The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 386: [ Volume 1] Chaper - A dream for one and a nightmare for another.

Chapter 386: [ Volume 1] Chaper 386- A dream for one and a nightmare for another.

Esme traced the crayon marks on the wall, her fingers ghosting over the uneven ridges. A quiet moment of stillness. But then—her body tensed.

Something was off.

A whisper of movement. A shift in the air.

Trap.

She didn’t think—she moved.

With a sharp inhale, Esme launched herself backward.

CRASH!

Two small lab beakers shattered where she had been standing a split second ago. A noxious scent filled the air, sharp and biting. The liquid sizzled on impact, eating away at the wooden floor, leaving behind deep, blackened marks.

Acid.

A fraction of a second slower, and it would have been her skin melting instead of the floor.

Then—another attack.

A kick came from the side.

Esme twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the strike. Before she could even land, she felt the force of another incoming hit—a fist aiming straight for her back.

Her muscles reacted before her mind could catch up.

She spun, arm snapping up to block the punch while her other hand shot out, gripping the ankle of the one who had kicked her.

A smirk curved her lips.

"But you’re not joining in?" she taunted, her golden eyes locking onto Ray, who stood motionless a few steps away.

His expression didn’t change. No irritation. No amusement. Just a steady, unreadable gaze.

Beside him, Jay stood poised, another set of beakers in his hands, his fingers twitching, ready to throw.

Ryan, whose kick she had intercepted, struggled against her grip. Kai, whose fist she had blocked, clenched his jaw in frustration.

And yet, Ray remained still. Unmoved.

Then—he exhaled softly.

Shook his head.

And with a quiet finality, he spoke.

"Now... you’re going to get on your knees."

The moment the words left his lips, Esme’s vision lurched.

A wave of dizziness slammed into her, her pulse roaring in her ears. Her body—so sharp, so precise just moments ago—now felt heavy, as if the weight of the world had suddenly been dropped onto her shoulders.

Her fingers trembled.

Her strength drained like sand slipping through her fingers.

What... is this?

She tried to push back, to resist, but it was useless. Her grip on Ryan’s leg weakened. Kai’s fist slipped from her grasp.

Then—her knees buckled.

BAM.

The impact of her fall sent a dull ache up her legs, but she barely felt it. Her breath came in shallow gasps.

Her arms hung limply at her sides.

Her body was betraying her.

Something was wrong.

Her golden eyes flickered up, hazy but sharp, locking onto Ray once more.

He wasn’t smirking. He wasn’t mocking her.

He was simply waiting.

Like he already knew the outcome.

Esme’s gaze softened as she looked at her husbands, her eyes filled with a love so deep it could drown the world. A bright smile spread across her lips before—suddenly—she burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha... You guys really..."

Her voice wavered, raw with emotion. She lifted a trembling hand to her face, covering her eyes, but the tears still slipped through, rolling down her cheeks.

The brothers stood there, unmoving.

Stunned.

They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Esme—their Esme—was right in front of them. Breathing. Laughing. Crying.

Yet, none of them moved to pick her up. They were frozen, afraid that if they reached out, she might disappear like a cruel mirage.

Esme let out a small, shaky breath and slowly shifted, pushing herself upright with deliberate movements. She settled onto the floor, crossing her legs beneath her as though grounding herself in reality. When she finally met their eyes, her own shimmered with unshed tears, but her lips curved into a soft, familiar smile.

"So... how are you, darlings?"

The moment those words left her mouth, their composure cracked.

Tears welled up in their eyes—no longer restrained, no longer held back by pride or disbelief.

And then they moved.

In an instant, they surged toward her, arms wrapping around her with an urgency that spoke of three years’ worth of pain, longing, and unbearable emptiness.

Three years.

Three years without her warmth. Without her voice. Without her.

Now, she was here. In their arms. Real.

Their hearts pounded wildly, a chaotic symphony of relief and disbelief. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

No words could describe it.

No one could ever understand—how many nights they had clung to the same dream, aching to hold her just one more time.

But now...

This wasn’t a dream.

This was real.

She was home.

Esme tightened her arms around their trembling bodies, feeling how much thinner they had become. The warmth she once remembered now felt fragile, as if time had stripped away their strength. It was a painful contrast—while she had been lost in an endless sleep, the world had moved on without her.

For Esme, three years had passed in an instant. To her, it was nothing more than a deep, dreamless sleep, a moment of unconsciousness. But for Ray and the others, it had been an eternity. Their world had shattered with the news of her death, yet they had endured—raising their children, carrying the weight of grief, and never once letting go of her memory.

The realization crushed her. She had been asleep, untouched by time, while they had suffered every agonizing second of her absence. The pain they carried was beyond words, beyond anything she could ever understand.

Her chest tightened as if an invisible hand was squeezing the air from her lungs. The thought of their suffering was unbearable. She had returned, but could she ever erase the years of grief they had endured? Could she ever heal the wounds left in her wake?

Ray released himself from her embrace, his movements hesitant, almost reluctant. His red-rimmed eyes locked onto hers, filled with emotions too heavy to name. With trembling hands, he reached out, his fingertips ghosting over her face as if afraid she would disappear the moment he touched her.

His touch was unsteady, lingering—filled with disbelief, longing, and something deeper, something broken. Three years of grief, of mourning her absence, of learning to live without her, all crashed against the fragile hope that she was truly here. Warm. Alive.

His lips parted, but no words came. Only the sound of his unsteady breath and the weight of everything he had endured.