The Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 82: [Volume 1] - 82- hate him!.

Chapter 82: [Volume 1] Chapter 82- hate him!.

Ray’s expression darkened. "What are you doing in my room?" he asked, his voice serious and impatient.

Aron stepped inside with a calm smile. "Sir, I’ve come to inform you that James and Sally have been removed from the household."

Ray froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What?" he asked, almost in shock.

Aron didn’t flinch. "They were dismissed this afternoon, along with several others. Their services are no longer required."

Ray stared at him, processing the sudden news. "Who made that decision?"

"Me," Aron replied smoothly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ray was left speechless, feeling a wave of frustration and confusion wash over him.

Ray’s shock quickly turned to blazing anger as he processed Aron’s calm words. His fists clenched tightly, his pulse pounding in his ears.

"You!" Ray shouted, his voice echoing through the room as he took a step toward Aron. "You had no right to do that! Who the hell gave you permission to fire my staff?"

Aron stood calmly in the doorway, his expression unreadable. "It was necessary," he said, his tone cool, showing no hint of remorse. "The household was overstaffed and inefficient. Changes had to be made."

Ray’s eyes widened in fury, his hands slamming down onto the desk in front of him. "Necessary? That’s not your call to make, prince!" His voice cracked with anger. "This is my house, not yours! You don’t get to just—dismiss people like they’re nothing!"

Aron’s calm demeanor didn’t falter. "Your house may need structure, Ray, but I was hired to ensure it functions properly. James and Sally were part of the problem, not the solution."

Ray’s fists clenched tighter, his knuckles white as his breath quickened. "You’re overstepping," he growled. "You’re not the master of this house, and you sure as hell don’t make decisions like this without my approval!"

Aron stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "You weren’t managing things, sir. So I had to step in. This is about maintaining order." His words were measured, spoken with a calm authority that only further fueled Ray’s rage.

"You think this is order?" Ray shouted, taking another threatening step closer. "You think firing people without so much as a word to me is how you run things?"

Aron held his ground, his voice still maddeningly composed. "It’s how I ensure the house runs smoothly. I’ve been given the authority to do what needs to be done."

Ray’s frustration boiled over. "Authority? By who? Rose? You’re just playing her game, doing her dirty work!" His voice was hoarse with anger, eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Aron, daring him to say more.

Aron didn’t flinch. "This is about efficiency, not games, sir. The decisions were mine, and they were final."

Ray stared at him, chest heaving with unspent rage, feeling completely blindsided by the cold professionalism that Aron displayed. Finally, after a moment of heated silence, Ray stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"This isn’t over," he growled under his breath as he stalked down the hall.

Esme was in the middle of a video call, her voice calm and professional as she discussed important matters with the board of directors. Her office was bathed in the soft afternoon light streaming in through the windows. Everything seemed to be under control—until the door to her office was suddenly thrown open with a loud bang.

Ray stormed in, his face flushed with anger. "I want to talk right now!" he shouted, his voice shaking with fury.

Esme, momentarily startled, turned her head toward the door, her eyes locking onto Ray’s furious expression. For a brief second, she glanced out of the window, as if collecting her thoughts, before raising her hand with a composed but firm gesture.

"Let’s talk later; I am busy right now," Esme said softly and started to look at the screen again.

Ray, still caught in the heat of his anger, was not in the mood for silence. "I said I want to talk right now!" he repeated, his voice rising again, demanding her attention.

"One moment," she said calmly into the video call. "We’ll have to continue this later. Please excuse me." Her voice never wavered, even as the tension in the room thickened.

With a quick click, she ended the call and turned her full attention to Ray, who stood there breathing heavily, his frustration palpable. Esme didn’t say anything at first, merely studying him with an unreadable expression, her hands resting gently on the desk.

Esme’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained calm. She stood from her chair and walked around the desk slowly, her heels clicking softly on the floor as she approached him.

"Ray," she said, her voice even but with an edge of warning, "Could you please explain why you felt the need to burst into my office and scream at the top of your lungs while I’m in the middle of something important?"

For a moment, Ray hesitated, his anger battling with her steady composure. But Esme didn’t flinch, her eyes locked onto his, waiting for him to calm down.

Esme’s eyes flashed with irritation as she stood in the middle of the office, listening to Ray’s outburst.

"Do you think I need to give you an explanation?" Ray demanded, his voice shaking with frustration. "Can you tell me who gave that man—who just showed up yesterday—the authority to fire my staff? Huh?" He pointed accusingly, his hand trembling with anger.

Esme, completely unfazed by Ray’s tone, stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" she shot back, her voice calm but with a sharp edge. "Didn’t I tell you last night? I’m the one who gave him that authority, and he just fired some servants."

Ray blinked, still boiling with rage. "What do you mean, he just fired some servants? They were my staff! I hired them! I had the right to fire them—not some butler who walked in yesterday!"

Esme’s expression hardened. "Ray, are you upset because he fired your staff? Or are you upset because he did it without asking your permission? Or...," she paused, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife, "do you have a problem with him personally?"