The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 269: [ Volume 1] Chaper - Couple or Enemies

As soon as Ryan got the news, he wasted no time, rushing into the house with his medical box in hand. The sight that greeted him as he approached the hallway was chaotic: Esme stood motionless near the doorway, her face pale but unreadable, while inside, Ray writhed on the floor in agony, his cries echoing through the room. Kai and Jay knelt by his side, their faces etched with worry as they tried to comfort their brother.

Ryan’s temper snapped. Without a word, he stormed toward Esme and swung his fist, landing a hard punch to her face. The force sent her stumbling to the floor, her cheek instantly reddening. But Ryan wasn’t done. Rage coursing through his veins, he grabbed her by the collar and yanked her up, his voice trembling with fury.

"You bitch!" he snarled, his grip tightening as he glared into her eyes. "If anything happens to my brother, I swear I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your life!"

Esme didn’t flinch, her expression eerily calm, but her silence only seemed to fuel Ryan’s anger. He shoved her back against the wall, his hands trembling as he fought to control himself. The servants who had gathered nearby gasped, some averting their eyes, others frozen in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

Inside the room, Ray’s pained groans snapped Ryan back to reality. He pushed past Esme, entering the room to tend to his injured brother. The tension in the air was suffocating as Ryan worked quickly, his hands steady but his mind racing with questions.

Minutes later, after stabilizing Ray as best as he could, Ryan stepped back into the hallway. His anger hadn’t subsided; it had only intensified. He marched straight to Esme again, his face a mix of betrayal and hurt. Grabbing her by the collar once more, he spat his words at her, his voice thick with emotion.

"You...you..." he stammered, his voice breaking. "What did you get by doing this?" His tone was raw, wounded, as if he couldn’t fathom the betrayal. "We trusted you. Believed in you. How could you do this to us?"

Esme stood motionless in the hallway, her pale face a mask of shock and disbelief. Her lips trembled as she finally broke the silence, her voice weak and barely audible. "Is Ray okay?"

The words were like a trigger, igniting the fury within Ryan. He turned to face her, his expression twisting with unrestrained anger. "Ray?" he spat, his tone venomous. "Ray?" The disbelief in his voice cut through the tense air, drawing the attention of the servants standing nearby.

Without warning, his fist lashed out, striking her across the cheek with enough force to make her stagger. But Esme didn’t cry out. She didn’t flinch or raise a hand in defense. Instead, she straightened herself, her cheek already reddening, and asked again, her voice trembling like a broken record. "Is Ray okay?"

Ryan’s fury surged at her repetition. He stared at her with a mixture of rage and disbelief, his chest heaving as he fought to contain himself. Then, suddenly, he let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "You really want to know?" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Fine. I’ll show you exactly how he’s doing."

Before she could react, Ryan grabbed her arm roughly and began dragging her down the hallway. His grip was like iron, unrelenting and fueled by his anger. The servants in the corridor watched in stunned silence, their hands covering their mouths as Esme was pulled past them. She didn’t resist, didn’t fight back, but her silence only seemed to infuriate Ryan more.

When they reached the door to Ray’s room, Ryan didn’t hesitate. He shoved the door open with a force that made it bang against the wall, the sound echoing through the quiet house. The air inside was heavy, tinged with the faint smell of antiseptic.

"Look," Ryan snarled, forcing Esme forward. His hands gripped her shoulders, nearly shaking her as he pushed her toward the bed. "Look at what you’ve done."

Esme’s gaze fell on the figure lying in the bed, and her knees nearly gave out beneath her. Ray’s once lively face was pale and lifeless, his eyes closed as if he were asleep. A series of tubes and monitors surrounded him, their soft beeping the only indication that he was still alive.

Her lips parted, and a shaky breath escaped her. "When... when is he going to wake up?" she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.

Ryan’s laugh was sharp and cutting, filled with a bitterness that sent chills down her spine. "Wake up?" he echoed, his voice dripping with derision. "You think this is a nap, Esme? Thanks to you, my brother is in a coma!" His words were like daggers, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Esme’s legs buckled, and she fell to her knees beside the bed. Her trembling hands gripped the edge of the blanket, her wide eyes fixed on Ray’s still form. "No..." she whispered, shaking her head as tears welled up in her eyes. "No, I didn’t mean..."

Ryan crouched beside her, his face inches from hers, his eyes blazing with fury. "And the child," he hissed, his voice trembling with emotion. "Gone. Dead. Just like that. Because of you."

Her breath hitched, and she clutched the blanket tighter, her tears spilling freely now. "I didn’t... I didn’t mean for this to happen..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan’s hands shot out, gripping her shoulders as he shook her violently. "Didn’t mean for this to happen?" he shouted, his voice cracking with anger. "You wanted him out of the way so you and your little lover could be together, didn’t you?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Her head snapped up at his words, her tear-streaked face filled with shock. "Lover?" she choked out, barely able to form the word.

"Oh, don’t play innocent," Ryan sneered, his grip tightening. "Do you know what Ray kept saying while I was trying to save him? He was calling your name, Esme. Over and over, telling me how you betrayed him."