The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 392: [ Volume 1] Chaper 391- Irritating face

After Esme stepped out of the house, now her gaze settling on the small, worn-down garage in front of her. It barely looked functional—rusted tools hung on the walls, a few scattered car parts lay forgotten in the corners, and the dim glow of an old bulb flickered weakly above the entrance. The air smelled of oil and damp metal, but beyond that, there was an eerie stillness.

Motor Valley.

A name that once held significance, now reduced to nothing more than a forgotten alley in the heart of the city.

It had earned its name when the streets were alive with the hum of motor carriages and the clang of metal against metal. Back then, this was where the best mechanics worked, fixing engines, restoring vehicles, and making a living off the grease-stained floors. But when industrial advancements swept through the city, making older machinery obsolete, the work dried up. One by one, garages shut down, businesses folded, and the once-bustling alley turned into a ghost town.

Now, it was nothing but a shell of what it used to be. A place where people had abandoned their hopes and left only decay behind.

Esme let out a slow breath as her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Crumbling wooden apartments lined the alley, their structures barely holding together. Some still had tenants—flickers of candlelight in cracked windows hinted at life inside—but most stood empty, their doors hanging open like gaping mouths.

The silence was unsettling.

It wasn’t just emptiness that made Motor Valley dangerous. The lack of law enforcement meant it had become a haven for illicit activities. Smugglers, criminals, and those who wanted to disappear found refuge in its forgotten corners. Police wouldn’t bother venturing in—not when emergency vehicles couldn’t even access the narrow, twisting paths. Anyone who needed to enter had to walk a grueling three kilometers from the main road, navigating through winding alleyways just to reach this hidden underbelly of the city.

And that garage in front of her? It was useless in every logical sense. No cars came here anymore. No customers. No business. Just dust, rust, and the memories of what once was.

Yet, Esme didn’t believe in coincidences.

A place like this, abandoned by society yet untouched in its own way—it wasn’t truly empty.

And Esme had come here for a reason.

The faintest rustle behind her was all the warning she got.

She moved in an instant, spinning on her heel just as a silver glint flashed toward her. Her hand shot out, catching her attacker’s wrist mid-swing. A knife. Predictable.

Before he could react, she twisted sharply. The man let out a guttural groan as his arm was yanked behind his back, his body slammed against the cold brick wall with enough force to rattle his bones. The knife slipped from his grip, clattering onto the uneven pavement.

Esme’s breath was steady, controlled. "Well, well," she mused, tightening her hold on his wrist. "That’s quite the greeting. Do you treat all your guests like this?"

The man sniffed, then, to her mild surprise, let out a low chuckle. "Ha... ha... ha. Not bad." His voice was rough, like gravel scraping against steel. "You’ve got some fight in you."

She pressed him harder against the wall, her knee subtly digging into his lower back. "And you have a terrible way of making first impressions."

"Relax." He tilted his head slightly, just enough for her to catch the glint of amusement in his dark eyes. "I was just testing you."

Esme scoffed but released him anyway, stepping back as he rolled his shoulders, shaking out his arm. The hood slipped from his head, revealing a scar that ran jagged from his temple to his jawline. Between his thick brows sat a single mole, but it wasn’t the mark that caught her attention—it was his eyes. Cold. Calculating. The kind that had seen and done things most wouldn’t survive.

"Confident, aren’t you?" he mused, rubbing his wrist. "Not many walk into Motor Valley with that kind of attitude."

Esme smirked. "Not many leave alive if they cross me, either."

His amusement faded slightly, replaced by something darker, more intrigued. "Bold words for someone alone in an alley full of people who’d sell their own mother for the right price." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Esme didn’t flinch. Instead, she took a deliberate step forward, closing the distance between them just enough to make a point. "I didn’t come here to play games," she said, voice smooth but sharp. "I’m looking for someone. And I think you know exactly who I mean."

A long pause stretched between them, heavy with unspoken tension. The man studied her, the streetlight catching the sharp angles of his face as his lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer.

"Interesting," he muttered under his breath.

Esme tilted her head. "So? Will you help me?"

He chuckled again, this time softer, more knowing. "That depends." He leaned in just slightly, enough for her to catch the faint scent of gunpowder and metal. "Are you ready to walk deeper into the dark, little lady?"

Esme’s smirk widened, her eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to amusement.

"I don’t walk into the dark," she whispered. "I am the dark."

The man walked ahead with effortless confidence, his movements unhurried but deliberate. Esme followed, her sharp gaze drinking in every detail of the surroundings.

The deeper they ventured into the valley, the fewer people there were—but those who remained were far from ordinary. They were predators, lurking in the shadows, sizing her up with cold, calculating stares.

Some leaned against the cracked stone walls, feigning distraction as they scrolled through their devices, but their sharp gazes betrayed them. Others stood still, their expressions blank, their hands tucked into the folds of their clothes—concealing weapons, no doubt.

It wasn’t just the mers.

Women loitered in the corners, their backs pressed to the walls, observing with eerie calmness. Some whispered amongst themselves, but their eyes never strayed far from Esme. Their expressions weren’t hostile, but they weren’t friendly either.