Marrying My Father's Enemy
Chapter 69: Ties

Chapter 69: Ties

Chapter 69: Ties...

The apartment was quiet except for the sound of the old refrigerator.

Callian was on the couch, staring at his hands.

They were still red from the night before, his knuckles turned raw.

A half-empty mug of coffee sat on the table, untouched.

Eira moved around the kitchen softly; the occasional click of a spoon against a cup made him flinch.

She glanced at him, biting her lip, then walked over.

"Did you sleep?" she asked gently, sitting down across from him.

"No," he muttered in a raw voice. "How could I?"

She folded her hands in her lap, her fingers twisted nervously. "You have to eat something. Even if it’s just toast."

"I’m not hungry."

"You didn’t eat yesterday either," she pointed out.

Callian’s head snapped up. "Do you think food will fix this? That toast will make everyone stop calling me a liar? A murderer?"

How hypocritical it was of him to say that.

Eira flinched but didn’t back down. "No. But it’ll stop you from collapsing on Sana’s couch."

He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. "Sorry. I... I didn’t mean to snap."

Eira stood and headed back to the kitchen, giving him space. "Rylan called me this morning," she said after a pause.

"What did he say?"

"He wants to come over. Said you weren’t answering."

Callian let out a bitter laugh. "Of course he does. He’ll want to strategize, tell me to smile for the cameras, spin a new story. Like that’ll fix anything."

Eira opened her mouth to respond, but a knock at the door interrupted her.

She glanced at Callian, who waved her off without looking up.

"It’s him," he muttered. "Let him in."

Eira walked to the door and opened it to find Rylan standing there, dressed sharply in a dark jacket and jeans.

"Is he okay?" Rylan asked before stepping inside.

"Define ’okay,’" Eira replied quietly, motioning toward the couch.

Rylan walked in and dropped a folder onto the coffee table in front of Callian. "You’ve been ignoring me," he said.

"Not in the mood for lectures, Rylan," Callian said without looking up.

"It’s not a lecture," Rylan replied, sitting in the armchair. "It’s a plan. You can’t just sit here feeling sorry for yourself."

Callian leaned back, his jaw tightened. "What do you want me to do? Go back to the hospital and beg Mita to tell the truth? She won’t."

"Not yet," Rylan said, leaning forward. "But we can push her. Her story doesn’t add up. I’ve been digging last night."

"Digging? What does that mean?"

"It means I talked to people," Rylan said. "She’s not as innocent as she looks, Callian."

Eira sat back down, her brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"

Rylan opened the folder, spreading out a series of photos and notes.

"Mita’s been playing this game for months. There’s a paper trail—a conversation with her parents about ’leveraging the situation.’ Bank transfers. They’ve been setting you up."

Callian stared at the photos, his hands curled into fists. "You’re sure?"

"Positive."

"But why? What do they gain from this?" Eira asked.

Rylan’s expression hardened. "Money. Influence. Maybe both. They want to tie Callian to their family, and they don’t care how."

Callian let out a harsh laugh. "Great. So I’m just a pawn in their little power grab."

Rylan stood, pacing the small living room. "That’s why we need to act fast. If we release this information—"

"No," Callian said sharply.

Rylan stopped mid-step. "What do you mean, no?"

"I’m not dragging this into the open," Callian said. "Mita’s already in a hospital bed. You think the world will take my—"

Rylan frowned, his hands on his hips. "Callian, you can’t just sit here and do nothing. They’ll destroy you."

Callian rested his elbows on his knees.

He looked at the photos again, the notes that Rylan had spread out.

His eyes went on one picture of Mita smiling at a party, taken weeks before the incident.

She didn’t look fragile there. She looked confident, like someone in control.

"What happens if I fight back?" Callian asked.

Rylan sighed. "The press will twist it. They’ll say you’re smearing a victim to save your own skin. But if we don’t push back, they’ll bury you alive."

"There has to be another way. Something that doesn’t make him look worse."

Rylan looked at Eira. "You think I haven’t thought about that? The truth doesn’t matter to these people, Eira. They’ll believe the story that hurts Callian the most because it’s the easiest one to sell."

Callian stood suddenly, pacing the room. "I can’t do this. I can’t keep fighting. Everyone’s already decided I’m guilty. Our mother, the media... even Mita’s tears are more believable than anything I say."

"Don’t say that," Eira said, standing as well. She moved toward him, placing a hand on his arm. "You don’t have to decide everything today. Just take one step at a time."

He pulled away, shaking his head. "One step at a time? Eira, they want me to marry her. To fix this. Do you know what that feels like? To be told you have to spend the rest of your life with someone who—"

His voice broke, and he turned away, running a hand through his hair.

Rylan stepped in. "Listen to me, Callian. If you walk away now, they win. They get their money, their story, and you’ll never clear your name. Is that what you want?"

Callian turned back to face him. "What do you want me to do, Rylan? Throw a press conference? Show these photos to the world? All that does is prove I’m desperate."

Eira looked between the two of them. "Maybe there’s a way to get the truth out without it coming from you."

Rylan tilted his head. "What are you saying?"

"Find someone else to leak it," Eira said. "An anonymous source. Someone who can share the proof without tying it to Callian."

Rylan’s eyes narrowed. "That’s risky. If it gets traced back to us—"

"But it won’t," Eira interrupted. "If we’re careful, no one will know."

"I don’t know if I can handle more lies, even if they’re to save me."

"It’s not a lie," Eira said firmly. "It’s the truth. You’re just protecting yourself."

Rylan crossed his arms, thinking. "It could work. If we control how it’s released, we can shape the narrative without making you look like the aggressor."

Callian sank back onto the couch, his head in his hands. "I don’t know if I have it in me. I’ve already lost everything that mattered. My mother doesn’t believe me. The Anands hate me. Half the city thinks I’m a monster. What’s the point?"

Eira knelt in front of him. "The point is that you know the truth. And deep down, so do they. You just have to give them a reason to admit it."

Callian looked at her. "What if it’s not enough?"

"Then we keep fighting," she said. "One step at a time."

Rylan nodded. "She’s right. But we have to start now. Sitting here won’t change anything."

Callian closed his eyes, exhaling shakily. "Fine. Do it. Leak whatever you need to. Just... keep me out of it."

Eira placed her hand over his.