The Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 433: [ Volume 1] Chaper 432- The feeling is mutual.

Chapter 433: [ Volume 1] Chaper 432- The feeling is mutual.

A single file.

A list.

It wasn’t detailed, not on the surface—but it held enough to raise suspicion. A large quantity of untagged chemicals. Stored. Hidden. Forgotten by everyone except the system itself.

Ray had skimmed it without much interest. He’d never claimed to be a genius when it came to chemicals. That was never his battlefield.

But he wasn’t alone.

Two others had been there during the breach—Jay and Ryan. And chemistry? That was their field. Especially Jay.

The moment Jay’s eyes landed on the list, something shifted in him. His brows furrowed, and his expression turned grim.

"What the hell is this doing here?" Jay had murmured, scrolling faster, then pausing to zoom in on a compound ID. His fingers hovered over the keyboard like they were frozen mid-air.

Ray turned to look at his brother, noticing the serious expression on his face. Something was off.

"Is something wrong?" he asked quietly.

Jay didn’t answer at first. His eyes were glued to the screen, his brows drawn together. Then he looked up at Ray, his face pale.

"Yeah... there is," Jay said. "This chemical—it’s called NALA."

Ray frowned. "NALA?"

Jay nodded slowly. "Yes, and if I’m right—and I really hope I’m not—then the way these chemicals are being used here, they’re making NALA."

Ray looked confused. "What’s so bad about it?"

Jay took a breath. "NALA’s not just some regular chemical. It’s forbidden for a reason. When someone’s exposed to it, especially in large amounts, it puts their mind into a deep sleep. Not a coma—a sleep so deep, even electric shocks can’t wake them."

Ray’s face tensed.

Jay continued, "And it doesn’t stop there. The longer they stay in it, the more their mind fades. Bit by bit, they lose themselves—memories, feelings—everything. Until they become like a puppet. Alive, but... empty."

Ray didn’t say anything.

"And that’s not even the worst part," Jay added. "If the chemical isn’t handled the right way, it starts eating away at the person’s body too. Slowly at first... then all at once. If it’s strong enough, it can even melt the body completely—no bones left."

Ray’s eyes widened.

Jay’s voice dropped lower. "But the mix they’ve made here... it’s even worse. It turns people into something like zombies. No thoughts. No soul. Just... there. And the worst part? If someone has a divine connection—like Esme does—it cuts that off too. No one can reach them. Not even their divine bond."

Ray’s breath caught. "So that’s why she hasn’t woken up..."

Jay nodded grimly. "And why beom couldn’t get near her either."

Ray looked down, his jaw tight. "Can she come back?"

Jay didn’t respond. He looked away, his silence saying everything.

It took Jay and ryan nearly half a week to come up with something—anything—that could help. They worked day and night, barely sleeping, testing every possible solution.

In the end, they managed to create a new chemical.

It wasn’t a cure—but it was their only shot.

This new chemical, if it touched the NALA compound inside Esme, would force her body into complete shock. It was risky, dangerous. But it was the only thing strong enough to break through what NALA had done to her.

Jay looked at the numbers again. The odds were terrifying.

There was a 20% chance that Esme might wake up.

But there was also an 80% chance that she might never come back. She could be left paralyzed... fall into a permanent vegetative state... or even die.

Ray stood quietly as Jay explained the results, his hands clenched at his sides. No one spoke for a while.

Jay and Brian had tried everything. Searched for another way. A safer way.

But there was no other way.

This was it.

There was no turning back now.

Ray had made up his mind from the very beginning. If Esme died... then so be it. He would follow her. He’d be a widower—but at least they’d be together.

But watching her live like this? Trapped in a silent body, controlled by others, used like some kind of lab experiment?

No. He couldn’t accept that.

He would never stand by and watch his wife turn into a zombie—soulless, emotionless, just another puppet for those monsters. Never.

So, from the moment he stepped into this place, he’d been preparing for this. Quietly, without making a scene, he started dropping small chemical vials from his pocket—here and there—carefully, strategically.

They looked harmless. Nothing explosive, nothing that would draw too much attention. But they weren’t meant to cause damage. They were meant to cause distraction.

He knew someone had been watching him ever since he walked in.

So he gave them a show.

He acted secretive on purpose. Whispered things under his breath. Paused in corners. Looked over his shoulder like he was hiding something.

He wanted them to follow him. And they did.

All of that noise, all of that attention—was for one reason only.

To give Jay a clean, quiet chance to slip into the lab. Unseen. Unbothered.

While all eyes were on Ray... Jay was already inside, working in silence.

.

.

.

Doc looked at Ray, her eyes burning with anger—no, hatred.

Then she laughed. Sharp. Bitter. Disbelieving.

"Ha! Ha ha ha! I can’t believe it!" she shouted, her voice rising as her hands clenched into fists. She took a step forward, glaring at him like she wanted to hit him.

"I’ve seen a lot of cold people in my life... but you?" Her voice cracked with rage. "You’d rather she die than live like this? You’d choose death for her?"

Ray didn’t flinch.

His eyes, once tired and heavy, now turned ice-cold. He looked at Doc—unshaken, unreadable—and then spoke, his voice quiet but sharp like a blade.

"Heartless?" he echoed. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You can’t even imagine how heartless I can be."

The air went still. The weight of his words hung heavy between them.

And for a brief second, the pain behind Ray’s eyes said more than his silence ever could.