Marrying My Father’s Enemy

Chapter 4: I'm Your Daughter

As the auction ended and the voices grew, Callian stood up first, adjusting his suit jacket with a calm, almost arrogant ease.

Eira followed, her eyes glanced around the room as they prepared to leave. But before they could step away, a voice came from behind them.

"Wait!"

Eira turned, her heart skipped a beat as she saw him.

Henry Blackwood.

Her father.

He was rushing towards them, his tall body cut through the crowd.

He had a good build for a man his age—around 6 feet, with sharp green eyes that were shining under the auction hall lights.

His greying hair and beard gave him a distinguished look, his jaw still seemed to be snatched as in the pictures Eira had seen.

Handsome, in a way that made it hard to understand why her mother had ever loved him.

But now, his face was tight, and his voice trembled slightly as he stopped in front of them. "Who are you?" he demanded, glaring at Eira. "Do you know Helen?"

Helen. Her mother… "Really, Father?" she thought to herself.

Eira's smile tightened as she stood taller, watching him tremble. Did he know who she was? The thought crossed her mind, and she couldn't stop wondering if the man standing before her had any idea.

"I asked you a question," Henry said again, this time his tone was louder, almost desperate, as if he was looking for any answers in Eira's eyes.

Eira met his eyes, and in a calm, confident voice, she asked him, "Who am I? Do you really not know, Henry?"

Henry blinked.

Eira was shaking his confidence for the first time. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words caught in his throat; he was stuttering. "I—"

Before he could finish, a woman with long blonde hair appeared, slipping her arm around Henry's and pulling him back slightly.

"Father," she said, sounding so entitled. It was Vanessa, yet her green eyes narrowed again as she glanced between Callian and Eira. "What's going on here?"

Eira's smirk deepened. Father. The word rolled through her mind, making her stomach twist in pain and spin around like an old CD.

Vanessa was Henry's daughter? Eira looked at her, then back at Henry, feeling the irony and finally understanding Callian's previous words.

Vanessa turned her full attention to Eira. "Who is this?" she demanded. "Some cheap girl you picked up to make a scene? You really are pathetic."

Before Eira could reply, Callian stepped forward. "Watch your mouth, Vanessa… it's not my fault you were just not good enough."

Vanessa scoffed, stepping closer. "Oh, what are you going to do, Callian? Defend her? You've always been drawn to trash."

Eira clenched her jaw, but before she could react, Vanessa raised her hand to call for security. "Get these two out of here."

But before anyone could respond, another voice smoothed the situation like rain in the ending winter.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

A woman stepped forward.

She looked elegant and poised… and her beauty was almost ageless.

She looked to be in her early forties, her dark hair swept back, her eyes full of life as she looked down at Eira.

A cold, unforgiving smile tugged at her lips. This was Henry's wife—Eira's stepmother.

"You must be the girl causing all this trouble," she said, laughing like sharp glass. "And you," she turned her eyes to Callian, "what would a man like you want with someone like her? A piece of trash, really."

Eira felt the sting of the insult but held her head high.

Callian, however, didn't flinch. He met the woman's mocking with a smirk. Callian decided to speak too. "Trash?" he repeated. "You should watch your words, Mrs. Blackwood. The only trash here is your daughter… my team can provide some beautiful pictures of her trying to flirt with my security guy."

Callian shook his head, and Eira heard his gentle laugh. "I mean, my security guard, really? The flea will jump on anyone to drink their blood."

The woman sneered, stepping closer to Eira as if inspecting her. "Oh, please. You just look at this garbage. She's nothing. Just another pathetic little girl trying to play with the big boys."

Eira felt her fists clench at her sides, but Callian placed a firm hand on her arm, steadying her. He leaned in, protecting her. "Don't let them get to you."

Henry, still standing a bit behind, looked between them all. "Who are you?" he asked again, this time his voice seemed to be softer, less sure.

Eira looked directly into his eyes, feeling her moment, but she didn't answer him this time.

Instead, she turned away with Callian by her side.

"Let's go," she stated. "You're my husband, follow your wife."

As they moved to leave, she could feel the eyes of Henry, Vanessa, and Mrs. Blackwood burning into her back.

This was only the beginning, and she knew it. The situation was like a battle between them that had just begun.

"Why did you walk away?"

"I didn't know what to say, Callian… just look at them all. They were eating me alive!" She spoke through gritted teeth.

"But that's why I'm here. You think I couldn't take them down?"

Eira rolled her eyes. "It's not a boxing ring, Mister Reed."

Callian placed his right hand on her back. "It is not, but I will always protect my wife no matter what."

"I'm your wife only on paper."

"So? You're Mrs. Reed now, so that makes you my wife. I will always protect you."

- -

"Did you have an illegitimate child, Henry?!"

"No—no! I swear… when I married you, I was only with you, Beatrice," Henry stuttered.

"I feel like you're lying to me!"

"Dad, who was this trash? Why was she looking at you like you owe her your life?!" Vanessa started pressing her father.

"Be—because…" Henry seemed to be at a loss for words. His mind couldn't think anymore to even make a proper sentence.

"You sound like there's a lot of explaining to do, Father. Did you cheat on Mom?"

Henry pulled himself together. "No! Of course not! How can you say that?"

"Then who was this bitch with Callian?" Vanessa crossed her arms around her chest. "I wanted him."

"Don't worry, darling. You will get him. You will unite our families and make us more powerful than we already are now."

"This situation is giving me a weird feeling, Mother. Who was she?"

Beatrice put a hand on her chest, heavily inhaling air… "Those eyes… it can't possibly be…"

"I know. It's impossible," Henry added to her statement, knowing exactly what his wife was thinking.

"I don't trust you enough to believe you, my dear husband. After everything my family did for you, you still let me know."

"Beatrice, plea—"

"No. We will talk once I hire a private investigator. I need to confirm her identity myself."