Marrying My Father's Enemy-Chapter 159: The Silence After Eira

Chapter 159: The Silence After Eira

For two days, the rumours had spread through the town like wildfire.

She’s gone.

That’s what everyone said.

No one knew for sure, but the absence of Eira Hax felt like a void too deep to ignore.

Her small flat, the one with the chipped blue door, had been silent.

The phone rang unanswered. The world around her had moved on, but Eira had vanished.

Inside the courtroom, the whole situation was a living thing, pressing against the walls and making it hard to breathe.

Callian was sitting stiffly on the wooden bench, his hands clasped in his lap.

His brown hair hung over his forehead, hiding his furrowed brow.

Beside him, Rylan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, eyes sharp and focused on the defendants ahead.

Leonardo Reeds, the quietest of the three, sat with his arms crossed, pale and neutral face.

None of them spoke.

The Blackwood family stood in a line before the judge.

Yet, the cracks were there if you looked closely.

Henry Blackwood shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his jaw looked so tight that even a hammer couldn’t be able to open it.

Beatrice Blackwood held her chin high, but her knuckles were white where she gripped the edges of her coat.

Steven looked around the room, never landing anywhere for long, while Vanesa’s hands trembled at her sides.

The judge looked like a stern man with deep lines carved into his face. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.

"This court has deliberated on the charges against the defendants." His voice spoke through the room, commanding silence.

Callian felt Rylan’s knee bump against his own. It was like a silent reassurance.

Leonardo exhaled sharply, his hands tightened on his arms.

Reporters with notebooks and cameras stayed at the back, whispering among themselves.

The city’s eyes were on the Blackwoods, the family everyone had talked about for years.

The prosecutor, a wiry woman with sharp eyes, seemed more strict and motivated to bring them all down.

She spoke of Helen’s and Eira’s life, of the bullying they had endured at the hands of the Blackwoods.

"Helen Hax," the prosecutor stated, "was a victim. Not once. Not twice. But repeatedly, over years. The Blackwoods saw her as an easy target. They harassed her, humiliated her, and tormented her."

She gestured toward the defendants, her hand cut through the air like a blade.

"Henry Blackwood led the charge, instilling fear in her every day. Beatrice Blackwood ensured that fear never faded, controlling the narrative, spreading lies. Steven Blackwood followed in his brother’s footsteps, making sure Helen knew she was powerless. And Vanesa Blackwood—she harassed Eira Hax with a cruelty that even her family found hard to match."

The words sounded harsh, but straight to the point with no sugarcoating.

"Her disappearance," the prosecutor continued, "is not an accident. It is the result of years of torment by this family."

She glanced at Callian, and went back to hed point.

"Helen gave birth to Eira and was left alone to die in the cold jail cell, with no guards to care about her, with no one caring about her..."

Callian thought about Eira’s diary, when she spoke about how she wished her mother was there with her.

But the gavel struck the judge’s desk, pulling Callian back to the present.

Henry Blackwood was confident, not changing his face as the judge delivered his sentence.

"For the crime of harassment, fraudulent documents, property theft, abuse, and causing grievous harm through your actions, Henry Blackwood, you are sentenced to fifteen years in prison."

A murmur rippled through the courtroom.

Callian’s heart thudded in his chest.

He stole a glance at Rylan, whose jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might snap.

Beatrice Blackwood was next.

The judge settled on her with a hate that seemed to press her shoulders down.

"Beatrice Blackwood, for your role in perpetuating the harassment and abuse of Helen and Eira Hax, taking part in Helen Hax’s death, you are sentenced to twenty-five years in prison."

Beatrice flinched, the first crack in her otherwise icy face.

Her eyes darted toward Steven, who stood beside her.

The judge’s tone didn’t change.

"Steven Blackwood, for your direct involvement in the harassment, property’s theft, bullying of Eira Hax, and Helen Hax’s death, you are sentenced to twenty-five years in prison."

Rylan could feel the anger radiating off Callian now.

Steven had always been the most suspicious of the Blackwoods, the one who laughed the hardest at Eira’s pain.

"And finally," the judge said, his eyes landed on Vanesa, "Vanesa Blackwood, for your role in harassing and bullying Eira Hax, you are sentenced to five years in prison."

Vanesa let out a small sob, covering her face with her hands.

Beatrice turned to her daughter, her lips moved silently as if to comfort her, but Vanesa pushed her away.

The courtroom emptied slowly, people shuffling out with hushed conversations and stolen glances.

Callian, Rylan, and Leonardo stayed in their seats, watching as the Blackwoods were escorted away in handcuffs.

Henry walked with his head high, his eyes forward, while Beatrice seemed to shrink with every step.

Steven muttered something under his breath, earning a sharp look from the officer behind him.

Vanesa wept openly, her cries were heard down the hall.

Callian swallowed hard, his throat dry.

He could still see Eira’s face in his mind—her shy smile, the way she used to tuck her hair behind her ear when she was nervous.

He thought of the times she’d been cornered by the Blackwoods.

Rylan finally stood abruptly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Let’s go," he said.

Leonardo didn’t move.

He was looking at the -empty spot where the Blackwoods had stood.

"They deserved more," he said softly.

Callian nodded. He didn’t say it, but he agreed.

No sentence could undo what had been done to Eira.

The three of them stepped into the cold air, the gray sky pressed the rain down on them.

The reporters were still there, cameras flashed as they snapped pictures of the departing crowd.

Callian kept his head down, Rylan muttering curses under his breath as they pushed past the throng.

Leonardo stopped just outside the courthouse steps.

"What if she’s still out there?" he asked quietly.

Rylan turned to him, his brows furrowed.

"She’s gone, father." His voice cracked, just slightly. "You heard them. They think she’s dead."

Leonardo shook his head, his lips pressed so much it formed into a thin line.

"We don’t know that," he said. "Not for sure."

Callian didn’t have an answer.

He stared at the cracks in the pavement beneath his feet, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.

The wind picked up, cold and biting.

"Let’s just go," Rylan spoke again.

This time, they followed.

Aftermath wasn’t so good for both sides.

The news of the sentences spread quickly.

By evening, the whole town was in shock with the details of the trial.

The Blackwoods, once untouchable, were now behind bars.

The streets felt quieter somehow, as if the world had paused to take a breath.

But for Callian, the trial wasn’t the end.

It was just another Chapter in a story that felt unfinished.

Because Eira was still gone.

And the silence she left behind was louder than any verdict.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m