want it?"

Kai’s face paled at the rawness of her words. The fury that had consumed him moments before began to ebb, replaced by a sharp pang of realization, though his frustration still simmered beneath the surface.

Esme slowly stood up from the sofa, her gaze unwavering as she walked toward him. Her hand reached out, and with deliberate calm, she tapped his forehead, just above his furrowed brow. "Listen, Mr. Lawyer," she said, her voice low and cold, "I don’t care what you think you know, or what you plan to do. But don’t you *ever* think you can blame me for this. Not now. Not ever."

Kai swallowed, feeling the weight of her words press against his chest, leaving him with no retort, only the silence of his own faltering anger. Esme stepped back, eyes still burning with that icy disdain, and turned away, as if daring him to say one more word.

The room grew quiet again, with only the tension hanging thick in the air between them.