Marrying My Father’s Enemy

Chapter 18: Henry's Weakness

Eira opened her eyes.

The world felt blurry, and her head felt thick from all the sleep.

Her eyes fell on Callian, who sat quietly beside her, with his head leaning back against the chair.

His eyes were half-closed but red from exhaustion.

She reached out, gently brushed her fingers through his hair.

He stirred and immediately opened his eyes too. "You're awake," he murmured, relief softened his face.

Eira furrowed her brow as she looked around, taking in the pale walls and sterile air. "Callian… where are we?"

"The family hospital," he replied in a calm tone. "You collapsed last night."

A faint memory came back to her, like a blur of pain and darkness. She nodded, realizing. "Right… I remember." She paused. "I'm… sorry."

Callian shook his head. "There's nothing to apologize for, Eira." He leaned forward, brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You've been carrying too much alone."

She bit her lip, looking away. "I didn't mean for things to get like this. I just… I wanted to handle it."

He didn't answer, only wrapped her in a gentle hug. She tensed, unsure of how to respond.

"You're not angry with me?" she whispered.

"Angry? No." He held her a little tighter. "I'm angry with the people who put you in this position. And maybe a bit with myself."

She stayed silent, absorbing and listening to his words.

After a moment, Callian pulled back. "Let's go home," he said softly. "You'll feel better there."

Back at their house, Callian set her up comfortably on the couch, tucked a blanket around her. He left briefly, returning with a glass of water and a few pieces of toast.

"Eat something, okay?" He handed her the plate. "The doctor said you need to get your strength back."

Eira took the toast, nibbling at it, but for some reason her mind was elsewhere. "Callian," she began, hesitating, "Will they let me go back to university?"

"I spoke with them. They've dropped all charges."

Her eyes widened. "So… I can go back?"

"Yes," he said, but then paused himself for a little. "But honestly, I'd rather you take online classes for a while. Just until you're feeling better."

She shook her head firmly. "I want to go back. Being stuck here will just make me feel worse."

Callian sighed. "You're so stubborn."

"Guess you're stuck with me."

He laughed softly but then turned his face back to being serious. "There's something else I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Henry," he said, "he has a weakness."

"Henry? What is his weakness?"

He leaned in closer. "You. Eira, you're his weakness."

"But… how me?"

"Because you're strong," Callian stated, "And that strength terrifies him."

Eira blinked, staring at Callian. "I'm… Henry's weakness? I don't understand."

Callian nodded. "Yes, Eira. Henry thinks he can control everyone. But you… you're different. You're the one thing he can't control."

Eira frowned and nervously started twisting her fingers together. "But what does that mean? He didn't know I existed, now hates me, made my life miserable…"

Callian placed his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "That's exactly it, Eira. You represent everything he can't be. You're kind, you're strong, and, no matter what he's done, he couldn't break you or your mother. I swear, it's like Hax power…"

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's time we make him realize he can't control you—or anyone else," Callian replied. "I want him to see what it feels like to lose."

"How would we even do that?" Eira whispered.

"We use his own tactics against him. He thrives on secrets, lies, and control, right? We're going to turn that on him."

"How?"

"First, we'll show everyone who he really is," Callian continued. "All the people who look up to him, who think he's a respectable man… they have no idea what he's really like. We're going to show them the truth."

Eira's hands trembled slightly. "What if he tries to come after you?"

"That's exactly what he'll do," Callian said calmly. "Every move he makes will only hurt him more."

Eira took a deep breath. "Okay. But what do we do first?"

"We find his weakest point—something he's tried to keep hidden. If we can expose something personal, something painful for him, he'll lose control."

She nodded slowly, piecing things together. "I know some things… like how he hurt my mother, how he lied to his business partners."

"That's a start. But there has to be more. Something he's terrified of losing."

Eira looked down, thinking.

Her voice came out softly, "He cares a lot about his reputation. More than anything else. He can't stand the idea of people seeing him as weak or flawed."

A dark smile crossed Callian's face. "Then we go after his reputation. We show everyone what he's really like."

Callian took her hand, looking at her with gentle reassurance. "This isn't about revenge, Eira. It's about protecting yourself—and others—from him. This is the only way to stop him from hurting you again."

Eira swallowed, nodding slowly. "You're right."

"Good," Callian said, squeezing her hand. "Here's the plan. We start with small leaks—things that seem harmless but plant seeds of doubt. We let people hear just enough to make them question him. We'll spread stories, things he won't know came from us."

Eira listened carefully, feeling a strange strength build within her. "And then?"

"Once people start doubting him, we'll release more. Little by little, we'll let out bigger secrets. Business partners will start to lose trust. Investors will pull away. His perfect image will start to fall apart."

"And he'll have no one to blame but himself."

"Exactly! He built his empire on lies, fear, and theftary. The same things will be his downfall."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "So… where do we start?"

"Hey, hey! You first rest!"

"No. I want to start now. I know his ally."

"Who's that?"

"Dr. Booh."

"Who?"

"He was the one who helped him frame the murder that was blamed on my mom."

"How?"

"By swapping DNA."