The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 237: [ Volume 1] Chaper - unusual.

Ray walked up to Esme, his hand reaching out to gently grasp her wrist, his face a mix of worry and tension. "Esme," he murmured, his voice soft but laced with urgency, "What the hell are you doing?"

Esme tilted her head to meet his gaze, an unbothered, almost playful smile tugging at her lips. "What happened, honey?" she replied, a note of mischief dancing in her voice. "It’s my property now, isn’t it? I have every right to burn whatever I like here."

Ray’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, his jaw clenched. He struggled to make sense of her actions. This wasn’t the Esme he was used to—the Esme who cared deeply for memories and relics, who had always insisted on keeping his mother’s room sealed, untouched, preserving her essence within its walls as a sacred memory. Yet here she was, casually incinerating a symbol from the past, a chair that held his mother’s legacy.

As Esme exchanged words with Ray, a voice, rough and indignant, broke through the tension. "What the hell is that?" The elderly Mer, who had been watching from his seat, now glared at her with wide, startled eyes. Esme’s gaze sharpened as she turned to look at him, her expression morphing into one of unimpressed curiosity. "Who is this old man?" she asked, her tone edged with sarcasm. "Since when does this family let a Mer talk to a woman like that?"

The room fell into a stunned silence. Ray’s brothers exchanged looks, barely containing the smirks playing on their lips. They were caught between amusement and sheer disbelief, watching as Esme openly challenged the elderly Mer with the kind of boldness no one had dared in years. Aron brothers weren’t sure if they should pity the elders or applaud Esme’s audacity.

The elderly Mer’s face flushed, whether from indignation or embarrassment, nobody could tell. "Ray," he snapped, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and shock, "is this how you’ve taught your wife to behave?"

Ray’s eyes met Esme’s, helplessness evident in his gaze as if silently asking her, What exactly are you doing? But Esme merely lifted an eyebrow at the old man’s words, then took a deliberate step forward, her playful smirk still intact. "And just who do you think you are to talk to me—or my husband—like that?" Her tone was so casual it bordered on mockery, as though she were addressing an insignificant stranger rather than an elder of the family.

The old Mer clenched his fists, his face now a furious red. But before he could gather a retort, Jay took a bold step forward, unable to suppress the laughter bubbling within him. Jay had always harbored a deep resentment toward this so-called grandfather. Perhaps it was because this man was his second aunt’s biological father, or perhaps it was simply an inexplicable irritation that simmered whenever they were in the same room.

"Oh, this is my grandfather," Jay announced with a mocking grin. "My mother’s adopted father. And, let’s not forget, the biological father of my second aunt." He shot a side glance at Esme, who had a glint of mischief in her eyes.

Esme’s gaze sharpened as she looked back at the elderly Mer. "Ah, the second aunt," she said, almost too casually. "You mean the woman I took care of earlier?"

Her words seemed to echo through the room, stunning everyone into shocked silence. Even Ray’s brothers were visibly taken aback, exchanging looks of disbelief. Kai’s mouth dropped open slightly as he took in Esme’s words. What was she doing today? he thought, his eyes wide. Esme had always been bold, but today she was different—a strange blend of humor, irritation, and audacity. It was as though she had set out to turn the entire household on its head.

Esme’s gaze drifted back to the elderly Mer, who stood there in silent rage, his fists still clenched, his head lowered in barely contained fury. Esme approached him, her smile fading into something colder, sharper. "I hear you were the one who raised my mother-in-law," she said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, though every word was sharp enough to cut through the silence.

The old man didn’t respond, his lips pressed tight in a thin line. Esme’s smile faltered, replaced by a look of calculated disdain. "If you’re the one who raised her, how is it that you couldn’t even raise your own daughter properly?" Her tone was dripping with mockery. "I suppose there’s some truth to bloodlines, after all."

The effect of her words was immediate; everyone in the room seemed to freeze. They all knew the story: how Ray’s mother had lost her father young, raised by this man who became her mother’s second husband. He had been young himself, just eighteen when he took on the role, yet he had devoted himself to raising her as if she were his own.

Out of nowhere, an aunt burst out, her voice filled with indignation, "How dare you talk to my uncle like that!"

Esme turned her head slowly, fixing the woman with a look of cool disinterest before casting an amused glance at Ray. "Your family is quite... unique, darling," she remarked with a dry smile. Her expression darkened slightly as she continued, "But maybe you’ve all forgotten where we stand now."

Her gaze swept over the room, lingering on each elder as if daring them to challenge her again. The silence that followed was filled with tension, and for a moment, no one dared to speak.

Esme’s words carried on casually as she addressed the woman, yet her gaze remained fixed on the elderly Mer with unrelenting intensity. From her recent investigations, she had learned that this man was anything but ordinary—a puzzle of contradictions wrapped in a seemingly warm-hearted exterior. He was reputed to be compassionate, yet Esme had discovered the complexity that lay behind that image, especially regarding his harsh treatment of his second aunt, his own blood.