Ray’s smirk faltered. Her gaze held him captive, a steady, burning question in her eyes that no flippant remark could easily dismiss.
Ray ground his teeth, a flicker of rage surfacing beneath his usually calm exterior. "I’d tear them to pieces," he growled, his voice low and laced with an unmistakable hatred. This wasn’t the composed, controlled Ray that everyone saw at boardroom etings or family dinners. This was Ray stripped down to his rawest instinct—a brother, protective and fierce.
Es’s brows lifted, surprise flitting across her face. She hadn’t expected this much venom from him, not from the calst of the brothers. But as the shock faded, a small, approving smile curved on her lips. "Well done," she murmured, her voice soft but laced with a subtle satisfaction. "You see, Ray, you’re the level-headed one, the calm leader of your family, the one with a company to run and a public image to maintain. You always have that rational calm about you. But even you would be driven to that if soone dared to harm your brothers."
She paused, letting her words sink in, her gaze steady as she continued. "Now imagine how they’d feel," she said, her tone more serious. "That person who knows I killed their precious daughter—our friend—and even had the audacity to flaunt it in front of them." Her voice dipped, as if the weight of the revelation was pressing down on her. "Do you think they’d leave alive after that?"
Ray clenched his jaw, a spark of frustration flickering in his eyes as he processed her words. "So, you’re saying they’d co after you now?" he asked, the skepticism clear in his voice. "After knowing the level of security we have around you, with everyone watching your every move? They’ve spent years plotting, setting traps, orchestrating my mother’s death—why would they suddenly risk everything just because you gloated a little?"
Es’s expression softened, almost as if she pitied him for his disbelief. She shifted the car into gear, her hand steady on the wheel as the engine humd back to life. "Ray," she said quietly, a knowing smile playing at her lips, "you don’t understand. A person like that—they’re smart, calculated, they stay calm and collected in even the darkest monts. They play the long ga, and yes, they have skill. But they all share one flaw." She glanced at him, a glint in her eyes as she pressed her point. "They have a weakness. For you, it’s your brothers. For , it’s the people I care about."
Her gaze returned to the road as the car picked up speed, her voice almost thoughtful. "And for that person? It’s their family. They’ve already lost part of their mind after what happened to our second aunt. The one they loved is gone, and now... they’re haunted by it."
She paused, as if weighing her next words carefully. "Trust , Ray. They wouldn’t just co after . They would do it out of a need that goes beyond revenge. This isn’t a calculated move anymore—it’s an obsession."
Ray took a deep, steadying breath, the tension palpable in his clenched jaw. "Es," he began, his voice edged with a rare vulnerability. "If what you’re saying is true, then this is far too dangerous for you. You don’t need to take this risk. They might—" he hesitated, the thought painful to even voice. "They might kill you. Last ti, second aunt barely spared you, and if this person is even smarter, even more ruthless... they won’t let you walk away this ti."
Es’s lips curved into a smile, her gaze still fixed on the road ahead. She took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling smoke with a playful tilt of her head. "Oh my! And here I was starting to think my husband didn’t care about at all," she teased, her tone laced with a hint of amusent.
Ray’s patience snapped. "Stop playing around!" he barked, his eyes narrowing as he watched her. "Are you even listening to ? This isn’t so ga, Es! It’s life and death we’re talking about here."
Es sighed, letting her cigarette dangle from her fingers as she took a deep breath, her face finally settling into a look of gravity. "Ray," she said, her voice soft but firm. "We’re married by contract. But beyond that contract, I’m also your wife. And as your wife, it’s my duty to protect you and your brothers." Her gaze sharpened, a steely determination in her eyes. "That’s the end of it. I’m not backing down."
She paused, as if searching for the right words to make him understand. "Your second aunt, this person you’re so worried about... people like them, I’ve been dealing with my entire life. I’ve faced threats like theirs before, and it’s not as big a deal as you think it is." She reached over, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, her touch light but grounding. "Calm down, Ray. I know what I’m doing."
Ray bit down on his lip, a surge of frustration mingling with newfound resolve. He couldn’t let himself be shielded any longer. If Es’s suspicions were right, and if this threat ca from within his own family, they wouldn’t just co for him—they’d co for his company, his legacy. He had to beco stronger, to step beyond the role of a vice-president who simply followed in Es’s shadow. If he wanted to protect everything he held dear, he’d need the strength to challenge the elders, to reshape the company with his own hands. He couldn’t just be a vice-president; he needed to be the vice-president—strong, formidable, the partner Es deserved.
Yes, he would do it. He had to.
---
Later that night
The night was cloaked in darkness, the moon casting a pale glow over the city, illuminating the balcony where Es stood. Her gaze was fixed on the stars above, a cigarette dangling loosely from her fingers as she exhaled a faint wisp of smoke into the still air. Her thoughts were distant, her expression unreadable as she drew in another breath.
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