The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 362: [ Volume 1] Chaper -Something is wrong

As the photo frame swung open, it revealed four crisp sheets of white paper, densely written and neatly stacked.

A sudden gust of wind swept through, causing the papers to flutter. Startled, Ray lunged forward, clutching them with trembling hands. As his eyes skimmed over the words, they widened, a tinge of red creeping into them. His lips quivered, unable to form a single sound.

The four simple pages held revelations potent enough to shake the foundation of every beast owner’s world.

On the first page, a list of names was meticulously written. Beside each name was the title of the divine beast they possessed, along with their ages. But what sent shivers down his spine were the red underlines beneath certain names.

His hands trembled as he backed toward the nearest chair, nearly collapsing into it. He set the first page down but couldn’t summon the courage to glance at the others just yet. Taking a deep breath, Ray opened the side drawer he hadn’t touched since Esme left. Inside lay her sleek silver laptop, covered in a faint layer of dust. He gently retrieved it, his fingers brushing over the surface with both familiarity and dread.

Placing the laptop on the table, he carefully weighed the papers down with a round glass paperweight, ensuring they wouldn’t scatter again. His hands shook slightly as he flipped open the device. The screen slowly lit up, revealing the password prompt. Just below it, a small white tiger cartoon appeared, cheerful and animated.

"Hey, Esme! Please log in your password," a playful text bubble popped up beside the tiger.

Ray froze. His throat tightened. In all the years he’d known her, he had never asked for Esme’s password. Not once. His mind raced, trying to recall anything, any clue she might have left behind.

His gaze darted around the room, desperate for inspiration. The study was modestly decorated—shelves lined with books, a few wooden drawers, a flowerpot in the corner, their framed photo on the desk, and several awards Esme had earned over the years. Nothing stood out as an obvious hint.

Clenching his fists, he stared at the keyboard and hesitated. Esme wasn’t someone who would choose something as predictable as her birthday. No, she was far more thoughtful than that. An idea struck him—Helga and Aron’s wedding date. They had been Esme’s most cherished friends, and their bond had meant everything to her. She often mentioned how they never celebrated their own birthdays because of the dark memories tied to those days, opting instead to celebrate together with her.

Ray typed the date into the password box.

"Wrong password."

A sharp beep accompanied the red error message on the screen. He stiffened, panic prickling at his skin. The laptop now displayed a warning:

"You have two more chances left."

His breath hitched as the weight of the situation settled on his chest. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

A distant memory surfaced in Ray’s mind. It was a quiet evening, and he remembered Esme sitting on the bed, her back propped against the large velvet-covered headboard. In her lap, he lay comfortably, gazing up at her with a relaxed smile. Her fingers ran gently through his hair before moving to massage his temples, her expression soft and full of affection.

Ray was wearing his favorite blue pajama set—loose-fitting and comfortable—and despite the soothing ambiance, he had something on his mind.

"Esme, I have a question that I couldn’t figure out," he began, his voice curious yet uncertain.

Esme’s lips curved into a teasing smile as she lowered her head to look at him. With a playful pinch to his nose, she remarked, "Oh? Is there really a question that President Ray can’t figure out?"

Laughing softly, Ray caught her hand mid-air, his grip firm yet gentle. "Listen, will you? Stop teasing," he said, his voice tinged with impatience.

"Alright, alright," Esme said with a helpless smile. She released her teasing posture, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned forward slightly. "Go ahead and ask, my curious President."

Ray hesitated for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Um... you see, today Aaron told me that you started running this business before you even turned 17."

Esme nodded casually, her fingers continuing to massage his temple. "That’s true. What about it?"

"It’s just..." Ray paused, frowning slightly. "I can’t understand something. Does your sister—uh, I mean, your cousin—not have a brain or something? I mean, if she wanted to attack you or take over the business, why did she wait so long? Why didn’t she do anything when you were young and still building everything? Like steal your projects or something?"

Esme let out a soft laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement at his blunt phrasing.

"Well, maybe she doesn’t have a brain like you," Esme replied with a chuckle, her fingers still gently massaging Ray’s temples.

Ray groaned in frustration. "Enough with the jokes, Esme! I’m serious. How is it that they were never able to do anything about it? I mean... they lived with you, knew so much about your work. Why didn’t they just steal your ideas or data?"

Esme’s smile softened, a hint of nostalgia flickering in her eyes. "Well, it’s because they couldn’t," she said simply.

"Why?" Ray asked, his curiosity deepening.

"Hmm," Esme began thoughtfully, tilting her head. "You know how people always say I started an information company at 17 or 18?"

Ray nodded.

"Well, at that time, I didn’t have much money," she admitted. "It was just me and about ten others, and all of them were struggling financially, just like me. I was practically an outcast in my family, so hiring some top-tier hacker or expert to secure my data wasn’t an option."

Ray’s brow furrowed as he listened intently.

"But you see," Esme continued, "in the information business, the most important thing is... well, information. Protecting it is the key to survival. Since I couldn’t afford fancy solutions, we got creative. We built a system where all our data was stored on devices that couldn’t connect to the internet. This made it nearly impossible for anyone to hack or steal from us remotely."