The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 67: [Volume 1] - 67- old habit.

Chapter 67: [Volume 1] Chapter 67- old habit.

Esme remained silent, her eyes still cast downward. Jay’s frustration reached a boiling point. Without warning, he drove his fist into Esme, sending her sprawling to the ground. The impact was brutal, and her bleeding shoulder hit the floor with a jolt of pain that radiated through her. Despite the agony, Esme remained eerily quiet, not a cry escaping her lips.

Slowly, she got to her feet, her expression a mixture of pain and remorse. She faced Jay again, her head still bowed, the weight of her guilt evident in her posture. Jay’s anger was palpable as he demanded answers, his voice ringing with both authority and distress.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked again, his tone brooking no argument.

Esme didn’t answer. Instead, she fell to her knees, lowering herself fully to the floor. The gesture was one of profound submission, her body language speaking volumes about her remorse and shame. Her voice, barely a whisper, carried the weight of her regret.

"I’m sorry," she said, her voice trembling. The apology was simple but heartfelt, and it was all she could muster in that moment of overwhelming guilt.

Jay and Kay, witnessing Esme’s unprecedented display of humility, were taken aback. This was a side of Esme they had never seen before—submissive and deeply remorseful. It left both brothers in a state of surprise and shock, grappling with the gravity of the situation and the depth of Esme’s regret.

Jay’s frustration reached a fever pitch as he confronted Esme. Grabbing her collar, he shook her roughly, his voice dripping with anger and confusion.

"Who wants your apologies? I just want to know what the hell happened here!" His words cut through the air, filled with exasperation.

Jay’s eyes were wild with a mix of rage and despair.

"Do you think apologies make everything right? Look at that person lying on the bed! Can your apologies undo the pain he’s in? He’s suffering because of your reckless actions. If you can’t even protect us, what kind of revenge are you planning to seek?" His voice grew more intense with each question, underscoring his disillusionment.

Esme, overwhelmed by Jay’s harsh words, felt the weight of her guilt and shame crushing her. As she looked at Ray, lying motionless in bed, his image seemed to merge with memories of Cain.

The sight was a cruel reminder of what she had lost—Cain’s presence, an image she had tried so hard to forget, resurfaced with painful clarity.

In the wake of the confrontation, Esme retreated into silence. Over the next two days, Ray slowly regained consciousness and began his recovery, but the atmosphere within the household shifted dramatically.

Esme, consumed by her remorse, isolated herself from the others. She adhered to a strict routine: leaving early for work and returning late.

Even though they shared the same living space, she avoided interaction, preferring to sit on the balcony with a book during the evenings.

As the days passed, a week swiftly went by. Despite the passage of time, the tension between Esme and the others remained palpable. Ray, still largely unaware of the full extent of the conflict and Esme’s role in it, made several attempts to engage her in conversation.

Each effort, however, was met with terse, one-word responses that quickly ended the dialogue. His attempts to bridge the gap were met with frustration, as each conversation fizzled out almost immediately.

Jay, too, had withdrawn. The anger and disappointment he had felt towards Esme had not dissipated, and he refrained from initiating any conversation with her. When they were out in public, Jay and Esme maintained a facade of normalcy, their interactions polite and superficially warm.

Yet, when they were alone, a heavy silence fell over them. The once lively conversations and shared moments had been replaced with a quiet distance.

The shared space in the house only seemed to amplify the isolation. Despite being in close proximity, there was an unspoken agreement to avoid deep interaction.

Esme’s isolation extended beyond her limited communication with Ray; it affected her entire demeanor, from her curt responses to her avoidance of direct engagement.

The atmosphere in the house was thick with unspoken words and unresolved emotions, leaving each person to navigate their own feelings in a strained and uncomfortable silence.

As Diana had promised, she arrived at the Aron Group two days later to provide Esme with an explanation. As expected, the blame was shifted entirely onto competitors and "Waiters." , absolving Valhale of responsibility. Esme, however, took a decisive step by severing all ties between the Valhale and Aron groups, declaring that the Aron Group would never again engage with Valhale. This decision led to significant financial losses for Valhale, adding to the turbulence.

During this period, Esme threw herself into her work with unrelenting intensity. She launched three major projects almost simultaneously, leaving her no time to sleep, eat, or even return home. Her relentless dedication meant she spent almost all her time in the office.

As the days turned into weeks and eventually a month, the strain on everyone was palpable. Ray, who had been in a coma and was now struggling to understand the sudden shifts in their lives, was particularly frustrated. The drastic changes left him bewildered.

Ray wheeled himself down the hallway, his movements slow but determined. The recent weeks had left him feeling more isolated than ever, not just because of his physical limitations but also due to the growing distance between him, Jay, and Esme. As he approached Jay’s laboratory, he steeled himself for what was to come.

He reached the door and knocked, the sound reverberating through the otherwise silent corridor. Inside, Jay was hunched over a workbench, his lab coat slightly rumpled, his face a mask of concentration. The sudden interruption made him look up, and his eyes met Ray’s. There was a moment of hesitation before Jay’s expression shifted to a more serious, guarded look.

Ray entered the lab, his wheelchair’s wheels squeaking softly on the floor. He maneuvered closer to Jay, his face set in a mixture of frustration and concern.